Making Marks with Procion

I spent a bit of time yesterday and made some marks onto fabric.  I used soy wax as a resist, Procion as a liquid dye concentrate and also thickened using the dye paste mix from ProChem.  Such a lot of fun.

I find it so hilarious that when I try and write on fabric or write in free motion embroidery, I always revert to the MacLean's method of writing that I learned in grade 4 using an ink pen dipped into an ink well (and yes, the boy behind me did dip my braids into the ink well...sigh).  I suppose it's because it's a continuous line and that's the easiest to manage in these situations.  Still, it's funny...haven't written like that for years!!

Soy wax circles drawn around with thickened dye from a needle-nose bottle.  I like the way it scraped over the fabric when I took a credit card to it.   I didn't bother to wipe the dyes off the soy wax before I steamed the fabric and I rather like the bits of colour that are left.  I suppose if I didn't I could be a lot more careful and remove the dye, but for now I quite like it.

The circles here are a rubbing of a cardboard 'plate' with glue gun circles drawn onto it.  The squares are from a stencil (you can see where I have written the word 'stencil' above it, as a reminder, which I seem to need these days.  More loud sighing.)

I like the way the marks are different, depending on how damp/wet the fabric is.  So much room for experimenting here.  I tried out the steamer for the first time....put it outside...very cold out there but not raining and no wind.  Lots to learn there too.

I have also washed out the black to grey gradations.  I 'll show you that next time.  Have to photograph them first.

I'll be back.....