INFORMATION FOR TEXTILE ARTISTS ON PREPARATION & DYEING OF SILK
Silk contains varying amounts of starch and sericin, a naturally occurring protein gum, which must be removed before a dye will take well. Sericin is a gum generated by the silk worm and the amount found in silk will vary according to the environmental conditions.
Silk purchased from Silk Wholesalers contains nothing other than natural Sericin.
SCOURING SILKS FOR DYEING
Soak fabric in warm water (50 c) for 45 minutes with 1% of dry fabric weight, neutral detergent added to water. The PH factor of the detergent is important for silk. Detergents particularly high in alkali will damage the silk fibre. Choice magazine (Sept 89) found SOFTLY the best detergent to use on silk/wool, for PH balance and cleansing ability. Allow fabric to cool down with the water. Rinse well in warm water. Add a little white vinegar to final rinse water to rid fabric of excess alkali. Hang to dry out of direct sunlight. THIS WHOLE PROCEDURE CAN BE CARRIED OUT ON THE DELICATE/WOOL CYCLE OF YOUR WASHING MACHINE.
TO AVOID DAMAGING THE SILK FILAMENT
It is important not to exceed 80 c, boil or agitate excessively. This will result in damage to the silk filament and you will notice a loss of lustre and harshness of feel. This is irreversible and will be noticeable when dry.
DYEING SILK
Protein fibres such as silk and wool prefer ACID DYES. Acid dyes produce bright colours which vary in light fastness. Most have poor fastness to washing. They are simple to use. These dyes require boiling, which will affect the filament, and alter the final appearance and feel. This change is often acceptable to textile artists and is a matter of personal preference. FIBRE REACTIVE DYES. Brand names include Remazol (Multifilla), Procion, Drimarine K, Levafix (USA) & Dylon. These dyes have excellent light and wash fastness, are easily mixable to form a wide range of colours and can be used in cold water. These dyes depend on a chemical reaction taking place, under alkaline conditions, in an aqueous solution, making a permanent bond with the fibres called co-valent bonding. The alkali is the fixing agent. These alkaline conditions will damage protein fibres, so this should be a consideration when vat dyeing silk. The alkali should be greatly reduced or replaced with acetic acid (sometimes called a painting solution ) Gaubers salt can be substituted for common salt. These problems do not occur when hand painting with fibre reactive dyes, the dye powder is mixed with water to required strength and painted on. Fixing is done by steaming or the application of a cold fix agent (Sodium Silicate )
The Sodium Silicate is painted onto the dried hand painted fabric. The fabric is wrapped completely in plastic to exclude air, left for a min of 2 hrs (overnight is preferable) and washed thoroughly afterwards. With this method there is no loss of colour. Dyes made up without additives will remain usable for many weeks kept in a dark place.
TIPS FOR DYEING IN GENERAL
Use appropriate dye for type of fabric. Use correct ratio of dye to weight of fabric. Use appropriate fixative to ensure fast colour, especially if you intend to sell your work. Scour fabric well before dyeing. Some shop bought silks may contain stiffeners, bulking agents, crease resistants, fire retardants, soiling repellents and even synthetic fibres. All of which may act as dye resistants. Always immerse wet fabric into dye bath. Fabric can be soaked for 15 minutes with one drop of dish detergent added to the water, to facilitate dye absorption. Rinse well after dye fixation process.
This information remains the property of Silk Wholesalers and is the result of experience and research. It is intended only as a useful guide to the successful dyeing of silk fabric. No responsibility will be taken by Silk Wholesalers for individual results.