Module 1 Chapter 6 Colouring of materials

My theme is cotton. Different cotton fabrics and yarns are what I chose to dye and colour.
The rag rug from the Isle of Man, as studied in Chapter 5 is the item for which I will be trying to produce matching colours.
Because my theme is cotton, a natural plant fibre, I chose Option 1 Cold water fibre reactive dyes using Procion dyes.  Option 2 Disperse dyes are better used with man made fabrics. 
I selected a number of cotton fabrics and yarns and several techniques to colour them.

Following is a list of the selected cotton fabrics and yarns, followed by a list of colouring techniques, accompanied by methods and results of those fabrics that best match the colours in the rug.  The final piece is a collage using only the matched coloured fabrics and yarns. 
Quantities, methods and results were all recorded in my 'Dye Handbook' alongside Health & Safety requirements

Cotton fabrics used:

• Plain cottons - calico, white cotton, dishcloth, different cotton lace, towels, Broderie Anglais, Empress Mills' lined cotton, scrim, sports wear 
• Coloured cottons - embroidered tray cloths, tea towels, Laura Ashley patchwork, kitchen hand towels, handkerchief, jersey, Sanderson prints
• Yarns - 4-ply Twilley's dishcloth cotton; other 2-ply dish cloth cottons, white and off white; ribbon cotton, variegated baby cotton

Colouring techniques in order:

1. Composted Calico recipe from Sara Wilson
2. Procion dyeing
3. Household food ingredients: coffee, gravy browning, tea,
4. Shoe polish
5. Inks
6. Acrylic paints

1.  Composted Calico recipe from Sara Wilson

• Two months ago soaked a length of calico in vinegar
• Covered it in food waste: onion skins, coffee granules, used teabags, potato peelings
• Rolled it up tightly and wrapped it in newspaper
• Buried it 12" deep in a large plant pot (not much alternative ground space in the garden)
• Dug it up 2 months later, carefully unwrapped it and rinsed it twice in warm water.  (Didn't dare risk putting it in the washing machine) 
• Produced a very fragile fabric especially when still wet, leathery looking, drying paler and slightly stronger.  The earthworms had had a field day!

The following pictures show the fabric when first unwrapped (very carefully); the remains of the fabric and dyed yarns when dry laid on a piece of cotton; and a close up of a dried section:

 

This could be used to match the rug colours, but I see them better used as individual smaller pieces in a series called 'Fragility of the earth' or something!

2.  Procion dyeing
'Procion' is one of the trade names for Cold water, fibre reactive dyes.
I used the proportions and mixes as given in Helen Deighan's 'Dyeing in plastic bags' Crossways patch ISBN 0954033302 to prepare samples of appropriate colours.
To do this, you require a selection of dye mixes, salt solution and soda solution, stored in separate sealed and labelled containers.

The mixing dye was 1 heaped tsp of dye to 100 ml of warm water
The salt solution 250 gm salt dissolved in 1 litre of boiled water
The soda solution 200gm washing soda dissolved in 1 litre of boiled water
(These quantities were increased proportionally as more was required)

The dye mixes were placed in plastic bags
Once the dyes, soda and salt are mixed this fixative solution lasts for up to 4 hours, requiring some agitation to ensure the dye is dispersed through the fabric or yarn

 

The fabrics and yarns were all washed before hand, allowed to soak and used damp

I prepared 6 cotton arrangements including yarns to dye, indicated below:

2.1  9 pieces of calico, A4 including one to remain free of dye
2.2  7 strips of non-coloured fabrics were machined together, then cut at right angles to form new strips, one remaining free of dye

 

2.3  9 pieces of white cotton, A4 including one to remain free of dye
2.4  7 strips of coloured cotton fabrics were machined together, then cut at right angles to form new strips, one remaining free of dye

2.5  8 pieces of fabrics, A4, using both coloured and non-coloured
2.6  8 skeins of cotton yarns, dish cloth cotton and ribbon yarn, including one to remain free of dye

Initially the colours I was trying to make were orange and blue, hoping that mixing the two I would get brown and for some added black.

2.1 and 2.2 I used magenta and lemon yellow in different regulated proportions working towards an appropriate orange. 
Calico only:  Counting vertically in columns I thought the 6th was most appropriate to match one of the rug colours, so using this same mix in a second bag added 1 tsp black for a brown colour, maybe I should have added 1 tsp of ultra blue.  However on doing so with a dry piece of calico both came out green when dry!  The dry sample turned out stronger.

