For those that haven't discharged before and think they might like to try it after all this talking about it, this is the process I use for discharged stampings. When I first started doing this technique, I used a bunch of 5" squares of Kona solids and as many stamping/marking thingies as I could find. Someday maybe I'll make a quilt out of them...good, bad, and ugly all together.
What you need:
- newspapers and a plastic dropcloth
- tub of clear water
- tub of stop bath, antichlor or the 1-to-8 peroxide mix mentioned above
- prewashed fabric, you want the fibers to be as receptive to bleach as possible so, for best results, strip it naked of all finishes before you start discharging
- stamps or mark makers of your choice
- bleach compound of your choice
Cover your work surface in plastic and a layer of newspapers. Prewash your fabric and spread it, wet or dry, on the newspapers. Wet fabric will spread out the bleach more, making a blurred, softer shape. Dry fabric has a crisper look. Try some of each to see what you like. Stamp your fabric with your mark maker.
After a few minutes, you'll see the shape of your stamp start to appear. No need to hover and inhale bleach fumes, but keep an eye on things from a respectful distance. It's hard to know when it's "done", but since the fabric is wet, the shapes will not be as distinct as they will be when it's washed and dried. In reality, it can take anywhere from less than a minute to more than five. It depends on the weather, the fabric, the age of the bleach compound you're using, the phase of the moon...you get the idea.
When they're developed as much as you want them, put the fabric into the tub of clear water to rinse out the bulk of the bleach. Don't scrunch it up or fold it as the bleach can migrate to unbleached parts. Kind of pump it up and down to rinse it out. If you are doing several pieces, you can leave this one in the water and add others until they are all ready for the stop bath.
When you're done with the discharging, move the rinsed fabrics to the stop bath. Plunge them up and down to really work the solution through the fibers. Let it all sit for five minutes or so, stirring occasionally. The stop bath solution should be thrown out when you're finished; the chemicals are exhausted.
When you're all done, wash the discharged fabrics in the washer with a mild detergent. Dry as usual and admire your awesome talent!
