Starting With White

When asked about my printing, the question of 'what do you start with' is often asked. I try not to scrunch up my face in that "what?" look, and answer that it is just plain white cotton. Here it's drying after being soda-soaked in preparation for printing. I soak, let drain, then hang. 
 

Fire, and a Cautionary Tale

Students check back now and again. Today one wondered why, after putting her soda-soaked fabric in the dryer, it started on fire and drew three fire trucks. Though I've written in the instructions "Never put soda-soaked fabric in the dryer" I need to amend with "because it'll start a fire." Lessons!
 

On The Line

New linen is here and I've started the dye printing process by soda ash soaking. These will wait till I've got the time, and dyes are set to go. It'll take a week to get these on the website store, but I'm not going anywhere!
 

Unglamorous Life

Lest you think I lead an exciting life, let me set you straight. Not. Today was clean-up day and get ready for the next class in July. So, every quarter to half hour I'd add a few yards to soda soak, then transfer to the sink to drain. Repeat. Hang tomorrow. Maybe glam will be tomorrow, too.

Getting Ready

Monday starts a workshop for QSDS. That means getting screens cleaned, fabric soda soaked, and dyes mixed and ready. It is the unglamorous part of teaching, and the most zen. Still, nothing gets created. And it is lost time. I'll be happier to get to Monday.

Getting Ahead

For a print class I'll make several demos throughout the day. And each eats fabric. So, I find I need to soda-soak a few more dozen just to stay ahead of the game. I've a video in this blog on how I do this. Bucket soak, drip dry in laundry tub, hang damp. No drip.
 

Shared Scene

I know that there are at least eight other people who have a stack of soda-soaked fabric ready to print. There's a video in this blog (search under "video" for it) on how I do it, complete with tips. These are folded and ready to go. Monday is Just Silkscreens, and I'm sticking to that. 
 

How I Soda Soak Fabric

When I teach printing fabric, I ask that students come with their fabric soda soaked and ready to print. Here's a three minute take on how I get my fabric ready for printing with thickened dyes.

Nearing the End of the Slog

I've soda soaked about 150+ yards of labeled cotton for the upcoming year's classes. My April 2-3 printing class with the Genesee Valley Quilt Club (a few seats are available) is the only class which will have the fabric supplied by moi. I'm ready to end this task.

Easy Does It

Students in my printing classes are asked to "soda-soak" their fabric before they get to class. My short cut -- bucket of soda ash solution with 2 gallons and about 4 yards soaks for 15 minutes. Ring and drop in second tub to drain. Next day, hang damp. No drip! Check where I'll be this year for printing https://www.patpauly.com/calendar  which is practically everywhere.

Not Too Early

Some printing classes I teach will need fabric prelabeled and soda soaked. My class in April will need about 75 yards. So, now's the time to get started on that stack. And I need more for ME as well. I'm sewing tyvek squares for that name tag. Fabric is cotton.

Soda Soak

I was wandering through Walmart (rare for me) and I passed the pool chemical aisle. Sure enough, they've got the 100% soda ash I use for soda soaking my fabric. This works, just look for the ingredients to be 100% sodium carbonate and you're good.