 

Took them from the bags after 1 hour, rinsed in cold, then soapy warm water, then cold again, leaving the fabric strips overnight, before rinsing them and leaving them to dry naturally.  

2.3 to 2.6 I used ultra blue to make blue, using different quantities.  I was disappointed that there was not such a variation in blues.  And when trying to make brown used scarlet and golden yellow.

The main colours that could be used to match the rug are the white no dye pieces for the white, 3.7 to 6.7 for the orange and 3.5 to 6.5 for the blue.

I had yet to find appropriate dark blue, brown and black fabrics to match the rug colours.
I could have continued mixing and matching using the procion dyes, especially as I had a black dye mix already but thought now was the opportunity to try other colouring techniques.

3.  Household food ingredients: coffee, gravy browning, tea,
Using a variety of cotton fabrics, approx. A4 size: cotton lace, dishcloth, towel, cotton calico, plastic wrapping and bubble wrap, useful also for their textures, I prepared dye baths for coffee, gravy browning and tea.  All pieces were added to each bath.

Initially 4 tsp or equivalent were added to 2 litres of boiled water.
After half hour cut off a quarter piece from each, laid between cling film, one for coffee, one for gravy browning, one from tea, stacked on top of each other.  To strengthen the mix added another 2 tsp extra to each bath.
After another half hour repeated the collection of pieces, adding food dye again to the mix.
Then after an hour repeated the process again, leaving the remainder of fabric with an added food dye, overnight.

The following day all pieces were rinsed, in the three stages, and placed to dry naturally, the last lain flat.

The heavier fabrics all showed more intense colouring: cotton lace, towel and calico
The lighter fabrics more subtle colouring: cotton, dishcloth,
The plastics did pick up a very little colour, the plastic wrapping showing a textured effect with spots of brown running through them, the bubble wrap loosing most of the colour.

 

The sequence shown above are the last pieces left to dry: coffee, gravy browning and tea. 

I feel the coffee produced a softer warmer brown, the gravy browning a darker brown and the tea a colder brown.  In each the denser fabrics picked up a darker shade, and all three contribute a different brown required in the rug.

 

4.  Shoe polish
I had four different shoe polishes, black, orangey brown (cold), reddy brown (warm) and grey.  Using shoe brushes rubbed each across cotton or calico fabric.
Samples are shown in my 'Dye Handbook'.
Although the colours could be matched to the rug I wont use them, however as all are wax based it will be interesting at a later date to use them as resists.

5.  Inks
I used four different inks: black - 'Quink' ink and Kandahar; brown - Winsor & Newton peat brown and Alcohol based rust
Using a sponge I used each ink neat dabbing heavily, then lightly the rubbing across cotton lace, cotton, towel and plastic wrapping.
All could be matched to the rug, but in particular felt the plastic wrapping and towel are good representations of the black and white mottled effect seen on the rug.

6.  Acrylic paints
I used four different paints: black - Chroma A2 opaque black & Bondmere black, mixed a brown using Chroma A2 purple with Chroma yellow oxide.  I used approximately a tsp of each colour and using a small container of water added enough by dipping the sponge brush in it to mix.  I mixed extra when needed.
The fabrics used included cotton, calico, towel and plastic wrapping.

Interestingly the Bondimere black produced a more intense black which could be used as a match for colour on the rug, and the towel and plastic wrapping an alternative to the mottled black and white. 

 

 

The brown was a warm chocolatey colour which seemed a matching brown for the rug, an alternative to the gravy browning.  However on drying not so sure it matched.

 

All that remains is a dark blue.

For this I will use a coloured fabric in my stash.

 

Finally here is a collage of fabrics and yarns to show the colours chosen, including some yarns on courses attended (see below)

 

 During the three months working on the dyeing and colour mixing I also had a try at rust dyeing, natural dyeing and early in February Indigo dyeing.  The first I did at home, based on instructions at website.

http://sewobsessed.offsetwarehouse.com/2015/06/17/how-to-rust-dye-fabrics/ 

The other two were courses through our branch of The Embroiderers Guild.

 

In conclusion I'm adding samples from each of these.

 

Rust dyeing

I'd love to find some bits from machinery based on the cotton industry. 

I had to make do with pins and safety pins, washers, spring, nails, keys, screws, a set of old pliers and my Victorian iron. 

I used a series of trays. 

