Silkworm from SPIN - Silk Painters International

DYE A MICROWAVE JACKET

with Gloria Lanza Bajo

microwave jacket - Gloria Lanza-Bajo

I use Tinfix dyes that I’ve mixed to do most of my painting. (You can, of course, use whatever dyes you use for gutta-serti painting.) To create your design, you can tie silk and use shibori methods. Or you can dip jacket into dyes or brush on the dyes. The example here uses brush-applied dyes. In addition to dyes you will use for your color design, you will also need: plastic gloves plastic to cover your table sponge brushes a plastic bag or a dish to dip your jacket into which has the vinegar and water 1 Chiffon Jacket (undyed). Example here is from Atelier di Paris. I have now discovered that I do not have to dilute my dyes with vinegar. If I soak the garment – scarf or jacket – in the vinegar and water then dye them, the dyes will set.
Start by adding ½ cup of white vinegar to 1 quart of water. This is to soak the jacket before you apply the dyes. The Chiffon Jacket: Fold jacket being conscious about where you want color anddesign. You can lay it out and fold in half and then half again being careful where the sleeves are placed. These designs are about the color and are abstracts. Once the jacked is folded and rolled, soak it in the vinegar solution. Be sure that the silk is saturated with the vinegar/water solution. Wring the silk and then place it in a Pyrex dish or place it on plastic and create your design. The dyes are added while the fabric is still wet. Once the jacked has soaked in vinegar, you are ready to add your dyes/design. You apply your dyes directly to the folded wet jacket. The challenge is to be sure the dyes soak through. I have unrolled the jacket, using a sponge brush, place the dye on the wet jacket; to be sure you don’t miss any area (if you want some white in the jacket you can use a shibori method of tying the silk and this will give you whites).
Alternatively, you can apply your dyes to the unfolded jacket. You still soak the jacket in vinegar and water first. Then you will place the still-wet jacket on a plastic covered table. Paint your colors on and then fold and roll the jacket. Do not saturate too much so you can maintain the two or three colors you want in the finished jacket. I usually use two colors and try to stay with undiluted color since they will be compromised by the vinegar/water mix. From my experience, I prefer dark colors with a lighter contrast as you can see in the finished example both here and in the article on Cyber Silkies. I select palettes like blacks and taupe, black and royal blue, black and magenta and teal with black. They blend nicely and seem more sophisticated to me.
When ready, take the painted jacket, fold/roll again as instructed earlier, and place it in a ziplock plastic bag. Add additional vinegar to the bag to create steam. Perhaps ¼ cup. Close the bag, but leave a small opening at the end so some steam is released. Place the plastic bag on a microwave-safe dish – I use plastic. Place the bag in the microwave for 6 to 8 minutes. Remove the bag from the microwave. Open the bag carefully to release some of the steam. It will be VERY HOT when you take the bag out of the microwave, so use a potholder or tongs to remove the bag. Let the bag sit for five minutes to cool down. Once cool enough to touch, remove the jacket from the bag. Rinse your jacket in cold water until any excess dyes come out. If available, spin the jacket in a spin cycle of the washing machine. If this isn’t available, towel dry to get rid of excess water.
Open jacket and check your design. If you are happy with your design, you’re done. If you aren’t happy, you can dip again in vinegar and add color. When I first started and used very light colors, they could be re-dyed even after they had been set.
	Method for Folding and Soaking Jacket in Preparation for Dyeing

Any questions, contact Gloria Lanza-Bajo at glbsilk@earthlink.net. Read more about the Cyber-Silkies and their extravaganza in the Southwest in Vol. 22, Issue 3.