Spring Shows & Blue Hands

5/25/2015

The past two weekends I've had the pleasure of participating in two art & craft shows in Greenwich Village (NYC). The crowds were big and friendly, my vendor neighbors were nice, and I thoroughly enjoyed speaking with the many delightful people who stopped by my table.

The boost I get from the people I meet at shows really keeps me going through the inevitable marbling misfires, like color combinations that looked great in my mind's eye but resembled dog food when they hit the fabric; or losing an entire batch of scarves because for unknown reasons the color just didn't adhere to the cloth.

On another note . . . Until now I have been marbling my scarves on both sides to avoid a blank back. It's tremendously time consuming, and I'm not always pleased with the results, so I decided to try hand dyeing the fabric first, then marbling over it. Tonight I dyed my first batch, a gorgeous turquoise blue. Can't wait to try marbling over it, and see what results! (Note to self: check rubber gloves for holes before starting - gives a whole new meaning to "hand dyed"!)

2 Comments

Lynda link

5/25/2015 14:10:44

What a great idea to dye first. I was surprised you marbled on both sides. This will be much easier and I think you'll have great results. Can't wait to see them!

Ellen Gordon link

5/25/2015 14:39:00

Thanks, Lynda! (Warning: extremely long reply to follow.)

I've been marbling on both sides when using 12mm silk satin and 19.5mm silk charmeuse, because they are thick enough to leave a blank back otherwise. (The 8mm habotai I only marble on one side, as it's light and sheer.) It's double the work, but I don't like leaving one side blank.

And I love the effects I can get - I try for as much contrast as possible between the two sides in terms of pattern, but achieve harmony by using the same colorway. I love this interplay thus achieved. But wow, it's a lot of work!

I've noticed most marblers on etsy use silk habotai, presumably to avoid double marbling, but I'm not crazy about the feel, and neither are many of my customers - it's rather flimsy and crisp, not what people want in a silk. I've seen a couple of marblers who dye first to avoid the blank back, and decided to give it a try - the idea was definitely not my own!

I know of no other marblers doing both sides, and have decided it's probably proof of insanity - nobody else is crazy enough to do this many hours of work for a $45 scarf!

I'm also excited because I should be able to get much more intense colors this way. My biggest frustration with marbling so far is the inability to get deep, rich colors with the various brands of paints I've tried. I like some of the soft tones I get, but silk really SINGS with brilliant color, and I want to achieve it! Stay tuned . . . .

Thanks for following, and for your support!

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Spring Shows & Blue Hands

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