Pre washed the cotton, calico and towel fabrics to remove any dressings, placed a piece of fabric in each tray, regularly sprayed them with 50/50 vinegar and water to help oxidization, then after at least 24 hours, rinsed them with salt and water solution to stop the rusting process and protect the fabric from future deterioration (see my 'Dye Handbook').

  

 

The textured effect on the towel (bottom right) certainly matches the rust on the old Victorian iron (see also Sketchbook 2).  This was left for at least 24 hours and is darker than the more orange effect on the cotton above, left only a few hours.

I like this process and would like to learn more.

 

Natural dyeing yarns course with Judy Hardman (June 2017)

I wanted to go on this course to see how natural plants and some animals could be used to colour yarns.  The course was mostly dyeing wool (home spun fleece) and silk, but I was lucky enough to prepare some cotton prior to the course with Judy's help and consequently dye some cotton yarns.

I was introduced to preparing the yarns prior to dyeing, using different mordants based on weight and the different methods of heating and using different plants and some animal (cochineal).  Samples of each are in my 'Dye Handbook'.  Here are the cotton yarns that I now have for my course:

 

  

Indigo dyeing with Kate Whitehead  (February 2017)

The indigo vats were prepared by her partner.

We were introduced to preparing fabrics and yarns for use in a woven piece as well as seeing some of her beautiful work.  I used various cotton pieces, again relevant to the theme on this course, made our own loom, dyed relevant fabrics, left to dry fortunately on a lovely sunny day, then wove a length of fabric.

I decided to make a length of fabric for a cushion cover, based on 'Time for tea' using tea towels, patchwork pieces, tray cloths and other materials including ribbons with added wording such as 'Cuppa cha', 'Elevenses', scone and Victoria sandwich cake recipes in very faint small print.

Here is it so far, but hope to finish it before long

 

 

So I've been getting into colouring fabric.

I have to admit finding it daunting at times, especially trying to record more precisely, what quantities, times, results and matching colours - but I've started my 'Dye handbook' and hope to keep up with this.

 

This Chapter has taken some time, and that has partly been due to putting off to do tomorrow what could be done today!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Module 1 Chapter 5 Colour Study

Observations

Taking some of the photos related to my theme I chose 2 or 3 items selecting a rag rug found in a rural cottage, Egyptian cottons and twisted cotton rug. In particular I decided to follow through with the rag rug because two hues I wish to develop are orange and blue, complementary colours on the colour wheel, and the rug fitted this preference.  Ideally I should use the original item, but as it is on the Isle of Man, the photograph had to do.

 

 

 

Taking the first photograph I decided to manipulate the photograph using the provision in editing pictures.  Initially, I cropped and rotated it, providing a close up and an enlarged example, showing different tones of colour:

 

 

From this photograph I took a diagonal area using a window cut from paper about 1cm wide.

 

Records

 

Then, I started to experiment with the colours, recreating the long strip using acrylic paints, wax crayons, soft pastels, water colour paints, and inks, blending colours to try and capture the actual colours in the photograph/rag rug.

 

The first sample was the window strip but then the rest were made up of the strip to the right of the paper strip.  All are shown below:

 

 

I could have mixed the colouring materials but instead used one material after the other.

 

Make coloured areas

 

There were several colours captured in the strips and for each of these I selected the acrylic paints to make 15 cm squares, ensuring all colours were recorded, as best as I could.  Maybe I didn't experiment sufficiently, not providing rubbings, but I did see some effects where liquids blended when still wet (as in the water colour paints and inks above).  Later I also used different surfaces.

 

At this stage I would like to refer back to the colour wheel work completed on the Certificate course Module 1, showing the main hues (chroma), shades and tints (hints incorrectly labelled on the wheel!).  Primary colours were mixed to make secondary colours, shades by adding black and tints by adding white to each hue.  Here are the samples provided on the earlier course:

 

 

 Colour groupings

 

Exercise 1

I started by drawing 2cm wide, 15 cm long strips on the khadi paper, as the background.

Then, I grouped the colours using 1cm squares from strips 1cm wide by 15 cm long, strips cut using craft knife on cutting board with metal ruler (H&S)

The following page shows:

1. Colours in order warm to cold
2. Colours in order light to dark
3. Colours in order by hue
4. Colours in order of quantity / proportion
5. Colours in order as they appeared on the strip

In 4,  I now realise that each piece of colour should have varied in length to better indicate proportion and I made this same mistake when working on the Zeke colour scheme later.

