How To Steam Fix Silk Dyes Properly

There are many sites on the web with tips and advice on how to steam hand painted silk pieces and there seems to be a lot of confusion as to what exactly is involved. This article will walk you through the process of how to steam set silk dyes correctly so you don’t ruin your work.

When you’ve taken the time to create a beautiful piece of art, the last thing you want to do is spoil it by experimenting with methods to permanently set dyes on silk. And let’s be honest, there are plenty of people offering tips and tricks with methods that just aren’t trustworthy enough.

I don’t know about you, but I prefer not to play Russian roulette every time I want to fix my work. I need to know that the hold will be clean, reliable and will produce great results, without having to worry about water droplets or discoloration.

The first thing to pay attention to when steaming is that there are no grains of salt stuck to the fabric and that any colored gutta you have used has been ironed on from the back. I also recommend that you take care not to steam silk that is crushed or full of creases, as these can steam soak into the fabric and are difficult to remove.

You will need some paper, ideally unprinted newspaper, to spread and lay the silk. This will absorb any tints that fade from the artwork during the steaming process. If you are going to use newsprint, make sure it is at least 6 weeks old, otherwise the print is likely to score on your silk. Definitely not my first choice. There are companies that sell ideal paper for this online, so take a look and see what you can find. Then one end of the paper is attached to a metal post with tape. Start laying the pieces of silk on the paper about two feet away from the post, taking care that they are not too close to the edge or touch each other. Keep them all at least a couple inches apart.

Then, starting with the stick in your hands, slowly roll the paper and silk together, forming a long sausage. At the other end, roll another two spans of empty paper to protect the silk. Secure the roll with masking tape.

To ensure proper steam setting, this roll should be suspended in a steam bath for approximately 3 hours, depending on its thickness. Ideally, you would now hang it inside a professional silk steamer that would ensure your roll doesn’t touch the edges and is kept safe from water droplets. The device closes, turns on, and the thermostat adjusts. It will safely and correctly vaporize silk dyes and set them permanently.

If you don’t have access to a steam device, this is where things start to get tricky. You will have to roll up your artwork without the pole and make a package that will fit inside a steaming pot that can be placed on top of your pot. This is obviously a lot of improvisation, as any large piece of work must be bent, potentially creating wrinkles and creases. There is also the danger of water droplets getting inside the package, which will ruin your work. For this reason, I do not endorse home methods, but the choice is always up to you, the individual. I hear over and over from people who have a hard time wetting silk dyes on the countertop.

If you would like assistance in vaporizing your silk paintings professionally in a steam fixer, please take a look at my website and blog. I hope to hear from you.

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