These shapes were stopped out with wax. Much painting in of shapes was done with wax. This gave a finish and jewel-like quality to the work as it progressed.
Before the material was dyed it was soaked in warm water the same temperature as the dye-bath. The piece was then dyed in a bath of blue. It was worked constantly for about ten minutes. It was removed from the dye and rinsed in clear warm water.
After rinsing, the material was placed flat between layers of bath towels and much of the moisture removed. The drying was finished by hanging over a waxed line.
The sky and the blue of the border were next stopped out, leaving for the next bath the pony, the remainder of the Indian maiden, the tree trunks and other shapes in the foreground.
DETAILS FROM OLD SARONGS
The frame was placed in an upright position after [!-- original location of illustration --] the custom of Javanese workers. While waxing, the light shone through and every uncovered spot was easily seen. A medium sized soft brush was used for stopping out the large spaces.
Great care was taken to drain the excess wax from the brush. This is more necessary when the work is erect, as it prevents the wax from running down the goods.
The third dye-bath was prepared with red and a little yellow. A piece of the fabric dyed with the last dipping was dyed in this bath to test the color. The material when dyed in this bath was a rich, red-purple.