 

Exercise 2

The next exercise was to provide 2cm x 15cm strips of the coloured papers, placing the coloured sequence as they appeared on the strip, with the same sequence of 1cm squares.

Comments were made beneath each sample of the effects created.

 

 

Exercise 3

The next exercise I chose to select different materials to match the colours, as labelled, using the same sequence as above, but presented vertically.  The same comments apply.

The one colour I don't seem to have captured is the orangey brown colour as in (5) above

 

 

Computer manipulation to produce different colour effects

 

In order to produce first orange hues, shades and tints then blue, I returned to the computer, changing the background colours according to the selection on the photo editing, resulting in the following:

 

The first (A) is a colour combination called Zeke, the second (B) is Arctic.

 

I chose one to develop further - Zeke

This time I cut a 1cm wide strip vertically, slightly in from the edge of the photograph.

I only used acrylics, but coloured different background materials, using different papers and plastics as labelled.  The bubble wrap also gave a translucency showing through the background colour, the white plastic bag was more opaque. 

I then did the same as in Exercises 1 and 2 above, with the following results, which added texture to the colours:

 

 

 

At a later date I could repeat these exercises with the Arctic blues, including more layering using different colouring materials and rubbings.

I enjoyed experimenting and recording the results in another booklet called 'Colour studies' using sheets of Khadi paper. 

I am not sure I've done sufficient for this chapter and still have a lot to learn in using colour, especially distinguishing warm from cold colours.

I have two references which I hope will help me 

 

Karen Barbe 'Colour confident stitching: how to create beautiful colour palettes' Pimpernel Press 9781910258651 (2017) a book discovered in a recent article in 'Embroidery magazine' 'Creating colour confidence' May/June 2017

 

Carolyn Warrender 'Book of colour scheming: how to identify colours right for your home'

Harper Collins 0583337082 1998 as my theme is cotton used as household linen.

 

Module 1 Chapter 4 Research for design: Shape and pattern study

Observe, record and explore

Observe
I looked through various sketchbooks and items in my collection related to cotton, to find interesting shapes.  These were often those found between sketches with an assymetrical shape.  They sometimes were found alongside another that accompanied it in some way.

Record
I made linear sketches of shapes from several items:

From: 'Cotton processes to thread and fabric'

• Egyptian cotton thread

From: 'Household items'

• Kitchen - teatowel, dishcloths, and Hardanger traycloth (Section 4)
• Bathroom - towels and net curtain (Section 5)
• Lounge - rag rug (Section 6)
• Bedroom - twisted cotton rug (Section 8)
• Laundry - flat iron (Section 9)

Here are just four pages from the sixteen drawn:

 

I would like to use any of these at a later date but for the purposes of this chapter, I chose 6 a i Rag rug Sheet 1.

 

All three shapes were drawn on to tracing paper using a Sharpie permanent marker, then copied using the same marker on to a thin plastic sheet. 

Using a craft knife, cutting mat and taping the plastic sheet to the mat, and abiding by Health and Safety precautions cut out stencils.  The cut out pieces can also be used as templates or masks.

 

 

I wanted to develop use of the central shape, and made a similar plastic sheet with different sizes of the same shape.  Some of the cut out solid shapes are alongside.

 

 

 

I made several print blocks:

Linear outline: To give outlines of the shape:

• shape engraved into polystyrene with a biro
• perle or string placed and glued around the shape, on to piece of cardboard
• intaglio shape where fine parallel lines were engraved using a craft knife on mountboard, then a fine layer of card removed from between the lines

Solid form: To give solid blocks of the shape:

• card attached to mount board
• raised block made from an eraser, cutting away the rubber around the outside of the shape 

 

Making up papers
Coloured several papers to be able to continue with a series of different exercises.

There were three lots of papers

1. Commercial ready made papers from different sources
2. Commercial ready made papers with a blue bias
3. Set of painted papers

The different papers used included:

• Khadi paper
• Wirral based newspapers and magazines
• Yellow photocopy paper
• Hand made crinkled paper (commercial)
• Anaglypta wallpaper
• White plastic sheet
• Brown wrapping paper
• Catalogues e.g. Cotton Traders
• Inside patterned envelopes
• Black paper
• Chocolate box paper

Different techniques were used to colour the papers further:

Using Quink ink and Gesso with sponges and edge of rolled card
The rolled card of gesso on black I particularly liked because of its rag rug, twisted cotton rug effect.

