There are many sites on the web with tips and advice on how to steam set pieces of silk that have been hand painted and there seems to be a lot of confusion as to exactly what this is. This article will walk you through the process of how to properly steam-set silk dyes 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 is for it to be ruined by experimenting with methods of permanently fixing dyes into silk. And let’s be honest, there are plenty of people offering tips and tricks with methods that just aren’t reliable 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 fixation will be clean, reliable and will produce great results, without having to worry about water droplets or discoloration.
The first thing to take into account when fixing with steam is that there are no grains of salt attached to the fabric and that any colored gutta that you have used has been fixed with an iron from the back. I also recommend that you be careful not to steam silk that is flattened or full of folds, as these can get into the fabric and are difficult to remove.
You will need paper, ideally unprinted newspaper, to spread out and lay the silk on. This will absorb any dyes that have bled out of the artwork during the steaming process. If you’re using newspaper, make sure it’s at least 6 weeks old, otherwise the print is likely to mark the 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 masking tape. Begin laying out your silk pieces on the paper about 2 feet away from the post, taking care that they are not too close to the edge or touching each other. Keep them all at least a couple of inches apart from each other.
Then, starting with the stick in your hands, slowly roll up the paper and silk, forming a long sausage. At the other end, roll another 2 spans of empty paper to protect the silk. Secure the roll with tape.
To ensure that your steam fixing is done correctly, this roll should be suspended in a steam bath for about 3 hours, depending on how thick it is. Ideally, you would now hang it inside a professional silk steamer which would ensure that your roll does not touch the edges and is kept safe from water droplets. The device is closed, turned on and the thermostat adjusted. It will safely and correctly vaporize your 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 need to roll up your artwork without the post and make a bundle that will fit inside a steaming pot that can be placed on top of your stove. This is obviously a lot of improvisation as any large piece of work needs to be folded, potentially creating creases and creases. There is also the danger of water droplets getting inside the package and ruining your work. For this reason, I don’t condone home methods, but the choice is always up to you, the individual. I hear over and over again from people who have a hard time steaming silk dyes onto the plate.
If you’d like help steaming your silk paintings professionally in a steam fixer, check out my website and blog. I hope to hear from you.