-ANB
Well hello again! Today was a continuation of the scrap round-up. Again it was Teresa, Jenny, and I. I believe Aimee will be joining us again either tomorrow or Thursday. Jenny was in the sewing studio, sewing on the black discharge dye tops that we made a couple of weeks ago. I was stationed at the cutting table to "cut away," if you will, at the scraps to create big enough pieces to make something new from them. I like to cut the scraps into uniform squares and rectangles because I know that it is an important step in our mini-manufacturing process. I was even able to create some more flower pieces to produce more flower pins, but I accidentally left them at Teresa's when I meant to bring them back with me. I will have to remember to grab them when I return tomorrow. I will update you all then.
-ANB
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Well hello! Today it was just Jenny, Cleo (Teresa's cat), and I who were in the studio today. Aimee is still on vacation and Teresa had some business to tend to elsewhere. So, before she left, Teresa gave us our tasks for the day. The first thing that I did was fold a load of towels that had been washed and dried. We use a lot of towels at Teresa's, and we have to keep up with each load, because every project creates a mess and requires clean-up. Teresa then took me to the green-house to retrieve the pieces that we dyed on Tuesday. We wrapped the pieces in plastic sheets and stored them in the greenhouse, because humidity helps the dye set into the fabric. This process is called batching and it requires a couple of days for the process to run it's course. I placed the first batch of hot, dripping wet pieces in a bucket to be taken to the laundry room to be rinsed by hand, washed, and then hung to dry. After I put the pieces in a bucket, I then proceeded to hang up the plastic sheets to hose off. The sheets were colored with dye, and that just will not do. We need the sheets as clean as possible so that we can use them for future projects. Teresa went to go turn on the water hose. It took only a couple of minutes of rinsing for the hose to burst. That's right, the hose burst and began spewing water like a fire hydrant! I wasn't even able to clean off one plastic sheet before the incident happened. So, the sheets are still up on the line, stained with dye. I just hope that it doesn't dry and stick to the plastic permanently. Teresa took me to the laundry room to show me what to do from there and then she was on her way. In between wash loads I would go upstairs, where Jenny was sewing, to cut some more scraps which I had started on Monday. When I finished the first load I took them outside to the car port to hang up to dry, and let me just tell you, they turned out beautifully. Then I went back into the greenhouse to get the second batch, which so happened to contain the pieces that I did and they turned out pretty good. I took the pieces into the laundry room, rinsed them, and then loaded them into the washer. I went back upstairs to cut more scraps into useful rectangles and squares. When the second load finished, I took them to the carport to hang them up with the others. By the time I came back upstairs it was one o'clock, which meant that it was time to go. I feel like Jenny and I got quite a bit accomplished, and we will be back Monday to continue our work. And maybe the fabric will be ready to be cut into tops then. Hopefully I can get pictures for you guys soon. So long!
-ANB Greetings my friends! Today Teresa, Jenny, and I were finally able to dye some fabric. This is traditional paint dyeing which has been done for hundreds and even thousands of years. And no, it is not the same as tie-dyeing. When you tie-dye, you wrap the fabric so that some pieces will not be exposed to the dye and will remain white. When paint dyeing, our goal is to leave absolutely no white showing. First, Teresa had the fabric soaked in soda ash, then we would accordion fold the fabric either lengthwise or by it's width. After this, we tied each piece loosely about four times along it's length. We did this to simply keep the piece folded so that it wouldn't come undone. If we did not fold the fabric, then our designs would not pop, because the folds allow the dye to create stripes and help the colors beautifully transition into one another. After we tied the pieces we trimmed the excess string, because we did not want it in our way as we were painting. The end of the string can also be accidentally exposed to another color and could possibly touch a different part of the fabric and mess with the design. We took our pieces outside and began to paint the dye on with brushes. This is a long, tedious process and you must make sure that it is neat and done right. Every now and the we must clean our gloves and the tables that we are working on because you don't want the dyes to affect other parts of the fabric. I was only able to work on three pieces, but they are beautiful and I can't wait to see how they turn out on Thursday. And with that note I will see you all then. Toodles! -ANB Hello y'all! Aimee and Jenny were not here today at work. Aimee is on vacation and Jenny had an appointment, so it was just Teresa and I left to organize the fabric. The first thing that I did was fray check some vests that Teresa had to make for an order that was placed. I then pressed the rest of the braided and smocked discharge dyed pieces that we worked on the last couple of