the burn test

Burn Test - CAUTION.

This should only be done by skilled burners! Make sure there is a bucket of water nearby and that you burn in a metal bucket or non-plastic sink.
To identify fabric that is unknown, a simple burn test can be done to determine if the fabric is a natural fiber, man made fiber, or a blend of natural and man made fibers. The burn test is used by many fabric stores and designers and takes practice to determine the exact fiber content. However, an inexperienced person can still determine the difference between many fibers to "narrow" the choices down to natural or man made fibers. This elimination process will give information necessary to decide the care of the fabric.

WARNING: All fibers will burn! Asbestos treated fibers are, for the most part fire proof. The burning test should be done with caution. Use a small piece of fabric only. Hold the fabric with tweezers, not your fingers. Burn over a metal dish with soda in the bottom or even water in the bottom of the dish. Some fabrics will ignite and melt. The result is burning drips which can adhere to fabric or skin and cause a serious burn.

Cotton is a plant fiber. When ignited it burns with a steady flame and smells like burning leaves. The ash left is easily crumbled. Small samples of burning cotton can be blown out as you would a candle.

Linen is also a plant fiber but different from cotton in that the individual plant fibers which make up the yarn are long where cotton fibers are short. Linen takes longer to ignite. The fabric closest to the ash is very brittle. Linen is easily extinguished by blowing on it as you would a candle.

Silk is a protein fiber and usually burns readily, not necessarily with a steady flame, and smells like burning hair. The ash is easily crumbled. Silk samples are not as easily extinguished as cotton or linen.

Wool is also a protein fiber but is harder to ignite than silk as the individual "hair" fibers are shorter than silk and the weave of the fabrics is generally looser than with silk. The flame is steady but more difficult to keep burning. The smell of burning wool is like burning hair.

Man Made Fibers
Acetate is made from cellulose (wood fibers), technically cellulose acetate. Acetate burns readily with a flickering flame that cannot be easily extinguished. The burning cellulose drips and leaves a hard ash. The smell is similar to burning wood chips.

Acrylic technically acrylonitrile is made from natural gas and petroleum. Acrylics burn readily due to the fiber content and the lofty, air filled pockets. A match or cigarette dropped on an acrylic blanket can ignite the fabric which will burn rapidly unless extinguished. The ash is hard. The smell is acrid or harsh.

Nylon is a polyamide made from petroleum. Nylon melts and then burns rapidly if the flame remains on the melted fiber. If you can keep the flame on the melting nylon, it smells like burning plastic.

Polyester is a polymer produced from coal, air, water, and petroleum products. Polyester melts and burns at the same time, the melting, burning ash can bond quickly to any surface it drips on including skin. The smoke from polyester is black with a sweetish smell. The extinguished ash is hard.

Rayon is a regenerated cellulose fiber which is almost pure cellulose. Rayon burns rapidly and leaves only a slight ash. The burning smell is close to burning leaves.
Blends consist of two or more fibers and, ideally, are supposed to take on the characteristics of each fiber in the blend. The burning test can be used but the fabric content will be an assumption.
     
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A dye can be typically described as a colored substance that has an affinity to the substance to which it is being applied. There are many synthetic dyes available now. Synthetic or organic dyes have quickly replaced the traditional natural dyes. This kind of dye cost less and they also offer a huge range of new colors. Dyes can be classified according to how they are used in the procedure of dyeing. Some of the classifications are as follows:

Acid dyes – It is a water soluble anionic dye which is usually applied to fibers such as wool, silk, nylon and modified acrylic fibers by using neutral to acid dye-baths.

Basic dyes – water soluble cationic dyes are mainly applied to acrylic fibers but rarely to wool and silk. Basic dyes are also used in the coloration of paper.

Substantive or direct dyeing – usually carried out in neutral or faintly alkaline dye-bath nearly at boiling point, with the addition of either sodium sulfate or sodium chloride. Direct dyes are used on paper, cotton, leather, silk, wool, and nylon.

Mordant dyes – require mordant to enhance the fastness of the dye against light, water, and perspiration.

kodatrace

Kodatrace is a special tracing paper made from frosted acetate film and used as part of the exposure process when putting imagery onto silk-screens.
Opaque marks made on the Kodatrace will print as the image.

