Ideas on how to improve?

[kateb]

I'm FINALLY getting the tying down to have slightly less blobby mandalas.

 I did 3 last night, but have questions.

This one is on cotton, and I'm OK with it in general (other than needing to add more varying saturation levels - some dilute areas)


My second one is on rayon - and I thought I mainly needed more dye



 
But the third one - rayon again, and I added a lot more dye - is more saturated, but  HARSH.   


closeup




Is this just the nature of rayon? Or did I do something nutty? All three of these were dyed with same batch of dye.

1. mixed with distilled water
2. dyed dry with activated dyes  (spritzed all three with water a little before folding/dyeing).
3. activated dyes with 1/2 tsp soda ash powder per 8 ounces (I posted about this elsewhere - perhaps this should   have been 1/2 tsp of soda ash water?)


Everything is relative - these are much better than my first attempts, but I'm still learning.

Thanks for your help as always!

Kate

[ktaltre]

Your mandalas are perfectly fine. Lovely.
Different fabrics take the dye differently, and sometimes the dye doesn't go on like it did the last time.
Improving your tie dye and color sense just takes doing it over and over and over, etc.
I think Steve, forum father, uses a lightweight cotton (lawn? voile?) for his mandalas.
Some people tie wet, soak in soda ash, and dry before dyeing.
Also you could add a little thickener to your dye, dyeing wet or dry.
You might need a little more soda ash.
k. taltre

[steve]

I think Steve, forum father, uses a lightweight cotton (lawn? voile?) for his mandalas.
Some people tie wet, soak in soda ash, and dry before dyeing.
Also you could add a little thickener to your dye, dyeing wet or dry.
You might need a little more soda ash.
k. taltre

Kauffman's Savannah Lawn. It is the absolute best.

I dye dry when I soda soak and force the dye through with repeated applications, squeezing and forcing the spout into folds.

This fabric and these techniques will yield crisp patterns

I thicken my dye with alginate.