to paint next to the resist, not directly on it, because the dye will stain the gutta. Be sure the dyes are completely dry be fore removing the c lear gutta-you can speed up the drying process with a hair d ryer. Gu tta i s removed with naphthol benzine, a toxic chemical that should be used only in a well-ventilated area. For small pieces, pour the naphthol benzine into a largc glass jar, drop the fabric into it, cover the jar, and then swirl the ben zine around so that the fabric is complete ly saturated. Let i t soak for approximately hour (longer, if you have used a lot of gutta) , remove the fabric and let it dry. I put larger pieces in a basin full of benzine, which I keep covered with newspapers in order to reduce the fumes. Always wear rubber gloves when handling the soaked fabric. Naphthol benzine can be reused un til it becomes thick and cloudy; keep it stored in the can.
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To make fine li nes and snwll details w i t h wa.x, Nor th up uses ([ �jcmting tool (top). She pa i n ts i nside the O lI U i ne of the i 'YIlCtges (ce nte)'), as she would when working with gulta. She lets the dyes d ry thorou ghly and then cOllers the e n t ire image ([ 1'ea with wax in order pa int i n I.he bc[ckg),Olmd COlO1' (bot tom). 32
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Wax-Wax is one of the oldest and most common resists. Wax will work with any cold-water dye. I use it with both French liquid and fiber-reactive dyes on cotton and silk. The wonderful thing about using wax is that you can run the dye brush right over it when layering colors, at no risk to the dyes underneath. Wax is a great timesaver, too, because it can be applied quicldy to large areas with a foam or nylon brush. It can also be applied with a tjant ing tool for fine lines. The tjanting tool is a metal-tipped i nstrument with a wooden handle and a well to hold the resist. But t here are two major drawbacks to using wax : It cmits toxic fumes, and it's difficul t t o remove from the fabric. When using wax, I prepare a mixture of half paraffin and half beeswax. Melt the wax either in a saucepan on an electric hot plate or i n an electric frying pan. Work in an area that is well ventilated, and never melt wax in the kitchen. Before you apply the melted wax, make sure it is translu cent. This is a sign that the wax is hot enough to penetrate the fabric. I f the wax is not hot enough, it will sit on top of the fabric, and the dye will seep underneath. I f the wax i s too hot, however, i t will sizzle on the fabric and spread beyond the area you want to cover. When the wax is the correct tempera ture, dip the tjanting tool i n to it so that the well is filled. Hold a drip cloth under the tool as you carry the wax from the pan to the fabric. Work quickly-hot wax flows easily and, if you're slow, you may end up with too much wax on the fabric. After you have painted the outlined im ages and they've dried, cover them com pletely with wax, and add the background color. When you have finished the back ground, wipe the excess dye off the waxed areas with paper towels; if it is left on, the dye will eventually stain the wax. If you are drying the dyes with a hair dryer, make sure that the dryer doesn't get too hot; Thre ads Magazine