INDEX Page 1 Marbling Supplies Making Making Size -Carrageenan -Methyl Cellulose -Alkaline Water -PH and Water -Water Quality Page 2 Fabric Choice & Preparation Textile Preservation Marbling Paints Mixing Paints Marbling Tools Page 3 Do It! Page 4 Resources

Janet Wickell's Hand Marbling For Quilters Page 2 Fabric Choice & Preparation In general, fabrics containing natural fibers will provide the best results. Cottons and silks are good choices. Anything you plan to marble must first be treated with a mordant - a paint/dye fixative. For marbling, we use crystalline alum, available from many supply houses. Mordant makes it possible for paints to adhere to the surface of your cloth. Without it, most of the paint would wash off during the rinsing process. Textile Preservation -- Alum is Caustic Most quilters are concerned about the life-span of fabrics used in their quilts. Alum is an acidic, corrosive product which will cause cloth to rot if allowed to remain in the fibers. It is extremely important to marble your fabric within one week of its alum treatment, sooner if possible. I try to use fabric within one day of its alum treatment. After your marbled pieces are heat-set, be sure to wash them thoroughly to remove all traces of alum. Steps for Using Alum (Wear Gloves) 1. Mix 3 Tablespoons of alum per quart of hot water (alum is usually difficult to dissolve in cold water). 2. Stir thoroughly to dissolve and allow to cool. 3. Place pre-washed cotton cloth in alum solution. Squeeze through fabric to make sure all cloth is wet and allow to soak for approximately 6-7 minutes. Many books recommend you let fabric soak for 30 minutes, but that length of time is not really necessary for quilting cottons or silk. In general, the heavier/coarser your fabric - the longer you should soak it. Try 5 or 6 minutes for most quilting cottons. 4. Squeeze/wring fabric pieces to remove as much alum as possible. Line dry or place in dryer. If you line dry, make sure fabrics do not fold back onto themselves as it can cause an unevenly mordanted surface. Silks must be air dried, do not place in the dryer. 5. Iron pieces and cut to proper size for your tray. More Considerations for Textile Preservation When you've rinsed your pieces, but before they are washed, remember that there are still traces of alum in them. When you heat set by iron, part of the alum will transfer to the ironing board cover. If allowed to remain, the cover will eventually rot, but more importantly, if not washed out, traces of alum could be transferred to other fabrics ironed on the same board. Wash the cover after each marbling session. I like to use a heavy piece of fabric on top of the ironing board cover, to help absorb some of the alum, and to shield the cover from unset paints that might rub off during the setting process. Another alternative is to have an extra cover that is reserved only for marbling chores. Marbling Paints There are many acrylic paints available specifically for fabric marbling. A few brands are Deka, Jacquard, Setacolor, Createx and the series developed by ProChem. Although they are more expensive, the absolute best paints I've found are Golden Artist Colors. They are easy to float, so easy for a beginner to use. The colors are vivid, but realistic. When you marble with metallic paints, the flakes generally sink into the size during the combing process, so do not make contact with the fabric. If you would like for your fabric to have a sparkled look you might consider spraying or sponging on an iridescent paint after the piece is marbled. Mixing Paints Paints must be thinned to the consistency of light cream. Use distilled water to make longer-lasting solutions. Pour the paint directly into a cup or spout tipped bottle and add an equal amount of water. This dilution is usually a good starting point. Place a drop of paint onto the surface of your prepared size. Does it spread into a circle, or does it sink? If it sinks, add water to the paint (a little at a time) and re-test until the paint spreads when dropped onto the size. Test each color in the same way, alone at first, and then together. You'll notice that consistency within the same brand of paint will probably vary by color. Some will need more dilution than others, perhaps as much as 3 parts water to 1 part paint. Adding too much water will weaken the color, and will also cause the paint to spread into very large circles. This may or may not be the look you want. Opaque paints can be a bit temperamental, sometimes not spreading as readily as others. Below are a few notes that may be of help. --Small plastic cups are handy to dilute paints or mix custom colors. Pop an eye dropper or plastic pipette into each to bypass using a squeeze bottle. --Whisks are an alternative to eye droppers and bottles. Gather lengths of broom straw into 1" diameter bundles. Use rubber bands or heavy string to hold them together. These whisks can be dipped into the paint, then tapped to release droplets onto the size. Whisks are a great way to drop small amounts of paint onto the size. Marbling Tools -- Making Combs & Rakes Two basic marbling tools are a rake and a comb. Each can be constructed with a strip of balsa wood, segments of a yard stick, or other strips of wood. A rake generally has widely spaced teeth. A comb has teeth spaced closer together. To make a rake, cut one wood strip slightly shorter than the inside length of your tray, and draw a lengthwise line down its center. Drill or punch small holes at 2" intervals down the line. For teeth, insert a plastic curler pick or thin nail in each hole. If teeth are loose, secure using a glue gun or other type of waterproof glue. To make a comb, draw a lengthwise line down the center of the remaining wood strip. Mark 1/4" intervals along the line, and insert long, sturdy straight pins into the wood at each mark. Heavy T-headed pins work well. One-quarter inch is a commonly used spacing, but remember that teeth can be spaced at any interval you prefer. Consider too that thicker teeth will create a more predominant path through your size when paints are combed. Those of you who want to marble extensively will probably make a variety of combs and rakes in sizes to fit the length and width of your tray. Commercial combs are also available. For freehand designs, use a hair comb with wide teeth at one end and a sharp 'rat- tail' at the other. Knitting needles, an ice pick or other similar tools can also be used to create freehand forms. If you're working alone, you'll need to construct a set of "helping hands" to lower the fabric onto the size. Cut two dowel pins slightly shorter than the width of your fabric. Secure a straight pin at the ends of each with rubber bands or electrical tape. Pins should be positioned with their sharp tips extending just past the dowel ends, so you can attach the two comers of your fabric to each dowel.   Trays Plywood trays are easy to make if you are handy with a saw and hammer. Seal the tray with a few coats of clear or white acrylic. When completely dry, fill with water and allow to sit for a few days to leach out any impurities - and to make sure the tray is waterproof. The books mentioned in the source list at the end of this pamphlet contain tray-making instructions. Check discount houses and supermarkets for ready-made trays. The trays used to develop large photographs are great. Seedling trays, storage bins, dishwashing tubs - any fairly shallow container will work. If you decide to marble extensively, professional trays and combs are available from Colophon Book Arts in Seattle. ©1996, 1999, Janet Wickell  Page 1 -> 2 -> 3 -> 4 scrapquilts.com Home e-mail Janet Wickell site updated 5/5/00