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Techniques for Decoration

There are 3 ways in which you can decorate fabric:

Dying Printing Embroidery

It is important to choose the correct technique for the product you are producing and you should consider the following before deciding on a technique:

• How much time do you have to decorate your product?

• Have you experimented with this technique before?

• Do you need to practise the techique?

• Is it a simple or complex design?

• Is your choice  of decoration suitable for your fabric? (This is important because some fabrics dye easier than other)

Dying

Dyes have been used to colour fabric from as far back as the 19th Century, using natural sources such as Plant dyes, Indigo and dyes from animal and mineral sources. Below are examples of Natural dye sources and their colour:

• Blackberry                                                          Black

• Spinach                                                               Olive Green

• Madder                                                                Red

• Mushrooms                                                           Grey

• Dahlias                                                                Bright Orange

• Onion Skins                                                         Gold

• Red Cabbage                                                       Aqua

When you dye a fabric the colour is absorbed into the fibres of the fabric. Some Natural dye sources  can fade after several washes on certain fabrics, they are not 'Colourfast'. A 'Mordant' is added to make the dye fix. This ensures longer colour life.

Tie and Dye

This is one of the oldest and most simplest forms of decorating fabric. It is not a precise method  as it is highly unlikely you can produce the exact pattern twice.

The patterns are determined by how tight you restrict the fabric. This limits the area in which the dye can enter the fabric. Objects such as stones, paper clips, elastic bands and string are all frequently used to create intricate and detailed patterns.