Friday, December 9, 2011

Soy Wax Batik

I've spent a few hours in the dye room playing with coloured soy wax and have been absolutely thrilled with the results! I had purchased Lisa Kerpoe and Jane Dunnewolds book Vibrant Color and made up some wax paste to begin. I used the paste on some already coloured fabric and found the paste easy to use, especially through some Thermofax screens. It was the consistency of shoe polish, I could also rub it on, use stiff brushes or stamp with it. I realize I need to spent more time with the paste, my results so far have been less than thrilling.
BUT, I then made up some pans of coloured wax and had an absolute blast using the coloured wax on soda soaked fabrics, then painting in the open areas with dye solution. I batched the fabrics overnight to set the liquid dyes, steamed the fabrics to set the waxed areas and then washed the fabrics with Synthrapol to remove the wax. I should mention that I have used soy wax a lot in the past but never as a coloured medium, now I am hooked!
Here's some of my results, I've already cut and pieced the first fabric and am eagerly looking forward to some machine quilting:


Here's a second piece, coloured with black wax and then painted with fushia and scarlet dyes. Its being cut up for one of my Shattered Angles quilts.


I used bronze, golden yellow and turquoise wax with fushia, purple, and emerald dyes. I think I'll dye some more colours to co-ordinate with this fabric.


Next time, I'll be working with larger pieces of fabric and I'd love to try the coloured wax on the Radiance fabric that is a blend of silk and cotton. The silk threads will pick up the colour in such an exciting way. More ideas and inspiration are always generated by work in the studio!



1 comment:

Yvonne said...

You leapt right into this! I especially like your pieced one.