All marks must be opaque to prevent the ultra-violet light from hitting the light sensitive emulsion applied to the surface of the screen. Where the emulsion remains soft it can be washed away leaving a stencil on the screen.

Opaque paint especially produced for working on kodatrace is called Photo-opaque or Arcapak. This is available in the print workshop.
You can also try:
• Rapidograph or pigment liner for fine lines. (Avoid permanent markers, these often don’t work)
• Chinagraph pencil (available in college shop)
• Torn or cut papers- black or red
• Gouache or acrylic paint- black or red
• Wax crayon and oil pastels- black
• Indian ink-black
• Anything opaque, be inventive! Pieces of lace, feathers etc etc!!
• You can also photocopy onto acetate to make a positive, although you may need to layer up to copies to get a dense enough mark. Use the black and white mode on the photocopier.
• You can print from your computer again using the black and white mode and print onto transparent film via a ink-jet printer.

The silk screen exposes best if there is a good contrast between the transparent background and an opaque image. Grey areas can give inconsistent results as there is no tone in silk screen printing (unless created through texture) either a mark is there or it is not!

preparing fabrics for dyeing and printing.

Preparing fabrics for dyeing and printing

Prior to dyeing or printing any natural or synthetic fabric, yarn or felt, it is important to ensure that it is fully prepared. There is an old dyers saying ‘well prepared is half dyed' which stresses the importance of preparation. Scouring is the name given to this process.

All fibres contain a combination of naturally occurring impurities and sizes, starches and oils which have been added during the spinning, weaving and knitting stages to bind the fibres together or to lubricate the yarns during processing

These natural and added processing aids, together with any general soiling, must be removed to ensure the fibre is clean and absorbent before commencing with printing or dyeing processes

You can check if a fabric has been scoured by allowing a droplet of water to fall onto the fabric surface. If it is quickly absorbed the there are not any water blocking agents present such as oils waxes and starches. If however the droplet remains on the surface then your fabric or yarn needs an efficient scouring.

Scouring

Remember to weigh you fabric before scouring, you will need to know the dry weight of your fabric later for calculating your dye recipe.

5Mls of METAPEX 38 Liquid (available in the dye kitchen and similar to a mild detergent like Woolite) in approx 2lts or water will be sufficient to scour 100grm of fabric, yarn or felt.

Using a large container or your CLEAN add hot water about 60 degrees. You will need thick heat protective gloves.

Add 5-10mls of Metapex and stir well before adding the fabric

Leave the fabric in the scouring liquor with occasional squeezing and stirring for 15-20 minutes

drain the scouring liquor and rinse in tepid water until the water is free from any foam

if the fabric is to be dyed immediately it need not be dried but if it is to be used for future use it should be dried, and ironed if it is to be used for printing

textiles in context.

context;
- content
- analysing/detail/explaining
- relationships and influences
- in what context?
- chronological context; the time in history
- what it involves
- linking artists/culture/work

- the set of circumstances or facts that surround a particular event, situation etc.
- conditions and circumstances that are relevant to an event, fact etc.
- putting together.

• notes on thoughts

• ideas to follow up

• link sections together

• say what you think

• develop a point of view

contextual research;
- brain storming
- visual/textual analysis
- uni library
- internet; wgsn.
- museums/galleries
- referencing
- presentation

visual analysis;
how does it compare with other similar work?
what are the influences?
say something about images you use.
why significant?
what does it say?
dissect work, engage ideas, reinforce ideas and generate personal ideas.

text analysis;
summary sentences
annotation
key points
interesting things
sticky notes
high lighters

note on how to write

summary;
main argument
summarise text - picking key points, gist of article
list, mind map

library;
internet
books
e books
e journals
magazines
audio/visual

internet;
reference properly
dont rely on wiki
watch out for repeated unreliable information
artist sites, galleries, online magazine and museums

museums and trips out;
speak to people/curators - gather opinions and views
booklets
photography
tour
drawings
note

organisation;
explain in your notes the direction you're raking
try and keep similar areas together
if not link seperated articles with page refs.

influence/companies/centuries
referencing; bibliography; author, date, title, place, make etc.