weeks. Then I cut the serger threads from the vests that I fray checked, which had time to dry while I was ironing. After this I cut the crooked and un-even pieces so that they can be picked up and used quickly. What I mean by that is that they are already pressed and cut so that they can be easily made into something else. I cut them into squares and rectangles, so that we can make pouches, pieced scarves, and so much more. After that, I cut more scraps as big as I could get them so that they can be used for projects that require larger pieces. Some of the pieces were large enough to use for flower petals when we create our flower pins. Then I cut six-inch length rectangles and squares to use for pieced scarves. The small scraps that were leftover are going to be used as centerpieces for the flower pins. After I went through most of the scrap pile, Teresa and I went through a bunch of fabric that her daughter had brought to her from Africa. Her daughter would bring her stacks of gorgeous yardage and it has piled up so we decided that it was time to organize it. We folded the pieces up that will later be put into bins. There are years worth of African prints. Teresa is thinking about making tote bags as presents for friends. Well tomorrow Teresa says that we will be dyeing, which I am excited about because I have not been able to dye yet. I was on vacation the last time they were able to dye. I will update you on the adventure tomorrow. See ya! -ANB Hey guys and gals! Today Aimee and I caught up on all of our work that we started on Monday. Aimee finished cutting out the blouses and I finished pressing the shirt pieces and smocked scraps. Jenny stayed in the sewing room finishing the black and white dyed blouses. After Aimee and I finished, Teresa assigned us to mordant some white dinner napkins that will be marbled or dyed later on. There were a lot of dinner napkins too. This is fine because mordanting is such a quick process. We just let the napkins soak in the warm solution for a little bit and then hang them on the line to dry. While we were hanging the napkins, Hannah stopped by to work on a project. Hannah was our illustrating professor at O'More. She also went to O'More to get her bachelor's in fashion and she was once Teresa's intern. Hannah needed some help with marbling some wallpaper that a designer wanted. Aimee and I were asked to leave some space on the clothing lines for Hannah to hang up her project to dry, but our dinner napkins took up most of the space. Well, Aimee will not be here next week, she will be on a trip. So Jenny and I will be with Teresa next week doing a lot of organization. I will see y'all Monday!
-ANB Hola amigos! Today consisted of the perfect weather to participate in discharge dyeing. It was cool and sunny, a little windy, but other than that it was perfect. Today we discharged, what Teresa likes to call, the uglies. The 'uglies' are scraps or extra fabric she had stored away in the attic to deal with later. And today we turned all of those little uglies into our little pretties. All of the fabric, aside from one organza and two silk crepe pieces, were raw silk pieces. Raw silk does not have a smooth texture and sheen appearance that people may assume that it would. Raw silk feels and looks like a mix between cotton and linen. It pills like cotton, and has the texture and weight of linen. Teresa uses these pieces to make heavier garments such as skirts and jackets. I really love the jackets that she has made out of raw silk. They are simple and trendy little blazers, which sometimes consist of marbled and dyed pieces for pockets, lining, piping, etc. that she adds to the mix. We got all of the pieces dyed and hung today. I'm sure that we will be creating something from them beginning on Thursday. I think that discharge dyeing has become one of my favorite new dyeing processes. You can use different shapes and yarns to create different effects. The best part is that you never know what it will look like until you unwrap it! It's like opening gifts on Christmas morning! I just can't wait to see what Teresa chooses to do with them. I uploaded some photos of today's work in the gallery. So go check it out! Adios! -ANB Hey guys! Today's roles were reversed in the sense that, unlike last week, today I was pressing and Aimee was rinsing and hanging fabric. Before we started, Aimee had brought in a bunch of goodies from a bakery, such as bread, muffins, and cookies. I started my work at the ironing board by pressing all of the discharged yardage that we dyed last week. After I finished with that, I decided to press some of the smocked scarves that Teresa made. After Aimee finished rinsing out her fabric and hanging it she came back into the studio and began to cut out some blouses from the yardage that I pressed that Teresa and Jenny began to cut out. Jenny was in the sewing studio sewing tops out of the fabric they had just cut from the yardage that I pressed. Aimee was able to cut about 3 butterfly tops, and I believe that Jenny was able to make about 3 or 4 tops. The tops that Jenny made today are some simple box-shaped tops. After we finished all of our work Teresa, Jenny, and I split up all of the goodies that Aimee brought, which is good because these treats will be perfect for breakfast. Teresa told us that tomorrow we will be discharge dyeing, which I'm very excited about. I've come to love discharge dyeing! I will update you guys tomorrow. See you then!
