In my last post I wrote about the class Kathi and I taught using fabric paints to create wonderful textures and designs. In the class I had unwrapped a T-shirt I had painted the day before using the arashi shibori technique, but with fabric paints instead of the dyes I usually use. I liked it except for a large white area that didn't get the paint.
So the next day, I rewrapped it around a larger cylinder, using an 8 inch diameter concrete form made of thick cardboard. This enabled me to stretch out the part of the T-shirt needing the pattern. I added the paint, continuing the lines from the rest of the shirt. I think it turned out pretty good. The back is a little bit lighter than the front. So my conclusion is that paints are a little easier to use because you don't need to deal with chemicals and soda ash soaking, mixing powders, etc., but the dyes give you more intense colors because they penetrate the fabric more than the pain does.