 

Using used tea bags and acrylic paints (ochre and gold) with sponges

 

Using Misty sprays (Walnut and umber) and wiping up towels and plastic

In March, I went on a weekend Embroiderers' Guild course  'Indigo dyeing and weaving' with Kate Whitehead.  Some of the dyed papers (including Anaglypta) I thought I'd add to my collection, especially for the collection of papers in 2. above. 

Maybe I could use some of the dyed fabrics and threads (all cotton based from my collection) at a later date.
Here is a photo of the dyed bits drying on a washing line.

And here are some of the fabric strips selected for weaving

I'm planning to make a piece of weaving for a cushion cover with fringed edges, entitled 'Tea time' or something similar as most of the fabric was from my kitchen stash.  I also included some text using a Japanese permanent fibre tip with snippets linked to having afternoon tea with scones.

I loved Kate's woven work, Japanese inspired - kimonos, belts, and Japanese Boro.
None of Kate's work is shown above (I'd like to include this textile artist in Chapter 12)

 

And now to continue with the main chapter's content:

 

Design exploration using solid shape

 

Firstly I selected a number of the papers and cut them to A5 size for the backgrounds.

Some papers were left A4 or larger in order to cut out solid shapes.

I used my stencil to draw the 4 different sizes of my chosen shape (labelled 1 to 4).

 

 

I chose to cut through the stack of papers using a craft knife, but I also could have put the paper stack through a sewing machine producing a perforated edge using close running stitch and a threadless needle. 

Although lines were used to cut out the shapes, the remaining shapes then become solid.

Here are samples of the different exercises.
The samples were put together in a 'sample book' in the sequence followed.
(Some of the exercises were repeated or altered in some way - see also the last sequence)
The main component on each page was the collaged shape, then designs were added:



Ex 1 Drew a diagonal linear pattern and added colour
Ex 2 Drew a large diamond in the centre of the page and added colour

Ex 3 Used 4 cut/ripped/serrated shapes (cut) arranged in a rotating pattern
Ex 4 Traced the design in Ex 3 and added colour in couterchange

Ex 5 Subdivided the page into overlapping rectangles and added colour
Ex 6 Cut/Ripped a rectangular window (ripped) then replaced it on the same page

Ex 7 Cut a shape the same as the solid shape from the edge of the paper
Ex 8 This shape was then placed on another sheet with a rectangle alongside 

Ex 9 Wrote a large letter (Y) across the page then added colour and pattern
Ex 10 Wrote lots of lines of writing across the page

Ex 11 Drew a figure shape over the collaged shape
Ex 12 Drew an eye (or hand) over or alongside the collaged shape

Ex 13 Folded the side of the paper partially over the collaged shape, then added another
Ex 14 Pleated the page, flattened it then drew stenciled shapes over the surface and coloured in the shapes, then opened it up

Ex 15 Instead of drawing and colouring in the shape of the collaged piece, used a print block adding acrylic colour
Ex 16 Repeated Ex 15 but this time drew stripes within the stencil shapes added over the collaged piece

Ex 17 Cut strips of different papers using special edged scissors and attached vertically, adding colour around the collaged shapes
Ex 18 Added torn rectangles to the background paper then placed the collaged pieces over these

Ex 19 and 20 Added several small marks to the background in a pattern, but echoing the collaged shapes. These highlight the original shapes 

Design Variations
There were a few exercises which I repeated (see the booklet of samples).

These exercises take a long time, but it is worth exploring different techniques to capture even better or worse designs!

To represent this I tried 7 design variations to develop on from Exercise 1 (see the back of the sample booklet).  Here are just a few with accompanying notes:

In the first, I made vertical lines copying the collaged shape using a stencil and adding a contrasting colour around the outline of each shape.
In, the second, using white on black added diagonal lines in both directions across the collaged shape (crossing at right angles) using pastels.  The wavy nature of the lines are due to drawing over an anaglypta relief surface.

In the third, I added four rectangular blocks over the collaged shape on Anaglypta paper, overlapping 2 blocks of each complementary colour, using pastels.
In the fourth, leaving the collaged shape untouched, and following the edges of the shape, made contour lines, using complementary colours and filling in some of the spaces with dots.

In all of the designs, it is fascinating to see how the background paper compliments the collaged shape.  There is such variation whether the lines and added shapes are free drawn, cut, torn or use stencils and print blocks, adding marks, lines or blocks of colour.
The permutations are never ending.