How to Dye With Dignity!

[tamarakay]

Copied from How to Start a Theme Camp, going to go ahead and stick my neck out there a little further:

Maybe it's second year megolamania or whatever, but Kendoll and I are thinking of having a scarf painting/design/create your own kind of little camp. Most likely, if Doc let's us, as part of the Barbie Death Village, or if that doesn't work out, our own little place. Either way, if we had a few more people to bounce ideas around with and help create it would be just grand.

It's a two part idea. First, have several different shapes, sizes, types of material and some fabric dyes and fabric paints. I'm particularly liking how silk takes the diluted fabric dyes. We are thinking a monkey hut, tarp the heck out of the ground, we can hang fabrics from clotheslines and have some work tables available. Have it open during the day, maybe like 1 - 5? So it would be a place to stay cool during the heat of the day, have some creative fun, and at the end of it have a nice scarf (dust mask) that you designed as a keepsake. If anyone is familiar with kids painting supplies, you know the little cups that have lids you can poke the paintbrushes through? Those seem to work really well with the dye, keeps it more contained, not as much spillage.

Second part is to have a juice/lemonaid/tea bar along with it. Cool drinks for sure, we were thinking of maybe doing quesidillas but don't really want to mess with the whole health inspection thing, maybe 2013 can add that. Trying to keep it simple, but still interesting and fun for our first year to plan a little place.

If you are interested in being a part of this plan in its hatching stages, PM me. Even if you aren't interested in being a part of it, I welcome your input here and via PM!

[tamarakay]

I like figjam's idea of camp flags too.

[jkisha]

Great idea. You might also want to schedule a class or two in how to tie dye.
Serving cold drinks also good.
Quessadillas are easy to cook and serve too, and the health department is not to be feared.

[graidawg]

It is barbie death village, doc seems to be pretty cool about the whole camp within a camp thing, me and mydearfriend are bouncing ideas around at the moment but doc has given us the go ahead.
it is defiantely second year megalomania as well thats why we are doing it!
i wiuld love a died scarf i made myself as schwag

[DanusLight]

You and Kendoll have a fantastic idea!! I Like It!

ooooh, so many pretty colors to choose from! this is gonna be fun

[tamarakay]

Welcome aboard Danuslight! Delighted to have you and your hubby along for the journey.

[DanusLight]

okay, another tote labled - scarf fabric I'm gonna need more totes ...... off to update "to buy" list

[tattoogoddess]

It is barbie death village, doc seems to be pretty cool about the whole camp within a camp thing, me and mydearfriend are bouncing ideas around at the moment but doc has given us the go ahead.
it is defiantely second year megalomania as well thats why we are doing it!
i wiuld love a died scarf i made myself as schwag

ARRRRRRR!!!


I plan on bringing a flag with this year:)

[theCryptofishist]

I plan on bringing a flag with this year:)

I had mini (3 x 5) terminal city flags made one year.

[tamarakay]

I'm not really thinking along the lines of tie die. The experience I want to provide is more like the one I had this year painting boobies. I'm not an artist, i've never painted anything except walls in my house. So when I was painting on bodies and felt the flow of the paint and they way you could blend colors and see beauty emerge from the stroke of the brush, my brain immediately started thinking about How can I share this experience? What is a way to share with others like me this joy of creating? But something they can take with them, to hold onto it and perhaps wear in their other lives as a reminder. Something beyond paint on paper. Paper would easily become moop, would get crushed on a bike or in a backpack. So the idea of hanging fabrics and the brush strokes started emerging. Then the fabric pens that some of you used to sign MyDearFriend and JKisha's spreadsheet at the m&g could be provided too for those who want a more controlled paint. The dyes should dry quickly on the Playa, and the pens we used for the spreadsheet dried immediately. The scarves could be worn almost immediately and being tossed into a bag or bike basket wouldn't destroy them.

The little cups with the lids would help reduce the amount of dripping and spillage. But i'd have a couple of buckets with lids for putting any "soiled" dye or water into. That way I could just haul them off. paper cups with lids would work too. You know the kinds that environmentally friendly companies give you that actually burn your hands with the coffee? Dump the leftover dye into the bucket, put the paper stuff in my burn bag.

Batik might work, but from what i remember from waaaayyyyy back in junior high art class you need to be able to iron out the extra wax when done? I might need to read up on this one though, this could provide some of that magic i'm looking for. Thank you for the idea! thinking thinking lol

Oh dear the I can't sleep tonight ramblings have begun.

[Shambala]

Tamarama, you could call your camp, "How to Dye With Dignity"!

Shaaawingggg!

[theCryptofishist]

Doing one simple thing, especially your first time out, is a good idea for playa projects.
I'd give your ideas a test run--you may not like painting on silk. There are kits that should give you some chance.
Yes, you have to melt out the wax. One assumes that the indonesians did it without electric irons, but I don't know how.

[tamarakay]

Doing one simple thing, especially your first time out, is a good idea for playa projects.
I'd give your ideas a test run--you may not like painting on silk. There are kits that should give you some chance.
Yes, you have to melt out the wax. One assumes that the indonesians did it without electric irons, but I don't know how.

I found some stuff that is used with kids for batik, you just squeeze it on with an applicator, not too expensive and would be kinda fun to play with. Might be nice just to have as an option for people.

Yes painting on the silk is a bit tricky, i'm going to get some just plain cotton, some muslin, and some polysomething to experiment with too. The silks sure are beautiful though once you get the hang of it. There's also some "fixit" stuff you can add to the dye to help set it in the fabric. Not expensive either, so that would help our creators keep their art for longer.

[MyDearFriend]

This is a great idea Tamara!

