Using Salt to create patterns?

[Jules M.]

Hi! I am new to dying and am having a great time trying things out. (Just what I needed, another hobby...) I remember asking someone years ago about an interesting effect I saw on her fabric and she told me that it was done by putting coarse salt on the fabric. I've tried a couple different methods but haven't had any success. I got the right effect once, but when I rinsed the fabric it went away. Does anyone have any suggestions for me?

[Margo C.]

Dawna, I've never done this, but there seems to be a lot of information available through this web site:

http://fabricdyeing101.blogspot.com/

Good luck!

[Margo C.]

Thanks Margo, that is a great site! I bookmarked it, but it doesn't seem to have what I'm looking for however. I can find lots of information about adding salt to the recipe for richer colors, etc., but what this woman had done involved sprinkling salt on the fabric at some point in the process. It made drop-like marks and it seemed like the dye had moved away from the large salt grains.

[Lotti D.]

hello dawna,
i used to do some silk painting and also used salt for effects.
the salt attracts the color, absorbing the moisture, making dark rings, streaks, grain or tear effects in some places flower-like clusters (a little like chrisanthemums).
according to my old silkpainting basics booklet (Seidenmalerei - Grundtechniken, by Ursula Kuehnemann), the fabric (dye) cannot be too moist, i.e. if there is "standing" water the salt cannot absorb the moisture, if it is too dry - no moisture to absorb...
the salt (works only with large grains as the small ones don't really absorb enough - there won't really be a significant effect) should be removed as soon as the fabric is dry, otherwise the salt may "eat" or weaken the fabric. if you only want the salt-effect in some places - then make sure the other areas are completely dry. make sure all the salt is removed and washed out as soon as possible.
salt is great if the dye has turned out too dark and you want to lighten it up, or want fuzzier lines.
i have also found that if it was not completely set before washing - the salt effect could also go - possibly depends on the paint used.

only tried this for a little while as i decided early on that this is not really my thing - so am not an expert and have not really done anything in this line in the last 10 years or so...
have fun experimenting

just found a couple of links you might find useful:
http://www.pburch.net/dyeing/FAQ/salteffects.shtml
http://www.ehow.com/way_5460860_fabr...rock-salt.html
http://www.silkpaintingpatterns.com/...echniques.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWU9FpU0Zm8

looking at that youtube video - i think i'll have to start experimenting again :wink: :wink:

[Norma H.]

I don't know what kind of dyes you're using, but I know the salt effects from silk painting, but have never done it with MX Procion dyes.
I found a website discussing the subject and that might interest you, so here is the link
http://www.pburch.net/dyeing/dyeblog...0061101093208/
I'm quite sure that the photos show what you try do do. Good luck.

[Kathryn S.]

Hi Dawna, I've used salt before when dyeing. After the dye and soda ash were on the fabric, I strewed kosher salt over the surface and let it sit to dry. The salt pulled some of the water out of the surrounding areas, and made the blotchiness/streaking effect. Not sure why the effect would wash out after rinsing- maybe after the excess dye was out, the effect was much less than before rinsing? Kathy

[Kathryn S.]

The salt I have heard others use is Kosher salt or rock salt.

[Frances L.]

I saw a show years ago with Georgia Bonesteel and the guest was doing that with Setacolor out in the sun. A google search showed this site: http://www.opulencesilksanddyes.com/..._painting.html

Frances

[brenda h.]

You can also go to http://www.dharmatrading.com and look at their tutorials. They have one for silk dyeing with salt, the same technique should work for cotton, too. Good luck and have fun

[brenda h.]

Thank you so much everyone!! You found just what I was talking about. I am using the Procion dyes on cotton, but now that so many of you talked about silk dyeing, I remembered that what I saw was silk, not cotton. I'm going to try it and I'll let you know how it goes.


dd

[brenda h.]

Dawna - you got us hooked on this today at your house!!

Sue & Megan

[Rita C.]

Doesn't Denise Labadie do something like this in Show 106?

I was looking at a website that uses sharpies with rubbing alcohol to make interesting patterns on fabric today. Here's the link if anybody is interested.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UYr4S...eature=related

[Rita C.]

Rita, that was so "stinkin' cool"!

[Rita C.]

Yes, definitely one to do with my son. He's been doing a science project on dying fabric using natural and 'un-natural' dies, so this is a good one for the un-natural dies! None of the natural ones have worked according to the instructions we used from the internet, which was disappointing.

[Hannelore N.]

Question the the "Collective TQS Brain": I have seen quite a number of little videos about this dyeing with Sharpies and alcohol, but it didn't say in any of them if you have to fix the colour afterwards or not.