-ANB Greetings everyone! Today was pretty calm and chill. Jenny and I began the day by folding plastic sheets that were hung up on the line. I then hung up another piece of plastic that we used on Tuesday and rinsed off all of the dirt. Jenny was then put in the sewing room, sewing and serging up a storm while Aimee was pressing some blouses and scarves. I was assigned to rinse some of the smocked scarves and braided strips that we discharge dyed on Tuesday. Teresa had them soak in hot water and a solution that would clear out the excess dye that seeped into the fabric. After this I hung them up to dry outside under the carport on the line. Then Teresa gave me the task of entering in customers mailing information into her contact data base. I did this for the rest of the morning. All the while, during our work load, we were listening to German Techno music. Aimee was happy with it. I must say that it did have a catchy beat to it. Well that's about all today consisted of and I will see you all next Monday.
-ANB Salutations my friends. Today consisted of discharge dyeing which I explained to you all in yesterday's post. Yesterday we began the process of 'shibori' techniques which are different techniques used when discharging. For example, yesterday we began the shibori technique 'plangi', which is when you accordion fold the fabric lengthwise and then by its width, then you sandwich the fabric between two pieces of wood and then wrap it in twine. We also used this technique with larger pieces of fabric, except with these we do not fold them by their width and we are able to add more shapes since the surface is larger. We also twisted some silk pieces and then wrapped them in fishing line to create an abstract pattern. Teresa added in some pieces that she prepped during any opportunity that she had during her own personal down time. Though these pieces are different because they are all smocked by hand with different and interesting patterns such as leaves trailed on vine, bubbles, stripes, and even some random patterns. Teresa also has some braided strips of fabric that she wanted to add which she said that she could use as bias tape. I suggested that she could make tie scarves and necklaces out of them. She really liked my suggestion and said that I should try it sometime, so you guys might see some of that in the future. After we are finished wrapping our pieces we then submerge them into a hot, boiling chemical solution mixed with water. This solution strips the fabric of its color wherever it may be exposed. After they sit in the pot for about ten minutes or less they are then placed in a pot of a water and vinegar mixture. This not only cools the steaming fabric, but it also neutralizes it and rids it of the previous mixture so that no more dye will be stripped away. After it sits in the vinegar mixture for about five to ten minutes, we are then able to retrieve them from the pot and unwrap them to see all of our hard work and the beautiful patterns that they leave behind. We then hang them up on the line to dry! We first did the larger colored batch and after they dried I took them inside to wash. I mean, because not only do you want to wash out the residue that the chemical solution left behind, but also because the fabric wreaks of vinegar and let me tell you, it does not smell pretty. After that, we did a batch of black and white fabric, then the braided strips and smocked pieces. After we finished unwrapping and hanging we were finished with our tasks of the day. I'm sure on Thursday we will be pressing our masterpieces and then prepping them to be sewn into
Hello everybody, I'm back! It was a good week and a good break to get caught up on things and to spend quality time with family and friends. While Teresa was away in Michigan for the artisan show, Aimee and I caught up on our hours by making more flowers! I made 11 flowers since the break started and 15 total as of now! My goal was to make one flower pin per day until I ran out of materials. I must say that I did very well with the goal that I set for myself. If I missed a flower one day then I would make two the next to make up for it. We turned in all of the flowers that we made to Teresa today so that they will be added to the rest of the bunch.
