Rust Fabric Dying

   Today, I worked in the Fine Art studio continuing with the landscape project and learnt the process of dying fabric using rust. That like the wet felting was a completely new process to me although, I enjoy using new processes and experimenting so that I can learn and expand my knowledge. 

To prepare the fabric ready for the dying process I left it to soak in vinegar and salt so that the fabric would absorb as much of the rust colouring as possible, I chose to use cotton calaco and 100% cotton to experiment with the difference in outcomes. My chosen items were a nail, a bolt/screw and a clay clip that I laid on top of the 100% cotton square and then I used the cotton calaco for the pliers by wrapping it around the pliers and securing it with string. Once I had everything set up I used tea water and using a cloth soaked each of the objects with the tea to try help the rust transfer onto the fabrics. 

I think that the pliers was successful as it created a much more defined rust colour and outline of the pliers onto the cotton calaco however, I think that where I didn't tie around each of the objects on the 100% cotton it didn't work as well in comparison. If I was going to re-try the experimentation on the 100% cotton I would tie around the objects individually and soak them in the tea more, to try imprint a more defined shape of the objects. To improve upon my practice I would find more rustier objects that haven't previously involved in the rust dying process so that a lot more rust would transfer onto the fabric, which would lead on to my further development within this process where I would use possible alternative objects instead of utensils or basic nuts and crews and maybe explore the possibility of using elements of a dismantled rusty engine for example. That would then create a form of further documentation of the process of deconstruction of an engine.