zaterdag 21 mei 2011

Rust dyeing

Rust dyeing is something I wanted to do for a long time, but there was noting rusty to find. I asked my husband to save his rusty bits and last week he gave me 2 rusty screws. Now I could do my first experiment! I used a scrap of embroidery linen, soaked it in a mix of water and vinegar and wrapped it around the screws. After 2 days I rinsed it in water and washed it. Next time I need to secure the edge first!
In the meantime my collection of rusty bits is growing, so I can do another experiment soon.

3 opmerkingen:

  1. This will be an interesting and fun project. But wont the rust eat through the fabric in time?.

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  2. I was afraid of that too Shirley, but learned the process of rusting stops when you wash it. There's a lot to find online about rust dyeing!

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  3. The rust effect is due to the tiny little bits of metal that are entrapped in the fabric fibres. Washing should be gentle. It's best for an ornamental effect for fabric art items, rather than cloth that receives a lot of wear and requires regular cleaning. It's super-fun, though! *G* If you want a larger rusty area, put your metal bits in a glass dish, soak your cloth and lie it over the rusty bits, then seak into a plastic bag x 24 hours.

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