Teresa had to leave as we were arriving because she accidentally left her sewing machine cord and pedal at the repair shop. She gave us some tasks before she left and Jenny was put in charge until she returned. Aimee's task was to steam some garments while I was assigned to push and turn out the corners of some pouches and tag them. I was also asked to punch holes and string some other tags looped with safety pins to pin to shirts and other garments like the ones that Aimee was steaming. I also removed some tags from bow-ties that Teresa decided to stop selling because customers preferred the ones that tied and these were ones attached to collars. Teresa arrived after I was almost finished turning out the corners of the pouches, then Jenny helped me string the shirt tags. After I completed my assignments I then priced the pouches and then Teresa showed us how to wrap fabric that we will be discharge dyeing tomorrow. We fan-folded (or accordion folded) long strips of pre-dyed fabric lengthwise and then by its width. We then sandwiched them between pieces of wood and then wrapped them tightly with twine. The idea is that anything under the tightly wrapped twine will remain the same color and anything around it that was exposed will be removed and will turn white. There is a name for the technique that we used, but I will have to get you guys that information tomorrow. Don't forget to check out the photo gallery before you log off. I uploaded pictures of todays work and of all of the flowers that I made while I was on my break. Have a nice day and I'll see y'all tomorrow! -ANB Salutations! Today is our last day at Teresa's before the big artisan show in Michigan. So, with that being said, today was a day of preparation and finishing touches on everything before the big trip. The first thing that I did today was wash bottles. Now don't get the wrong idea, bottle washing is very important. Actually, to me it is one of the most important things in preparation of dyeing. The bottles must be as clean as possible, inside and out. The little squeeze bottles used to hold the dye cannot have any dried paint bits inside. As you squeeze the dye into the cellulose bath, and if it leaves paint chips, it creates a barrier between the bath and the scarf. This means that the bits block the dye from being absorbed into the scarf, leaving a white spot behind. Another reason that it is important to wash the bottles well is that dried dye can clog the spout making it difficult for the dye to be squeezed out. Also, if the dye is not washed properly from the bottles, it can mix with the new dye, either affecting the color of the dye and possibly ruining the new dye altogether. I also like to wash the outside of the bottles. The bottles were originally clear, so when you clean the outside you are able to see through the bottle, like a window. This helps you see how dirty the inside is and where to scrub. So again, bottle washing is very, very important. While I was cleaning the bottles, Aimee was pressing the remaining scarves that I worked on yesterday.
After I finished washing, I fray checked (glued) the pieced scarves. Pieced scarves are literally scarves pieced together by smaller scraps of fabric. So instead of being one uniform piece, the scarf is made of small squares and rectangles. The pieces are serged together to create one long scarf, so the threads needed to be glued with fabric glue, of course. This is so that they won't fray. After the glue dries I then cut off the excess threads and then they are hung up and ready to be sold. I suggested that we save the surger threads for flower pin centers. We received Teresa's approval, so you might be seeing serger tails in the future for my flowers. Jenny helped Teresa sew the tops that Teresa, Jenny, and Aimee dyed last Thursday while I was away. These are the same tops that Aimee rinsed yesterday. As Teresa said, "Dyed on Thursday, washed on Monday, & tops on Tuesday!" Aimee and I liked it; tops on Tuesday. We finished early and Teresa will be leaving Thursday and will be gone all of next week, so this will be the last post or so. See you guys in a few weeks. Oh, and don't forget to check the photo gallery on your way out. -ANB Hi guys! I hope that everyone had a great 4th of July and a great weekend as well. Over the weekend, I was able to complete my "in studio" flower and with that, make two more. I'll hopefully have pictures of them by tomorrow. I missed last Thursday's dyeing session, but was able to see the results of it today. The first thing that we did was go to the greenhouse where Teresa stored the dyed fabric. The reason that the fabric was stored in the greenhouse was because of its humidity which helps the dyeing process. From there we took the fabric, which was wrapped up in plastic, into the back yard. When the fabric has been wrapped in plastic after it has been dyed, it is called 'batching.' I think that batching helps the dye to stay as it sits in the humidity and so it also doesn't make a big mess everywhere. Teresa and Aimee took the pieces from the plastic and placed them into a bucket where they are then taken to the laundry room to be rinsed and washed. But first, Teresa and Aimee hung the plastic that was used which will be hosed off, so that it can be used for later projects without it staining everything. Aimee took the fabric to the laundry room to rinse and wash since she worked on this project last week and knows more about it than I. Jenny was assigned to sew some blouses for the show and she was able to finish all of the ones that she was given. I believe that she was sewing the neck-holes of the shirts. I was given the task of pressing scarves that will be sold at the artisan show next week in Michigan. Most of all the scarves that I pressed are the ones that we began in mid June. The process of scarf making from creation to completion is a long process, but it pays off. There were so many scarves that I wasn't able to finish, but this is a good thing because it means that there will be lots more to display that will be up for sale at the artisan show. I have some more to press, but I'll be finishing that tomorrow and I will see you all then.
