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- This exercise will show you how to use Method Three (see 'Different Dye methods'),
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- the 'whatever will be will be 'method. It will also show you how to place dye onto the
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- fibre in a more specific, purposeful way. For this exercise you will need, soda ash,
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- hot water to dissolve it, urea, a bucket, fabric, dye, popsicle sticks, a spare piece of
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- fabric to protect the surface, dust mask and dye applicators. We'll be using a sponge,
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- a roller and foam brushes. We will be using Procion Blue MX3R, Procion Blue MXG
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- and Procion Grey MXB.
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- Firstly, dissolve the soda ash with the hot water. Stir to get all the granules dissolved.
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- I have used half a metre of fabric so 2 tablespoons of soda ash is sufficient. Place the
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- fabric into the bucket with the soda ash solution and leave to soak for 15-20min.
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- Hang out to dry and pull it straight to get rid of most of the wrinkles. We don't advise
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- that you iron it with the soda ash on the fibre. Alternatively you can paint directly
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- onto wet fabric. This will give it a softer smoother edge to the pattern ... more of a
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- watercolour effect.
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- To measure out your dye, prepare the surface by laying out the wet piece of fabric,
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- and assembling the dye, popsicle sticks, empty containers, warm water and urea. For
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- this technique you only need a small amount of dye, so, wearing the dust mask, dip
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- the popsicle stick into the dye powder and remove enough to cover the end of the
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- stick. You don't need more than would cover your little fingernail. Place it in the
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- empty container and add some warm water. Use the stick to stir, or put the lid on
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- and give it a shake. Repeat the process for the other two colours. You may have
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- chosen to use other colours and paint a landscape or a garden background or a
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- sunset sky. This is fun to do and by experimenting and keeping records, you will
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- learn even more. Finally, add a teaspoon of urea to each dye container. The urea will
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- help to maintain enough moisture in the fabric for the fixation process to be
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- accomplished. Once all of your dye powder has been dissolved, you can remove the
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- dust mask. Clean the surface with the wet fabric.
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- Lay a piece of plastic onto your work surface. Spread the soda-soaked fabric on top.
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- With the fat foam brush and a blue dye, start to paint dye directly onto the fabric.
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- Don't have too much dye on the foam brush as it will pool and give a big blob where
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- you may not want it. Cover the surface of the fabric with big sweeping strokes ... this
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- is a big sky. Leave white spaces to take up other dye colours and to imitate clouds.
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- Next, take the small foam brush and the grey dye, paint smaller lines underneath the
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- cloud spaces.