With my new Derwent Inktense Pencils I decided to see what I could do with them. One of the things I kept coming across in Tutorials and videos was dying fabric with them. I thought that was a great idea and wondered if I could use them to dye something else namely lace. I have several beautiful laces in my sewing stashes but the majority of them are white. As beautiful as they are I don't often make something that calls for white lace. So having the option of using the same lace only to add color detail as well caught my attention.
I thought I couldn't be the only person who ran across this problem and decide to make a tutorial out of my results.
I thought I couldn't be the only person who ran across this problem and decide to make a tutorial out of my results.
Materials List
Lace
Derwent Inktense Pencils or Blocks
Water
Paint brushes
Hair Dryer
Step One:
Choose the lace you want to paint and cut what you will need in length. Keep in mind that fiber blends and synthetics will take the dye differently than cotton. I chose a simple 75% Rayon and 25% Cotton Venice Style lace. It's cheap but it works and looks beautiful. Pin it to a board like so.
Lace
Derwent Inktense Pencils or Blocks
Water
Paint brushes
Hair Dryer
Step One:
Choose the lace you want to paint and cut what you will need in length. Keep in mind that fiber blends and synthetics will take the dye differently than cotton. I chose a simple 75% Rayon and 25% Cotton Venice Style lace. It's cheap but it works and looks beautiful. Pin it to a board like so.
Step Two:
Chose your colors. I chose Sun Yellow, Shiraz, and Field Green because they show well against each other.
Chose your colors. I chose Sun Yellow, Shiraz, and Field Green because they show well against each other.
Step Four:
A little water goes along way in this but you will want to keep a cup handy to rinse your brushes in and to keep your ink wet. I placed a little on a sheet of clear plastic to wet my brushes with. This keeps you from getting the brush too wet. The wetter the brush the more water you will add to the lace and that will cause your colors to bleed. Less is more in this case.
A little water goes along way in this but you will want to keep a cup handy to rinse your brushes in and to keep your ink wet. I placed a little on a sheet of clear plastic to wet my brushes with. This keeps you from getting the brush too wet. The wetter the brush the more water you will add to the lace and that will cause your colors to bleed. Less is more in this case.
Step Five:
There are actually two ways of applying the color to the lace but I wanted to show you this way first. You dip the tip of the pencil into the water on the plastic and then draw on the lace. The trouble with this method comes next.
There are actually two ways of applying the color to the lace but I wanted to show you this way first. You dip the tip of the pencil into the water on the plastic and then draw on the lace. The trouble with this method comes next.
In order to blend the color out you need to wet your brush and pull the color across the lace.
The biggest trouble with this method is the amount of water required to blend the color out. Remember the wetter the lace the more the color will bleed. I showed you my mistake so you could avoid it. Instead use the water drop on the plastic to wet your brush and then pick up color from the pencils as show. You can then blend that into the lace using less water giving you more control.
(Thanks Aunt Barb for the extra set of hands. Try as I might I can't hold a paint brush, pencil, and take a picture of it.)
(Thanks Aunt Barb for the extra set of hands. Try as I might I can't hold a paint brush, pencil, and take a picture of it.)
Step six:
Drying. Yep, you've only just started with the painting and you've gotten to the drying. There is a reason. Between each color drying the inktense prevents the colors bleeding together and getting all muddy. So pull out your hair dryer. It doesn't take that long as little water as you are using but it is an important step.
Drying. Yep, you've only just started with the painting and you've gotten to the drying. There is a reason. Between each color drying the inktense prevents the colors bleeding together and getting all muddy. So pull out your hair dryer. It doesn't take that long as little water as you are using but it is an important step.
You are going to notice that the color seems paler after drying. It is. Although on paper the inktense remain near identical in color on fabric they dry lighter. You can add a second layer if you want a more intense color.
Step seven:
Now it is time to add the next color and repeat the last few steps until you have it painted the way you want.
Step seven:
Now it is time to add the next color and repeat the last few steps until you have it painted the way you want.
Step eight:
Curing and Heat Setting. I know, you've been using a hair dryer so why would you need to heat set the pencils? Well without the proper curing time (24 hours) and then heat setting the color will fade or bleed if it is washed. To heat set is simple, wait 24 hours after you have finished the final painting and then press it with a iron. Used the setting best suited to your fiber choices. After that you can wash them an not run the risk of bleeding or fading.
Just to show you what I mean here are the laces and some fabric before:
Curing and Heat Setting. I know, you've been using a hair dryer so why would you need to heat set the pencils? Well without the proper curing time (24 hours) and then heat setting the color will fade or bleed if it is washed. To heat set is simple, wait 24 hours after you have finished the final painting and then press it with a iron. Used the setting best suited to your fiber choices. After that you can wash them an not run the risk of bleeding or fading.
Just to show you what I mean here are the laces and some fabric before:
And after without proper curing time or heat setting. I washed them in simple soap and water. That's it. The lace in the center I left unwashed to show you the difference. So unless you want to fade the colors cure and heat set.
That's it. You're done. It's easy, and simple to now get beautiful lace in all the colors you want with just a few simple steps.
Enjoy!
Enjoy!