-ANB Hey guys! Today I was able to finish cutting out all of the butterfly tops and their matching peplums. After I cut out the shirts, Teresa showed me the last steps of finishing the fabric price tags. First, we pressed the fabric sheets to adhesive paper so that they would pass through the printer easily. I then cut the fabric overhang so that each sheet was precisely the same size. This also makes the tags pass through the printer smoothly. Teresa then printed the logos on them and they turned out very nice. Afterwards I helped Aimee pin the butterfly tops and their matching peplums together. When we were done there was a big stack of blouses that Teresa and Jenny would be able to start sewing later. Then Aimee and I had enough time to start another flower pin. This time I made a red flower with a blue and green ruffled center. I'll be able to add beads, leaves, a twig, and the backing later. I will probably do this while on my way to Kansas for the 4th of July to see my relatives. With that being said I will be gone Thursday, therefore there won't be a blog post for that day. Just know that I will be making some flowers to make up for the hours that I will miss at the studio. Well, in that case, I will see you all Monday. Have a Happy 4th of July!
-ANB Hello y'all! Today was a day of preparation for the craft fair in Michigan that Teresa will be attending two weeks from now. The first thing I did today was prepare tags for the items that are finished and ready to be priced, so you know that we're serious. To prepare the tags (which are made from fabric) I first pressed the yardage. Afterwards, I cut sheets of fabric to rectangles of about 8 1/4 x 11 in. and then submerged them into a bubble solution so that they will absorb ink. After letting them soak for about five minutes I hang them up to dry where I think that we will be printing Teresa's logo on them. We will run them into the printer and then cut them into individual tags tomorrow. After I finished the tags I cut some more chiffon butterfly tops with peplums. Teresa let me pick out all of the peplum patterns and colors and she liked all of my choices. I'm also happy with the color and pattern selections that I made as well. The tops are going to turn out so nice! Aimee wasn't here with us today, but Jenny was, and she was in the back sewing away at the tops that we cut out last week. Don't forget to check out the gallery on the way out! I have some pictures from today that I am going to upload along with some others that I wasn't able to upload last week. Well, so long for now.
-ANB Hey y'all! Today was a catch up day. Aimee couldn't make it, so it was just Teresa, Jenny, and I. The first thing I did today was sort newspapers that are used to soak up excess dye. After this I pressed some crinkled silk yardage that we will be cutting into shirts later. Then After I finished I got to complete my little flower that I started Tuesday! It's a little yellow flower with a green center and leaves and little blue and green beads in the middle. I'm going to upload pictures of today's adventure, so don't forget to stop by the gallery before you log out. I got to add my flower with the rest of the bunch. They are all so different and unique in their own way. After finishing my little wearable blossom I organized and labeled some patterns and then Teresa, Jenny, and I cleaned out the sewing studio to make room for a second sewing area. This way two people can sew in the same room at the same time. This will help speed up production and efficiency. With the three of us passing things through the studio like an assembly line, things got accomplished quickly. In fact, we finished early! Teresa thought that it would take the rest of the morning to sort through everything, but we were like cleaning ninjas! Well, I will see you all next Monday! Who knows what will be in store then?
