A peak at batik

I am excited to debut a few of my batik scarves at Indie Emporium this year. I don’t want to ruin the surprise completely, so instead of glamour shots of the finished product, here are a few behind-the-scenes looks at the process.

I like to think of batik as Easter egg-dying for grown-ups:

There are different application techniques, but they all involve natural fabrics, dye (which I mix myself), and wax. Sometimes you apply the wax and then soak the item in the dye; sometimes you paint the dye on post-waxing. The cups are small, but they can hold more than one scarf.

One important thing to remember is always wear gloves. Yes, the dye can burn your skin, but most importantly, it can make you look like a giant 5-year-old:
I spared you the shot of green on my leg.

Once the dyes have been applied, you have to let them dry. (Whoa, rhyming.) I opted for the laundry room:That’s wax you see flaking off on the towel. The details are obscured, but you can see a little of what the process does. I’ll have completed scarves available for purchase and perusal at Indie Emporium this weekend! I’ll also add a few to the Etsy shop sometime soon, after the show.