Make a botanical print on fabric | How About Orange

July 11, 2012

Make a botanical print on fabric


My latest experiment using Inkodye, a photo-sensitive dye that changes color in sunlight, is posted at SheKnows.com. Head over there to see the full tutorial.

14 comments:

Sarah Leonard said...

This looks so amazing. I have to get some of this dye stuff and have a go myself one day :)

Sarah
http://acatlikecuriosity.blogspot.co.uk/

tinajo said...

That sure turned out pretty! :-)

Ann said...

What a fabulous transformation. The image looks so professional - like an expensive designer print. Brilliant project.

Grandma G said...

Ooohhh... you've been having fun!! Lovely!

Fall in Love said...

you did it great!

Lau

http://fallinlove.com.ar/?lang=en

Shalini said...

Love how this looks!

Jessica Jones said...

Thanks!

Anonymous said...

A blog all about orange?! :-o (my favourite colour!!!) :)

emma @ frog, goose and bear said...

What a great concept!!! Love the look! I love that you are always letting us know about such new and different stuff - thanks!!

LimeRiot said...

This is so lovely!

Inspired by your projects, I picked up some inkodye and have been experimenting with fabric printing.

You manage to get such an even tone with your paint. I've found that I end up with a lot of streaks. Any tips?

Jessica Jones said...

Yeah, I haven't had streaking problems. Hmm. I use a foam brush and make sure the fabric has plenty of dye soaked into it. I press the spongy brush down to sort of work the dye into spots that look dry or uneven. I take my time with this so I can see if there are any areas that don't look wet.

And then if the saturated fabric is too wet for what I'm doing, I'll blot up some dye with a paper towel. (Not necessary for the leaf project, though.)

I've only ever tried dying 100% cotton fabric. Possibly blends or synthetics won't take the dye as well.

I make sure the fabric exposed to the sun is perfectly flat with no wrinkles, since wrinkles can result in cast shadows.

Hope that helps!

michelle said...

i wonder if someone has possibly already covered this in another post, but could you use a heavy plexiglass over the items to press them down more while in the sun, or does this affect the sensitivity of the dye?

Jessica Jones said...

You can! The risk is that condensation will form on the underside of the glass in the hot sun, and those water spots will make white marks on your fabric. So if you plan to use glass, be sure to blot up as much excess dye as you can from the fabric before exposing it to the sun. It can feel almost dry, and it will still change color. The less wet it is, the less likely you'll get condensation.

Also note that some kinds of glass are treated to filter out UV rays, so your exposure time might need to be longer.

Anonymous said...

I love this idea, and especially using it to transform a chair. thanks for the inspiration!