Working in Plein Air ~ Thickened Dye + Last Chance to Win Fun Fabric!

Carol R. Eaton here for the final post in the Plien Air Series! I hope this series encouraged those who have never worked outdoors to get outside for some inspiration and fun! Remember to take another peek at the full series of posts to learn more about the awesome artists who shared their outdoor space with us! Now let's get messy printing leaves from thickened dye! 

I love using thickened dye and each time I incorporate the technique into a surface design project I learn something new. Working in plein air allows me to grab foliage from the side yard and the freedom to try out different plants. TIP: I've learned over time to grab the leaves with a more distinctive texture on the underside. My goal is to print a pattern - however - if you like a more solid design you can use leaves that are smooth on the underside. Try them both to see what appeals to you!

There are recipes out there to walk you through the steps to mixing your own print paste but being an instant gratification gal I purchase a mix from Pro Chemical & Dye! I mix the paste with water to reach the consistency of molasses and store in the container on the right. Combining a one to one ratio of soda ash/salt/baking soda I store in the container on the left. Both the wet paste and dry mixtures will store for a very long time. When I'm ready to dye I mix about a cup of the paste/water mixture and a teaspoon of the soda ash/salt/baking soda combination into a cup. I add a teaspoon of dye powder and slowly add water stirring the whole time.  You want to reach the molasses consistency again for this project.
You must wear a mask when working with dye powder!

Grab some leaves - in this case I'm using grape leaves.

We will be working on the underside of the leaf. Using a sponge brush cover the surface as best as you can. The leaves can be delicate so paint softly! 

Lay the leaf on the fabric!

I use a scrap of cloth to cover the leaf and roll a brayer over it. The consistent pressure ensures all the dye is transferred to the fabric and the cloth keeps the brayer clean for repeated use.

Remove the fabric...

Remove the leaf to reveal the print! I find the leaves are good for about 4 prints each before they get super thin and hard to work with. 

Here is another example of printed leaves. I gathered these leaves from the yard but I don't know what the name of this plant is. 

Look at the lovely details left by the textured underside of the leaf! Once the dye has cured for at least 5 hours you can wash and dry like any other dyed fabric. You can stop the design right here or keep going.

I decided the grape leaves were too plain. Once I washed and pressed the fabric I went back outside. Pinning my fabric to the table I randomly applied 3 different greens paints across the surface. I added a few swirls of Raw Sienna paint for interest and lastly I dropped gold metallic paint over the fabric - gotta have a little bling!
The fabric paint was SetaColor.

I'm happy to keep the plein air conversation going on my own blog. I love when you share photos of your creations with me allowing us to chat about the hits and the misses when creating art! Click here to hop over! 

Don't forget to leave a comment for a chance to win a pack of awesome fat quarters! 

The winner will be announced on the 30th so hurry up and comment!