I think you can get bandana-sized silk squares for about $2 each at Dharma Trading Co, wet silk will bleed the dye quickly so a few strokes with the brush might be all you need for a really interesting result. Then it's chill time with a cool drink while it dries...

GREAT idea, in fact!!!

[Shambala]

Let me offer up an idea that would no doubt give me big royalties if this were a business.

You can get a small screen printer and screen images of the Man onto people's various clothing and fabrics. Then they can decorate the fabric with any type of ink or dye to finish their artwork on their clothing. Some people might just want the screen printed image and others might want to go wild.

[delle]

Tamarama, you could call your camp, "How to Dye With Dignity"!

Shaaawingggg!

You crack me up, Sham!


I love this idea. You'd have to pre-sew the material tho, so the edges don't moop out, which means having to predetermine your model(s). And it being such a very GOOD idea, you'd need a shit-ton of it.

Still, I figure it'd cost less than an airstream. (ok, kick me now!)

[Savannah]

Tamarama, you could call your camp, "How to Dye With Dignity"!

Shaaawingggg!

Oh, my God.

(It even goes with the lounging and cold drinks.)

[tamarakay]

Tamarama, you could call your camp, "How to Dye With Dignity"!

Shaaawingggg!

Oh, my God.

(It even goes with the lounging and cold drinks.)

I know, I LOVE IT lol

I do believe we now have a camp name!

[tamarakay]

Tamarama, you could call your camp, "How to Dye With Dignity"!

Shaaawingggg!

You crack me up, Sham!


I love this idea. You'd have to pre-sew the material tho, so the edges don't moop out, which means having to predetermine your model(s). And it being such a very GOOD idea, you'd need a shit-ton of it.

Still, I figure it'd cost less than an airstream. (ok, kick me now!)

No kicking, cause i know i paid pennies compared to what i've already been offered for my airstream.

I have a surger so if I just get fabric I figured I could just surge around the edges. But the time spent on that might be worth just buying the blanks from Dharma Trading. Have to look at budget etc.

The more I look into this idea the more i'm just loving it

[DanusLight]

I have a serger as well! It would take no time to finish off edges. No time at all!

I'm thinking a lightweight gauze might work well.

I will plan a test run of different fabrics and paints this coming weekend! And we can compare notes!!

[Shambala]

So, I gave Kendoll his playa name, you now have a camp name, and if you just adopt Tama-rama (Tamarama), then I got 3 for 3! Take a close look at the screen printing idea I posted above. People will chase you down just for an imprint. All the extra decorating will be a huge bonus! (I found a screen printer set-up online for under $200, but if you search, you can do much better)

By the way, the theme "How to Dye With Dignity", goes along with Barbie Death Camp!

[trilobyte]

Thread title update activated!

You could probably also make your own screen printing rig DIY style for cheap, too. You can get the hinge clamps pretty cheap, mount them to a board or specialized table and then just add screens.

[delle]

By the way, the theme "How to Dye With Dignity", goes along with Barbie Death Camp!

It so does too! Totally up the same alley


Much moreso than, say, "Dye Another Dei" --- which I think gives the man just a tad too much elevation, now that I think about it.

[Shambala]

Maybe they can bring some nice comfy sofas in and call the camp, "Curl Up and Dye"!

[Drawingablank]

The screen printing idea is good, but may be difficult without a flash dryer - why not simplify and just use linoleum block printing?

[Eric]

The screen printing idea is good, but may be difficult without a flash dryer - why not simplify and just use linoleum block printing?

Very good point- there is a lot of clean up with screen-printing, and unless you're using a slow drying oil based ink, you have limited time to do it without possibly ruining your screen.

Some pre-made linoleum (or rubber, which are easier to carve) blocks would be much easier.

[tamarakay]

Maybe they can bring some nice comfy sofas in and call the camp, "Curl Up and Dye"!

The thing with this is hauling from Texas could be a bit rough. We'd need to find someone closer willing to bring one, or look into those snap together out of plywood plans and cushions.

Curl up and Dye is good too, but for now we are sticking with Dye with Dignity since Trilobyte is so awesome and can change titles and things Thanks again Tril.

Ken has always wanted a screen print thing to play with, but I like the linoleum-block idea. Exploring exploring, research research...

DanusLight, I love your enthusiasm!

[trilobyte]

True, screen printing could be a challenge (though there are a couple camps who've done it in the past). Water-based acryllic would be the least messy, but you've got a limited amount of time to be able to rinse things out before the stuff sets.

Of course, you can also play around with different ideas, and maybe end up doing a combination of things out there.

[Drawingablank]

One of my camp interaction ideas for 2011 (which never got completed) was to carve up a bunch of lino blocks and let folks bring in tees or whatever they want to stamp on with them.

I was hoping to work out some type of textile inks in stamp pads rather than block printing ink and a brayer since it would be much easier clean up and less moop potential.

I got as far as cutting a couple blocks, but then ran out of time and ambition to follow up and experiment with the stamp pad idea - but feel free to use that suggestion.

The nice thing about something like this is how compact you could pack it. Something the size of 2 standard shoeboxes could hold lots of blocks and stamp pads.

I just called my son who owns a screen printing business (and is a burner) - he just laughed at me when I asked about the possibility of bringing supplies and doing some silk screening on the Playa. To quote him - "Sure it could be done, but is it even remotely worth the hassles involved with mess, cleanup, disposal of stuff after cleanup, ruined screens, and so on?"

[Shambala]

I just called my son who owns a screen printing business (and is a burner) - he just laughed at me when I asked about the possibility of bringing supplies and doing some silk screening on the Playa. To quote him - "Sure it could be done, but is it even remotely worth the hassles involved with mess, cleanup, disposal of stuff after cleanup, ruined screens, and so on?"

Your son is not a burner, is he? All we have to do is hear something like that, and we get it done. I just love a good challenge!