-ANB Hey guys! Today is a fresh new day, that brought fresh and new adventures. Today, before we started our new tasks, Aimee and I both cut out another blouse that will later be sewn into a beautiful top with a peplum. After I cut my blouse, I cut up two more bars of soap for indigo cleaning and caught up on some pressing. After Aimee cut her blouse and I finished my tasks we began flower making! The flowers that we make are made up of pretty little leftover scraps that deserve a chance to be molded into something magical. Not only does it seem like a waste not to use these scraps because of their beauty, but also because, with a little effort, it's cash just lying around! I'm glad that Teresa thinks this way, because I too find value in everything. I seriously mean everything. Teresa is constantly thinking and coming up with new ideas and ways to turn things, that people would normally throw away, into something of worth. I totally get it! They turn out into cute little gifts for friends and family. We use scraps for petals and put little beads in the center to give it some bling. We also add cute little leaves and sometimes twigs. The great thing about the flower pins is that the buyer can completely make it their own! Men can use them as a corsage and pin it to their lapel. Women can use them as brooches to pin to their sweater, a vest, a blazer, a scarf, and their purse. The possibilities are endless! Teresa said that she has even seen people use them as hair barrettes. Teresa, Aimee, and I worked on a flower together as an example flower so we can understand how they are produced. We then got to make one of our own. It's really fun because we can pick our own colors and beads. It's very relaxing, really. Aimee finished hers and I'm almost done with mine, just have to add the leaves and a base. I'll be finishing my on Thursday. I'll get a picture of the finished product then. See y'all in two days! -ANB Hello everyone! Today we skipped the floral making like I discussed last week. We will be doing that tomorrow. Instead, today I heat set some scarves (both silk crepe and chiffon) and even pressed some scraps that we will be using in later projects. After pressing those items I pressed some chiffon yardage that we cut out into shirts. I then cut out peplums in seer-sucker silk that we are later going to attach to the bottom of the shirts that we cut out. Today Aimee began the cutting process and cut out silk crepe blouses while I was pressing. All the while, Jenny was in the other room continuing sewing the left over scarves from last week. When I finished my pressing, I cut a bar of soap into small pieces. This is for the garments that Teresa dyes in indigo because they need special cleaning. And after this is when I pressed the scraps and yardage and cut out a blouse. Teresa is having us dabble in a variety of things because she is attending a show in a couple of weeks and she needs an assortment of products. So we're learning and preparing all at once. She's very excited and she says she thinks the show is going to turn out great, and I agree. She pulled out many lovely blouses and such today to keep count of the items she has and what is still left to be done. I admire them very much! I hope she has a very successful show while in Michigan, so it proves that all of our hard work has paid off. Well, wish us all luck for the next couple of weeks while we prepare. We appreciate it! See y'all tomorrow!
-ANB What's up everyone? Today as Jenny continues to hem the scarves that she had been working on Tuesday, Aimee and I have been preparing some other scarves for their final steps. Since Aimee started on the ironing board Tuesday, today was my turn. I spent most of the morning heat setting the scarves that are to be washed and then re-pressed to then be sold. While I was taking care of that, Aimee was in the next room helping Teresa dye the scarves for the second time; these are the scarves that we mordanted on Tuesday. After that, those scarves will then be heat set, washed, then pressed again. After I was done I did some mandatory cleaning, prepared some newspapers that we use to soak up the excess dye in the methyl cellulose bath, and then Aimee and I measured and cut organza for some future projects. I don't know what was wrong with me today, because I kept messing up my measurements. I think it was because I kept getting distracted with everything around me. Two radios were on and I kept losing count, haha! Well there are some new things coming soon that I will be able to share with you all. On Monday we will be learning how to make flower pins and we will be able to take little flower-making kits home with us to work on. Also, it looks like we will be working on shirts in the near future, which is exciting and frightening all at once, because they need to be perfect! Well it looks like today was a finish line of some sorts, because we have some new tasks starting next week and that's when I'll see you guys next. Well, Monday it is!
