From Old Metal to New Textile with Rust Fabric Dyeing

re: From Old Metal to New Textile with Rust Fabric Dyeing

Veena Sennik — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 05:33:40 GMT

Great idea! Might come handy one day! But thinking about in the long run the fabric might fray and fall apart.

re: From Old Metal to New Textile with Rust Fabric Dyeing

tessvowels — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 03:00:28 GMT

Thanks for sharing this technique! May come in handy some day!!! Some beautiful shades... :)

re: From Old Metal to New Textile with Rust Fabric Dyeing

Nora McDowell — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 01:46:22 GMT

Does the rust ever stop rusting and will it eventually eat the fabric?

re: From Old Metal to New Textile with Rust Fabric Dyeing

Mary Anne Hawkins — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 20:21:58 GMT

I have seen rust dying in several magazines over the years and I simply can't imagine why anyone would want to do it!! It is ugly and it looks just like what it is---rusty old rags.

Everything doesn't have to be beautiful, but it has to have some redeeming feature and I can't find on in rust dying. It is ridiculous looking. The emperor has no clothes!!!

re: From Old Metal to New Textile with Rust Fabric Dyeing

quilteagle — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 16:21:16 GMT

I love rust dyeing fabric. I have used white cotton and some neon bright colors and toned down the brightness with rust dyeing. One particular piece I dyed had an image of a woman with long hair wearing a long dress. It looked like she was dancing and has been named the dancing queen! I did a fabric embellishment exchange using that piece of fabric and the other 3 people added swirls and circles in gold and purple. I have not yet used the piece in a project, but ideas are swirling for an embellished art quilt.

re: From Old Metal to New Textile with Rust Fabric Dyeing

Melva1 — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 16:05:27 GMT

i rusted a pair of white jean shorts and they turned out great! Funky!

re: From Old Metal to New Textile with Rust Fabric Dyeing

Melva1 — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 16:05:15 GMT

i rusted a pair of white jean shorts and they turned out great! Funky!

re: From Old Metal to New Textile with Rust Fabric Dyeing

Ingrid Sturesson — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 15:24:26 GMT

I regularly teach my textile art´s students dyeing with rust, and I have discovered, that the metal objects become more and more yeilding of their colour the more I dye with them. I only use vinegar and just roll up the metal objects in the fabric, wich has been emerged in vinegar beforehand. And then we just let the fabric rolls lie on a plastic covered table over night. It´s just amazing to se how a snow white fabric becomes a golden-brown fabric with the most intriguing dark brown patterns scattered all over! / Ingrid in Sweden

re: From Old Metal to New Textile with Rust Fabric Dyeing

arlee — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 15:04:46 GMT

While beautiful a result, and my favourite technique, the fabric definitely is weakened, as Julia E said. It's not for archival or heirloom items. It's harder to get a needle through (i use pliers on occasion to pull it through!) and some machines will cluck as they go through heavier areas. That all being said, it's one of the main fabric changers i love using over and over.

re: From Old Metal to New Textile with Rust Fabric Dyeing

EllenF@3 — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 13:39:26 GMT

I inadvertently "dyed" some clothes by hanging them on a rusty clothesline at a beach rental house. I was not happy, and the rust stains never come out.

re: From Old Metal to New Textile with Rust Fabric Dyeing

jannw — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 13:36:39 GMT

I was especially interested in your comment to try silk. Wouldn't this cause the old "shattered silk" syndrome that made the fabric fall apart due to the metals in the older dyes?

This doesn't seem to be technique to be used for anything that people would want to last.

re: From Old Metal to New Textile with Rust Fabric Dyeing

Judy Merrill-Smith — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 13:34:17 GMT

Start with items that are already quite rusty. My best sources are parking lots and roadsides, as well as forgotten metal items in barns and garages. I love the circles created by bottle caps, washers, and the bottoms of old tin cans.

Julia is correct in saying that your fabric will continue to rust and will eventually fall apart. However, I look at it this way: nothing in life is permanent. I like the idea of deliberately working with impermanence in my art.

PS: be cautious if you are going to start playing with metals. Please make sure your tetanus shot is up to date.

re: From Old Metal to New Textile with Rust Fabric Dyeing

Melva1 — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 13:30:49 GMT

I rusted a pair of white jean shorts. Turned out great.

re: From Old Metal to New Textile with Rust Fabric Dyeing

Melva1 — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 13:30:29 GMT

I rusted a pair of white jean shorts. Turned out great.

re: From Old Metal to New Textile with Rust Fabric Dyeing

christine1942 — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 13:09:24 GMT

The only thing I own which rusts is my wok, so I wet it, leave it upside down for about 12 hours, wet it again, then place white cotton inside, pressing it carefully against the sides. Leave it for up to two days then remove. I get a beautiful, quite complex circular pattern, which is a deep golden brown, and perfect for embellishing however you like.