Discharging Color on Cotton Fabric

I just finished a two-day session of discharging color on several yards of fabric. I had in mind a three-day session, but alas a hornet sting I received while working outside applying the bleach mixture ended my session abruptly. The rest of the fabric will have to wait for another group of sunny days. 
When applying a 50% bleach/ 50% water solution I work outside guaranteeing good ventilation. I also wear a good ventilating mask. It's just too hard on the lungs to spray or paint bleach for several minutes, let alone hours without protection.

FIRST PROJECT / FIRST DAY
I prepared a 100% black cotton fabric, 90" x 3 yards, by ironing it and then folding the fabric accordion style and ironing in the folds. It's a little tricky with so much fabric.

Outside as I paint the edges of the black fabric, the color changes almost instantly. The longer the bleach sits on the fabric the lighter the color becomes. 

As I add more bleach solution, the colors begin to mingle with each other creating various shades of orange, orange/yellow and yellow/cream.

I begin to open the folds,  painting and dripping the bleach solution directly on the fabric.

As the bleach rolls over and into the folds patterns emerge.

The more beach the lighter the colors. The longer the bleach stays on the fabric, lighter the colors turn.

As I open the folds of the fabric, I continue to paint and drip the bleach solution.

When satisfied with the colors and design, I place the fabric in a neutralizing solution. 

I wash my fabric in the washing machine to remove the last of the bleach. The process softens the colors, though the fabric is a brighter orange than these photos show.

I create this type of fabric in the spring, summer and fall, but often wait until cold and rainy weather to sew the fabric into garments.


Discharging by spraying over lace, kitchen gadgets, keys, stencils and variety of found object...to be discussed in my next blog.