New Techniques

Spurred on by Jamie Fingal's question to the QuiltArt group, "what new techniques are you working on?", I thought I'd post my potato dextrin results.  It's one of those things I've been wanting to do for YEARS – that's how long I've had all the supplies. And last week I finally had the time. It was on my birthday actually, that I gifted myself with dedicated studio time to finally do this.

I love the results, the fine, delicate, random line and patterning created by this serendipitous process. It's almost no-fail. I know that because in spite of my taping down my fabric on a plastic covered board, once the dextrin began to dry, the fabric began to warp and wiggle out of it's flat taped position. But even the hills and valleys created by this warping did not deter from the end result. They might have even added to it.

For those of you who do not know the process, potato dextrin is a fine powdered starch that you mix with boiling water to form a thick gelatinous paste that you "paint" onto prepared fabric. When the dextrin dries it develops fine cracks. You use thickened dyes (or thin paints, like fluid acrylics) and a brush to push the dye/paint into the cracks. When that is dry, you wash off the dextrin and the results are what you see here. The dextrin is like a water-soluable glue and acts as a resist. It's hard to wash off but well worth the work. I can see some of you thinking, can I do this on paper? I thought that too, and after all the washing and scraping, my response would be, "Yes, if it's a heavy watercolor paper." At least 140 lbs, 300 lb would work for sure. It needs to be able to take a lot of water & abuse. And I would use paint, but I also think you could probably soak the paper in soda ash (and let dry) to prepare it for dyes as well.

Yesterday, after being frustrated with another project that had come to the "I hate it" stage, I switched gears and spent a very successful day working on samples for an article for Quilting Arts magazine. So I can't show you anything but I think you'll be very inspired but what I have to share with you. Watch for it in the April/May issue.

I wrote my Thanksgiving post a couple of days ago (below), but since today is actually Thanksgiving I'd like to add that I am thankful for days spent in the studio. And yes, I am thankful I'm not having Thanksgiving here this year. We're off to my DIL's in a few hours. Yipee!