Rust Dyeing

This shows the four pieces I have coloured using Mags free tutorial on the Fiber & Stitch on line magazine home page. Mags says the recipe is half a cup of malt vinegar and half a cup of salt. The fabric I used was a peachey/flesh colour and the vinegar was at least five years old! The salt was only about six months old. I dampened the fabrics and wrapped them up individually around a VERY rusty chunky chain (top right) a chain ring (top left) some bits of hand made hinges and a hand made nail (bottom right) and some chain links and a wire from a Champagne cork (bottom left)

I laid them all in old enamel grill pan, poured the vinegar over, melted the salt as best I could with boiling water and poured and spooned (!) this on the fabrics. I then put it all in a thick see'through polythene bag to keep air out and put it in the greenhouse - and promptly forgot about it. Six days or so later I turned them over, some pieces on top of others, then about four days later (last night) I washed them out. I was amazed to see this thick glorious oily coloured stuff on the fabric, but unfortunately it all washed off. Just as well really, as I imagine if it didn't the fabric would have rotted away eventually. It may still do that, but in the meantime I am quite excited with what I achieved. Thanks Mags.!