Dyeing Silk Satin — an overdue update

My creation in 4-day workshop with Ruth Issett at Cadro, Ticino

A wonderful course with Ruth Issett at Creative Days Ticino last week has made possible a long-overdue update on my satin dyeing experiments.

It seems that my difficulties were not related so much to the dyeing chemicals and processes, but to the unusual qualities of the particular silk satin I was using! Too bad it took me two years to realize this…

I had purchased several yards of white silk satin from the Silk Connection years ago and have painted and dyed it with various products and processes. The dye processes – whether with cold-water immersion in Procion dyes or hot-water immersion in acid dyes – all resulted in a strangely puckered surface and back. The fabric also took on a strange springy quality and became rigid in the weft direction. Painting worked better, but the color tended to wear away in tightly worked areas.

Last week, Ruth Isset showed 16 eager textile lovers her simple method of dyeing with Procion MX fiber reactive dyes. Procion dyes work in cold water and I had tried them with a friend a few years ago, using a low-water immersion method. Ruth paints the dyes onto the fabric rather than immersing it. This allows her to control the placement of colors somewhat (though there are always big surprises), and it’s simply neater and simpler. In the class, we worked with all sorts of natural fabrics and threads – cotton, linen, hemp, viscose (an artificial material made up of natural fibers) and silk. Procion fiber reactive dyes work with all plant fibers and, delightfully, with silk too even though it’s an animal fiber. The Dharma Trading Co.’s website is full of wonderful information and ideas to confuse a dyeing newbie.

We printed and stitched our fabrics and then painted on the dye.

In spare moments, I tested my satin – first painting the dye on in the normal way and then preceding with a soak in soda solution. Luckily, I brought along some white Indian satin and a bridal satin from Milan. This is how I discovered that the problem is in the particular satin.

Dyed Silk Connection satin, front

Dyed Silk Connection satin, back

The satin from Silk Connection acted almost impermeable, as if it had a waterproof coating. Only when soaked first in soda solution did it allow the dye to penetrate. And, like the other times, it took on a strange springy consistency. It seems that the warp and weft threads have different twists. One shrinks or stiffens in the moisture and strange effects follow.

Dyed Indian satin, front

Dyed Indian satin, back

The Italian bridal satin and the Indian thangka satin, on the other hand, drank the dye thirstily and spread it smoothly. They took on beautiful colors and remained soft and supple.

Having discovered this, I returned to my room and ordered swatches of all the silk satins I could find on the internet. Hopefully, I’ll find a few dye-thirsty candidates with smooth shimmering surfaces that don’t cost a fortune. Will keep you posted!