Originally Posted by
MaggieBB
I would like to lighten the frabic I am using to make it have a swirly pattern,am thinking I can use a mild bleach and liquid soap solution to accomplish this. Has anyon on the board tried this ?
What you are describing is called 'discharge dyeing', and there is a wealth of information available on the web about it. There's also a lot here on QB as well, for example
http://www.quiltingboard.com/quiltin...ml#post5364728 . The posts before and after that one also talk about discharging.
I've never heard of bleach plus liquid soap, but that doesn't mean it wouldn't work. If you want to try something safer than bleach, either Jacquard discharge paste or deColourant would be good. The only problem with them is that you cannot tell what your results will be until after you rinse it out. With bleach, you can stop the action fairly close to where you want it. You might also want to try Soft Scrub with Bleach and paint it on in the swirl you want. It has a thicker consistency than just bleach and is easier to control.
The bleach-water ratio is 50-50, and vinegar is NOT the stop bath of choice by those of us who frequently use this technique. The 'art quilt' thread linked above will give you more details, as will a web search. Have fun...discharge dyeing is quite addictive!