-ANB Hey guys! Today Is the first day that we witnessed some sewing in the studio! Sewing is pretty much the last step the scarves and many of the other products go through before they are purchased. We will probably press them one last time before we hang/fold them so they are ready for eager customers to buy. Jenny was in the sewing studio carefully hemming the scarves that we dyed the days before. Today Aimee pressed the scarves that we dyed yesterday so that they can be re-mordanted (which we did last today) and hung to dry so that we can put a new layer of dye on them Thursday. I spent most of the day dyeing scarves with Teresa and then later Aimee joined us to finish the last couple of scarves left. Then we re-mordanted the scarves that I mentioned earlier. I checked up on Jenny after we finished our work for the day. I don't know how many scarves that she was able to finish, but the one I saw looked great! She may have had only time to do one or two because the fabric is very delicate (especially the chiffon) and you have to make it look as close to perfect as possible! Also, much of the work that she has to do is by hand. Though in the end, these scarves turn out beautifully! They are wearable works of art! Every single piece that enters and leaves Teresa Hays' Textile Studio is completely unique. They are perfect gifts, especially for someone who is simply impossible to shop for! In Teresa's 25 years of business experience, no one has ever come to her with a complaint! Now that's saying something! I encourage everyone to check out her site, because even I might purchase one! Well, I will have some more things to gush about on Thursday! See you then! -AB Hey ladies and gents! Sorry I don't have pictures of today's work, but just know that we've been busy and working hard. I do have some good news though, I have the terms and process names of the techniques that we used that I promised to you all. The second step after pressing the fabric is called 'mordanting,' which is where we submerge the scarves in a chemical mixture of water and alum and hang them to dry so that when we dye them the scarves will absorb the dye. After this step, we iron the scarves again, and then they are ready for dyeing. The term for the dye bath is called a 'methyl cellulose bath,' which is an all-natural, non-toxic chemical, which is also used in everyday products that we use all the time such as food, toothpaste, shampoo, etc. Today was very similar to last Thursday, we dyed some more scarves, both chiffon and silk crepe and we got to see how last Thursday's batch dried and turned out. Some of the scarves had white markings on them, which are called 'lay markings.' These scarves would have to be re-dyed and that we did! We also pressed the scarves which turned out nice and didn't have to be re-dyed. That particular process is called 'heat-setting' where the heat not only makes the scarves look nice and ready to be purchased, but it also helps the dye set within the fabric. After all of the dyeing and pressing was done, we then got to have our hand in the mordanting process. After those scarves are done drying they should be ready for the dyeing process tomorrow. I accidentally dragged a scarf on the ground as I was hanging it up, because I lost balance and almost fell of the stool. Sorry Teresa! Though she assured me that it wouldn't hurt the scarf, we can wipe off the dirt later, but nor while it has the chemical on it or dye won't stick there! Well I will see you all tomorrow, there are some exciting things in store, so stay tuned!
-AB Hey everybody! Today is day 2 of working with Teresa at Teresa Hays Textile Studio, where the real fun began! Today we got to dye scarves!!! It was so mush fun, I had a blast! In all, we dyed 24 scarves this morning, in both chiffon and silk crepe fabrics combined! It was a pretty productive day, if I do say so myself. After the scarves have finished drying from the second step (I'll try to get the technical processes and terms for you guys soon) we then took them to a cellulose-based bath for the dyeing process. But first, Teresa had to comb through the water with a spool to create static electricity, so that the dyes and color would take well and seep into the fabric as planned. After this, we then decorate the liquid pool with beautiful colors and then Teresa decides on what pattern to use and we then follow the proper steps and procedures according to the protocol that each technique requires. Today we used patterns such as vertical chevron, stone, bubble, flow, cascade, and even some patterns that Teresa had invented herself. I would describe these patterns to you... but that's classified information. We then lay the scarf on the dye and it seeps up the color immediately! We then rinse each scarf carefully to remove any of the excess cellulose residue and then hang them up to dry. After the scarves dry, we will either leave them as is, or they will be given a second coat of patterned dye to make the colors more rich and to fill any negative space that might have occurred in the initial dyeing process. I also ironed some dyed cotton squares that Teresa sells as beautiful dinner napkins! We will continue our hard and artistic work on Monday. See you then. Oh, and don't forget to check out the gallery for today's snap-shots!
-AB Today is day 1 of working at Teresa Hays Textile Studio! Today Teresa introduced to us (Jenny, Aimee, & myself) the proper way to iron the scarves that we will be dyeing on Thursday. Though, before the dyeing process and after the mandatory and much needed pressing (ironing) process, we will be prepping the delicate fabric by submerging it into a chemical base so that the scarves will absorb the dye properly. Once that process is done and the scarves are hung up to dry, they are then ready to dye with colorful and funky patterns! Luckily, before Aimee and I ironed todays batch of scarves, Teresa and Jenny had already finished the 2nd step for another batch of scarves, which will be the candidates that we'll be dyeing this Thursday! I'm very excited to see the colors and patterns that Teresa will select and the end product! We also cut some fabric that will be used for later projects. Stay tuned for some photos and updates. See you Thursday!
p.s. Check out the photo gallery, there's a pic of Jenny demonstrating how to press the fabric! - AB |