Techniques
Hand painted silk begins life as a piece of plain white silk.
Sometimes it is background dyed, sometimes not, but before drawing on the fabric, it is stretched out and then taped or pinned to a frame. Some designs use the 'serti' method where gutta outlines are painted on and then filled with colour. Gutta can be clear, but it is also available in many different shades. Pat uses mostly gold and clear guttas in her work.
Gutta outlines are not the only way of working. Other patterns are made free-hand, sometimes thickening the paint to give more control, sometimes wetting the fabric, meaning much less control with dyes drifting across in a more random manner, producing a marvellous watercolour 'wet-in-wet' appearance.
Sometimes it is background dyed, sometimes not, but before drawing on the fabric, it is stretched out and then taped or pinned to a frame. Some designs use the 'serti' method where gutta outlines are painted on and then filled with colour. Gutta can be clear, but it is also available in many different shades. Pat uses mostly gold and clear guttas in her work.
Gutta outlines are not the only way of working. Other patterns are made free-hand, sometimes thickening the paint to give more control, sometimes wetting the fabric, meaning much less control with dyes drifting across in a more random manner, producing a marvellous watercolour 'wet-in-wet' appearance.
Whichever method is used, the colour must be 'fixed' after painting.
Sometimes this can be done by ironing, but iron fixed paints have more effect on the silk, making it harder and with less of that silkiness we expect from this lovely fabric. Pat prefers to steam, sometimes in the microwave, sometimes in an industrial steamer for three or four hours, leaving the silk gloriously shiny as well as keeping the fabric's 'handle'.
Once the colour has been fixed, each silk is washed, rinsed and ironed.
Many of the designs can involve several different techniques, such as dyeing before stretching, over-dyeing, applying gutta, painting, re-dyeing and gilding.
Sometimes this can be done by ironing, but iron fixed paints have more effect on the silk, making it harder and with less of that silkiness we expect from this lovely fabric. Pat prefers to steam, sometimes in the microwave, sometimes in an industrial steamer for three or four hours, leaving the silk gloriously shiny as well as keeping the fabric's 'handle'.
Once the colour has been fixed, each silk is washed, rinsed and ironed.
Many of the designs can involve several different techniques, such as dyeing before stretching, over-dyeing, applying gutta, painting, re-dyeing and gilding.