Dyes suitable for pattern dyeing should not run or “bleed.” Some use only primary colors. Others desire a more extended range. A good selection may include red, yellow, blue, orange, green, purple, brown and black.
PART OF A DESIGN STOPPED OUT WITH WAX, READY FOR THE FIRST DYEING
The temperature of the dyes should be below the melting point of the wax. Care must also be used in dissolving dye. Granules in the dye-bath work havoc [!-- original location of illustration --] with an otherwise beautiful piece of dyeing. The dye should be filtered through a closely woven cloth. Prepared dyes insure safety, as the compounding and dissolving is done by formula.
After the last dyeing the fabric should be rinsed first in warm, then in cold water. Much of the wax is removed in the rinsing. The remainder of the wax is easily removed by ironing between layers of newspaper, followed if necessary by a bath of gasoline. If the piece is very large it should be finished by a professional cleaner.
There are different approved methods of pattern dyeing with wax resist, in the choice of which the craftsman must consider the conditions under which the work is to be done. We give in outline the steps of three methods:
I. Painting the decoration within waxed outlines, followed by one or more baths for the ground color. This is illustrated on pages [55], [56] and [57], where the following steps were taken:
1. A square of white china silk, clean and free of sizing, was stretched on a frame.
2. The main lines were sketched in with charcoal. The design was outlined in wax. The shapes were made small, as dye is liable to streak when painted over large areas.