Posts Tagged ‘rusting fabric’

Giving vintage textiles a new life.

Monday, September 23rd, 2019

Recently, a very kind lady donated her mothers doilies to me, for my next textile, art project. Though I have found it hard, rusting and burying this lot, I was re-assured that her mother would be happy to know they were given to someone who would give them a new life. 

I’ts been perfect weather lately for rusting and burying.

After a good soak with white vinegar I wrap some with wire.

Mostly, I just lay the the cloth under a slabs of metal sheets, left over from my studio build then stack on top of one another.

I like to get them all dirty by burying them and stacking a heaver tray and rocks on top. I leave them there from 24 hrs. or, many months until I get the look I’m after.

4 weeks underground. Final unveiling just before dunking in a sink of water and bicarb soda, to stop rusting process.

This piece really excites me with the intense rust and black marks.

Such gorgeous delicate lace work crochet in this doily.

Rust n dirt with tiny black marks and colourful hand embroidery.

Rust with the contrast of beautiful hand embroidery peeking through.

A lovely bundle of vintage rust material ready to go for new projects.

Rust Dyeing Fabrics

Friday, December 28th, 2018


Summer in Australia is the perfect time for eco and botanical dyeing outdoors. During Winter, I like to save little bits of fabrics, lace and papers in a box for Summer dyeing. This is how I rust dye my fabrics….

Many years ago, I collected heaps of metal junk to use for sculpture. As, I no longer weld, I now use the rusty bits and pieces that are scattered all over my property, for my dyeing projects.

The gathering of the metal objects, wrapping them with the fabric spraying with vinegar and binding with rope and wire is quite relaxing. I call it mummy wrapping.


Rust Dyeing Fabric

MATERIALS:

Fabric: cottons silk… work best

Rusty metal objects: cooking pans, car parts, rusty nails, screws, pipes, copper objects

Wire, string, wool or rope just something to bind the fabric to the rusted item

Plain white vinegar

Rubber gloves

Plastic sheet or bags

METHOD

1. Gather all the items together wet your fabric and spray with vinegar.

2. Wrap the fabric around and around the rusted object as best you can.

3. Make sure it’s tightly bound with the string rope or wire. Cover with plastic so it stays moist.

4. Leave and wait for the magic to happen.

5. This may take an hour or 2 or if you want deeper textures of rust a week or 2. Then un- wrap your beautiful rusted fabric.

6. Once the fabric is dyed to the depth you want, soak for 30mins in warm water with a couple of tablespoons of salt to make the rust dye colourfast.

7. Wash gently in warm water with soap powder rinse dry and voila!

I also rust papers and larger pieces of fabric using a different method that I will share in a future post.

To see more of my free tutorials please go here