Co

urs
esa
mpl
e
 Textiles 2
Written by Pat Moloney
Author profile

This course is based upon the original Textiles 2 course written by Sue Black,
Sue Michaelson and Pat Moloney and edited by Sasha Young.

It has been largely re –written and revised by Pat Moloney, an OCA senior
tutor with a breadth of experience in textiles, as a designer, textile historian
and university lecturer.

OCA acknowledges with thanks those artists and designers (many of them
tutors and students) who have provided illustrations for this course and
offered valuable advice and assistance.

Front cover: Dye Souk, Marrakech.

Contents
You and your course
Introduction
An outline of the course
Sketchbooks
Logbooks
What you need for the course
Textile designers and artists
Recommended books
On completing the course
Project and assignment plan
Aims and objectives

1: Fibres - the importance of touch

Natural fibres
Man-made fibres
Identification of fibres
Project 1: designing textiles for a living space
Stage 1: brainstorming ideas
Stage 2: selecting source material
Stage 3: selecting materials
Stage 4: creating a storyboard or in this case a mood board
Stage 5: translating ideas into samples
What have you achieved?

2: Dyeing and screen printing

Information about dyes and dyeing
Safety procedures
Environmental concerns
What you will need for this section
Project 2: natural dyes
Project 3: synthetic dyes
Project 4: experimenting with dyeing
 Project 5: screen printing

3: Designing a scarf
Project 6: designing a scarf
Stage 1: choosing a colour mood or theme
Stage 2: preparation
Stage 3: designing your scarf
Stage 4: dyeing your yarns or fabric
Stage 5: making your scarf
Stage 6: what have you achieved?

4: 20th century textiles

Project 7: a research project
Ritual, myth and magic
20th century designers
Textile art
Stage 1: choosing a topic
Stage 2: where to look for information
Stage 3: what form should this project take?

5: Personal projects
Option 1: designing for a product
Option 2: working conceptually
Your final piece

Appendix A: if you plan to submit your work for

formal assessment
Appendix B: for students tutored by post
Appendix C: suppliers of materials and yarns
Appendix D: Textiles 3: Advanced
Appendix E: hazards identified throughout this
course
Sample from Textiles 2 course

Resist techniques
Ikat and wrapping techniques
These techniques involve wrapping or binding areas of yarns before they are
dyed so that you are left with un-dyed areas which can then be used to create
a 2 colour pattern effect in weaving or knitting. Patterns using several colours
can be created by repeating the process several times. Ikat techniques can be
used in either the warp or the weft in weaving and more complex designs
(double ikat) can involve both warp and weft. Ikat dyeing in various forms is
done in Japan, India and Indonesia.

The materials used to bind off the yarns before dyeing need to be able to resist
the dyes being used – rubber bands, strips from old plastic bags, and plastic
tape would all be suitable.

Warp Ikat

Ikat dyes for warps can be very complex; it needs planning and detailed
work. However, simple ikat effects can be created, by firmly wrapping skeins
of wool, and then dyeing them. You should also be aware that it is quite time
consuming. You will need to follow appropriate instructions for the types of
fibre content, yarn and dyestuffs.
Creating ikat effects with wrapped threads:
• the wrap threads are divided into sections
• sections of each group area securely tied
• the whole bundle is dyed and allowed to dye
• the wrappings are undone
• close-up of ties thread.

Ikat dyed warp

 Ikat design in the process of weaving, Bukhara, Uzbekistan

Double Ikat (Ikat dyed warp and weft), photographed by June King

Wax, paste or Gutta resist

In this group of resists, some kind of paste or wax is painted on the fabric
surface, which hardens and then resists the dye. Once the fabric is dyed, the
resist material is removed and undyed areas are left on a dyed background.
The most common resist technique is batik in which wax is used as a resist.
You can also use resists made of starch pastes derived from plants such as
rice, cassava or flour. More recently a synthetic resist called Gutta has been
developed. This is like a wax resist but does not need heat. The Gutta can also
contain dye, so that when it is removed from the fabric it leaves a coloured
line behind. The resist process can be repeated several times on one piece of
fabric using different dyes so that complicated, multi-coloured patterns can be
built up. If you want to try this technique, read the suppliers' leaflets
carefully.

Resist effects, OCA student Joy Herman

Stitched, folded and tied resists

In this group of techniques, fabric is stitched, folded, or bound before it is
dyed so that the dye cannot penetrate some areas. The shape of the resist
pattern depends on the way this is done. The fabric can be folded and bound
tightly, using rubber bands, strips of plastic bags, string or any other material
that will resist the dyes being used.

Example of tie-dyed fabric with an interesting pattern

Stitch-resist patterns can be created by gathering up rows of hand stitching, or

by folding the fabric and stitching it with a sewing machine. Once again you
will need to follow the appropriate instructions for the types of fabrics and
dyes being used and thoroughly wet the fabrics or yarns before dyeing. Read
the recommended book if you want to learn more.

Tie dye combined with weave effects to create a ‘creased’ look.

Stitch resist fabrics
Create stitch effects by hand or machine stitching in rows, then gather up the
rows tightly, like smocking, before dyeing. You can stitch in circles or wavy
lines.

Stage 2: preparation
• Prepare your yarns or fabrics for dyeing. Make a collection of small
skeins of yarn ready for dip-dyeing or wrapped to create ikat effects.
Alternatively, prepare a collection of stitched, gathered or machine-
stitched fabric samples ready for resist work. If necessary, wash the
fabrics or yarns beforehand. Wet them thoroughly, as described earlier,
before dyeing
• prepare your workspace for dyeing as outlined in Projects 1 and 2
• prepare the appropriate dyes according to the supplier's instructions.

Spend as long as you need at this stage then, when you are ready, move on to
Stage 3.
1. One simple resist binding produce a 2. Three or more bindings create circles
single circle within circles

3. More complex bindings create a variety of patterns (see also 4 and 5)

4 5
Tie-dye techniques
Resist effects by folding fabric

Fabric is folded and hold in position by hand, with clothes pegs or clips, while
it is dyed.

Fabric is folded then stitched before dyeing, Stitches are removed after fabric
is dry.

Fabric is folded or twisted, and bound in sections, then dyed and allowed to
dry thoroughly before bindings are removed.
In doing this project you could experiment very simply and freely with a
number of these techniques and invent your own variations on some of them.

Dye: Dylon Cold Turquoise Saga

Technique: Folded with wooden clothes pegs

Dye: Dylon Cold Turquoise Saga

Technique: Tie-Dye using elastic bands
 Dye: Dylon Cold Water Turquoise / Technique: Folded fabric scoured with clothes pegs
- Followed by -
Dye: Deka Silk: Violet/ Technique: Starched Paste brushed onto fabric with a thick brush

Shibori technique combined with heat setting

The combination of techniques associated with shibori and that of heat setting
has brought a traditionally based craft into the 21st century.

Some wonderful 3-dimensional effects can be achieved with this technique

but because it requires a high heat setting temperature, it is more difficult to
experiment with at home unless you have access to a pressure cooker.

However, since more of this work is being developed and shown, it is

perhaps interesting to understand how this process works.

The technique has been widely used in Japan by the fashion designer Issey
Miyake and the Nuno Corporation. Issey Miyake produces some unusual and
exciting clothing, while the Nuno corporation have a reputation for
producing beautiful and highly innovative fabrics that combine new
technology with tradition.
Heat set Shibori