Anne, your time line is great.  What program did you use to make it?  I might have given up on Word and used a paper and pencil. 

Comments

Sun, 06/26/2011 - 01:26

Anne Vincent

I did use Word, but it took some doing.  I couldn't get the cursor to move beyond the center of the page so I created a new page before the existing one, copied and pasted the contents, then modified what became the second page, then the third.  It was a bear.  If you would like for me to e-mail you the word file I'd be happy too.  The text boxes behaved strangely, too.  I'm sure it has something to do with the formatting, but I was not keen on trying to figure that part out.

On another subject, I have not been happy with my leveling.  I re-read some of the information in your Shibori book and decided I should open and fan-fold the silks back into the dye bath every 15 minutes or so.  I didn't try this until the last of the 3 samples I did today of the 0.5% Scarlet.  The color has been consistent, but I am going to alter my process to include removing the fabric, unfolding, then returning it to the dye bath every 2-3 turns.

Also, I added a 15 minute rinse in hot water with Orvus, then a final 10 minute rinse with fresh clear water at 50 degrees C with a little vinegar at the end of the 'washing out'.   I like the hand as you suggested.

Sun, 06/26/2011 - 02:02

Karren K. Brito

Yeah, stirring does bad things with the fine silk, mostly turns it into a ball of silk-- not good.  so I have found that removing it and returning it to the dye bath with new folds works the best.  I would suspect that the 5 mm paj silk is more troublesome than the organza which is quite porous. 

Just as I suspected, word is a bear for the time line.  People feel free to use a paper and pencil.  You can scan or photograph to upload.  I wonder what the google drawing program would do.

Sun, 06/26/2011 - 11:14

Anne Vincent

I've posted my revised process and time line on our Google site.  The lifting and separating of the silks every 10-15 minutes greatly improved the levelling.  I am happy with it now.

I added the Orvus wash then additional 10 minute rinse with a little vinegar.  I think the 'hand' is much better.  Thank you for the suggestion.

Sun, 06/26/2011 - 15:21

Karren K. Brito

I tried a timeline in their drawing progam and it was much easier than WORD.  It has cross hairs that let you line things up, wow!

Sun, 06/26/2011 - 19:11

Anne Vincent

You can select a grid and 'snap to it' in Word.  Go to the Layout tab, look for Grid on the far right, click on the gridded box and there are a number of options.  I guess we just have to noodle around.....

Sun, 06/26/2011 - 20:14

Anne Vincent

What I mean is I'm no expert so I have to hunt and peck, search in help, then try to figure it out.  I'm sure one of our young family members could teach me a lot in no time flat.

Mon, 06/27/2011 - 14:00

Karren K. Brito

Are you really going to stir every 10 min. all the way through the long dyeing process?  In my experience, this gets old real fast.  Part of what you need to figure out is when you can skip an aggitation and when you can't.

My idea is that right after you add salt or soda ash  it is most important to aggitate and at the end of each phase it is less so.  But test it, be honest.  Being tied to a dyepot for 1.5hr. each time you dye can be disruptive to your life.  There is no help for all the steps in the wash down; but any step can go longer without changing the out come. But skipping a step here will only make the process longer or less effective.

Fiber reactive dyes are a real pain! I only use them when I must; cotton or a special red on silk.  Fiber reactives are less of a pain in direct application; no salt so first rinse is eliminated and there is much less loose dye (less water to react with) so the wash down is easier. 

We need a exhaust type dye for cellulose.

Mon, 06/27/2011 - 14:34

Anne Vincent

This is good to know.  I have found with the silk pieces that the leveling is much improved by lifting and separating every 10-15 minutes.  I try to do any reading or new formula calculations as I am dyeing.  Also, with the Wonder Washer going during the washing off phase I can prepare the next dye bath so I'm multi-tasking.  When I have been dyeing with Lanaset dyes, I have stuck to the 10 minutes stirring, but still had some issues with levelness.  It doesn't matter so much when I'm doing Arashi Shibori, but some of my nuno-felted wraps have exposed ends and it does matter, then.

It seems to me the principals of color matching using the Munsell system will work with Lanaset dyes, as well as the Cibacron F Dyes.  I probably won't be dyeing much cellulose, but one never knows.

Mon, 06/27/2011 - 15:55

Karren K. Brito

seems that Microsoft has a timeline template for Excel here. 

Never know what you will learn teaching a dyeing class.