Theatre Design & Technology - Summer 1978 - 34

both sodas first in a small amount of hot water. Add the sodas
to the dye/chemical water mixture. The sodas cause the dye
to start reacting, so this step should be the last. Again, once
the dye has been activated (by the addition of the sodas) the
dye cannot be stored for later use. Activation lasts only for a
few hours.
This mixture can then be sprayed onto the fabric surface.
Air-dry and then set with steam (see setting suggestions
below).
A nother popular use of fi bre-reactive dyes is in silkscreen
printing, woodblock printing, or direct painting on fabric. For
these techniques, the dye must be thickened to the right
consistency. This results in a fibre-reactive dye paste which
maintains the brilliance of color of the dyes in liquid form, yet
applies like paint. The resultant "hand" or feel of the fabric is
unchanged by this method, which is a bonus since most
pigments, including some textile paints, affect the hand of the
fabric in some way.
In order to thicken the fibre-reactive dye for painting or
screening, you will need some sodium alginate. This can be
obtained inexpensively from most dye supply houses, It is not
as complicated or as deadly as it sounds, for it is derived from
seaweed. To make thickener, simply sprinkle 1 to 4 teaspoons of sodium alginate over the 1 quart of chemical water.
Shake well for about ten minutes or beat with an electric
mixer. This mixture can be kept refrigerated and covered for
a few months without deteriorating.
When ready to mix dye, paste out the dye powder with a
small amount of hot water. For one cup of thickened chemical
water, use 1 teaspoon of baking soda and 1f4 teaspoon washing soda. Add the thickener and the proportionate amount of
sodas. (Sodas should be pasted out before adding.) For small
amounts, I have found that an egg carton is very useful-a
small amount of dye powder and sodas in each section with
enough thickened chemical water added allows for six different colors plus mixing space in between.
Let the fabric air-dry for 24 hours after painting and then
heat-set using one of the methods described below.

Heat/Steam Setting
Fabrics dyed in the dip dyebath method do not require
additional steam setting. However, if the dye has been
painted or sprayed on the fabric in thin or thickened solution,
steam setting is necessary to insure permanence of color.
This can be accomplished in a variety of ways. Most costume
shops do not have access to a steam cabinet or an autoclave,
thus more improvisational steam cabinets are frequently desired. Small amounts of fabric can be steamed in a kettle on
the stove. Put a small amount of water in the bottom of the
kettle and support the fabric on a rack above the water.
Fabric should be rolled in newsprint to prevent colors from
running into each other. Felt and/or newspapers between the
lid and the container prevent drips of moisture from spotting
the fabric. Steam fifteen to twenty-five minutes, depending
upon the weight of the fabric.
Dona Meilach suggests that one can steam bake in the
oven, placing the wrapped fabric on an oven shelf and a pan
of water underneath. This is a little trickier, however, due to
the danger of burning the fabric. Bake/steam at 285 degrees
Fahrenheit for 15-30 minutes depending upon the size of the
fabric.
Another improvisational steam cabinet is a galvanized
trash can with holes punctured near the bottom all the way
around. Create a hook attachment in the bottom of the can

and turn upside down. Place the hose from your millinery
steamer under the edge of the trash can and allow the steam
to flow through the trash can and come out the holes in the
top. This is not an ideal method, by any means, but is primitively effective.
If you have access to a sauna, this is a most effective
method of setting the fabric-leave fabric in for approximately half an hour.
Setting up any kind of steam cabinet seems like a nuisance
and for costumers short of time, this method seems, perhaps,
too time-consuming. Once you have set up your steaming
device, however, it can remain set up for all future steaming
work. Painting on fabrics with many other types of dyes requires steaming for setting. It is well worth the effort to take
the time to set up a steamer, however primitive, so that it is
there when you need it.

Suppliers of Fibre-Reactive Dyes
T here are many sources of supply for these dyes. A few of
these are:
I.C.1. Organics, Inc.
55 Canal SI.
Providence, Rhode Island 02901
Dharma Trading Co.
P.O. Box 916
San Rafael, Ca. 94902

(dyes, sodium alginate, urea,
fabrics)

Pro Chemical and Dye Co.
P.O. Box 1192
Fairfield, Conn. 06432

(dyes)

Febdec
3553 Old Post Rd.
San Angelo, Texas 76901

(dyes)

Fibrec
1154 Howard SI.
San Francisco, Ca. 94103

(dyes)

D.Y.E.
Textile Resources
3763 Durango Ave.
Los Angeles, Ca. 90034

(dyes, sodium alginate, urea,
fabrics)

Pylam Products Co., Inc.
95-10 218th SI.
Queen's Village
New York, New York 11429
Cerulean Blue, Ltd.
P.O. Box 5126
1314 N.E. 43rd SI.
Seattle, Washington 98105

(dyes)

(dyes, sodium alginate, urea,
fabrics)

Keystone Ingham
13844 Struikman Rd.
Cerritos, Ca 90701

Bear in mind that fibre-reactive dyes are intended for use
on cotton, linen, and viscose rayon. They also work well on
silks, although the resultant color is not quite as brilliant as on
the cellulosic fibres. Particularly effective results can be
achieved on rayon velvets, cotton velveteens, rayon satins,
etc. The brilliance of color and its permanence on these fibres
make it an attractive addition to the theatre dyeshop. Its ease
in transforming into a dye paste for painting or silkscreening
is a further advantage. It must be remembered, however, that
there is no "wonder" dye. Use this dye for what it is intended
to do and you will find exciting possibilities for theatre costume.~

Deborah Dryden is currently assistant professor and resident costume designer at the University of California in San Diego. She has designed
costumes for the Milwaukee Repertory Theatre, the Colorado Shakespeare Festival, the Penn State Festival of American Theatre, and most
recently, the Minnesota Opera Company.

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