I learned most of my dyeing through trial and error, attending my mom's Adult Ed classes in batik way back in the 70s, and playing with Easter eggs. ;-)
Eggs are a fun way to experiment with colors on white (or brown) surfaces, and something a lot of us have some experience with. They are small, and the dyes and clean-up are inexpensive. The chemical process is similar to dyeing wool, I believe.
One of batik's salient features is the use of wax as a resist, which means you MUST use cold water dyes: hot water, simmering, and boiling all melt the wax! We usually used cotton as a fabric ground, but sometimes rayon and silk.
While I haven't yet batiked a costume, I've found a lot of the experience of dye prep, color mixing, and fabric handling is transferable...and helps make dyeing less "scary" to me than I'm finding it is for some.
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timeasmymeasure
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Date: 2008-04-18 09:37 pm (UTC)Eggs are a fun way to experiment with colors on white (or brown) surfaces, and something a lot of us have some experience with. They are small, and the dyes and clean-up are inexpensive. The chemical process is similar to dyeing wool, I believe.
One of batik's salient features is the use of wax as a resist, which means you MUST use cold water dyes: hot water, simmering, and boiling all melt the wax! We usually used cotton as a fabric ground, but sometimes rayon and silk.
While I haven't yet batiked a costume, I've found a lot of the experience of dye prep, color mixing, and fabric handling is transferable...and helps make dyeing less "scary" to me than I'm finding it is for some.