Adventures in Textile Dyes

Create bespoke colour palettes by mixing disperse dyes and painting with them directly onto cartridge paper. Consider mark making, the use of line and the strength of the dyes, to translate your design onto material with use of the heatpress.
Experiment with pre-prepared dyed papers that when collaged with found materials and layered on top of one another, create diverse tertiary colour palettes rich in texture.
Create cut out stencils for use as resists, to add a more illustrative twist to final designs.

Course Structure

• Introduction to the course and a demonstration showing the mixing of disperse dyes and painting onto cartridge paper. Whilst drying, demonstration showing the pre-prepared papers and the various techniques that can be used to translate marks onto synthetic materials.
• Take a few moments to explore the LPW garden to find fresh materials that could be used in the process as resists.
• Spend the rest of the day experimenting with the different colours of pre-painted dye paper, painting your own imagery, using stencils, found materials to create a variety of synthetic fabric samples.

About the Tutor

Alex Palmer graduated from Loughborough University in 2010 with a 2:1 BA Honours in Printed Textiles Design. Currently working at De Montfort University in the Printed and Dyeing Textiles department, Alex works closely with students introducing a variety of printing/dyeing techniques to enable the students to further develop their work.

Alex also produces dyed/printed textiles outside of her usual work to keep her inspired and on trend with what is happening in the textiles industry.