Batik Process of Dyeing

Hundreds of years ago in the Far East, or the Indonesian island of Java to be specific, workers of textiles painted and dyed with results that to-day are still an inspiration in design, color, and workmanship. The history of how they did their work and some of the simple tools have passed down the years to us with the stuffs, so that the craftsman to-day can do the same kind of thing in his home that those craftsmen of long ago did in theirs/

The modern chemist has smoothed the way by shortening the dyeing process from days and weeks to minutes and hours. He has made synthetically the same dyes that years ago were brewed so long and patiently from vegetables. Not only is the dyeing process quicker now, but results are surer and, for the trained person, entirely under control of the worker. To achieve the same soft colors that the ancient dyer got becomes a challenge to the skill and nice color sense of the modern dyer. The former worker got them in great part, not through his volition, but owing to impurities that were naturally in the vegetable source of his dyes.

Among the dyers of old times were the Javanese, who did a kind of patterned dyeing which the Dutch explorers of their island later introduced into Europe by the Javanese name batik, a term meaning painting in wax. And that is what part of the process really is. The pattern is drawn on the fabric with molten wax, and after it hardens the cloth is dipped to dye it a darker color. The wax is then boiled out, leaving a light pattern on a dark ground. The process does not, however, limit the textile to two tone effects only. A skilled worker can dye and re-dye any number of colors on the fabric, always waxing the part that must remain untouched by the next bath. The process is also known as resist dyeing, because the wax resists the penetrating power of the dye.

A mixture of beeswax and paraffin, marketed under the name of impure beeswax, adheres to cloth better than pure wax does; or resin melted with the wax will also prevent its flaking. A piece the size of a walnut with each half-pound of wax is about the proportion to use. There are various ways of applying the pattern in molten wax to the cloth. And the choice of these depends largely on the weight of the fabric and the size or detail of the pattern.

Large simple masses like those in batik patterned work can be outlined on the material in pencil and then waxed in with a brush. One unit of the design for this textile was cut out of stiff paper and used as a pattern to trace around. By shifting the pattern down a space the design could be easily repeated. Of course, the spacing of the entire piece was carefully planned before any outlining at all was done. The material is a heavy quality of unbleached muslin, an inexpensive material that can be utilized with good effect in house-furnishing. Blue and white batik-patterned bedspreads made of heavy muslin have charm and individuality. It also makes most satisfactory over curtains for the bungalow or country house that can be tubbed every week if necessary. Washing seems to improve the texture of muslin sheeting. If a very heavy quality is used the curtains may be drawn together at night, dispensing with the roller that is ugly even at its best. A couch-cover of this same useful material with gaily dyed cushions might be a way of introducing a color note into a dull room.

But to continue with batik-work - another way in which wax and pattern can be applied to the material is to brush the wax into the cloth through a stencil. This should be cut from the heaviest stencil paper and then varnished after cutting; or better still, but hard to make, a stencil of thinnest sheet metal. With either kind of stencil care must be taken not to wax beyond the pattern on to the frame, otherwise a ragged edge is left along the waxed pattern on the cloth when the stencil is lifted. If the stencil is delicate or of thin paper, a safer way is to trace around it with pencil and then wax within the traced outline. A brush with rather stiff bristles not more than one-quarter of an inch long gets the wax into the fiber better than the usual stencil-brush.

Either of these methods of patterning the wax works well with large, massed designs and thick fabrics. But for delicate patterns or small details a little wax pipe similar to those used by the Javanese, called a tjantings, must be used. It consists of a tiny cup, about the size of half an egg-shell, with, a short-tubed spout containing a capillary opening from which the melted wax can be poured in a fine stream. The cup is fastened to a short handle so that it can be comfortably manipulated when the design is traced on the cloth with the melted wax as it flows from the spout.

The wax must be kept at just the right temperature. If it is too hot it will spread beyond the pattern, and if too cool it will not penetrate the fiber through to the under side. And it is most important that, it does penetrate, else the wax may flake off in the dyeing or the pattern will be blurred on one side. Some fabrics require the wax hotter than others, so a good plan is to have a piece of the same material that is to be decorated as a sample on which to try out the wax. A small alcohol-stove or a can of "solid alcohol" is a convenient way to heat the wax, because it can be moved so near the place of application, saving both heat and time. A large table or board covered with blotting-paper, and thumb - tacks to keep the material stretched smooth while waxing, complete the list of necessary tools.

Now about dyeing the waxed material. In the first place, it must be entirely freed from its sizing or starch, or the dye will not take evenly. The easiest way to get out all the dressing is to boil the goods in soapy water. If it cannot bear such severe treatment, soaking in hot suds and then squeezing the fabric under water will remove the dressing. This must be done before putting on the pattern, or the wax would be boiled out. And for the same reason it is necessary to dye the waxed textile in a cold or lukewarm bath. There are several makes of dyes on the market that can be used cold. Those that claim to be fast to washing do wash fairly well if the directions are carefully followed when the fabric is dyed and if the laundering is done quickly. For furnishing stuffs that receive hard service and must get equally hard tubbings, the sulphur dyes, a comparatively new class, are the best. They are fast to light as well as water, and their naturally soft tones make them particularly suitable for dyeing house-furnishing textiles. - These sulphur dyes are retailed in large or small quantities by the importers, but usually without directions for their use. From a quarter to a half pound each of red, blue, and yellow will be sufficient stock for the home dyer to begin with. The different colors in these dyes cannot be mixed with the same success as the red, blues, and yellows of the acid and direct salt dyes already mentioned. The result is apt to be muddy. But they are naturally grayed and soft in tone, so really require no further treatment.

Dissolve the dye powder in hot water. The amount to use can be determined only by experimenting with scraps of material. This applies to any kind of dye. Most of the commercial package dyes state on the package the quantity of material that the enclosed amount will color; but it is always economical as well as safe to begin with a weak bath, adding more dye if necessary after testing with the scraps. And often a better piece of work results from two or three dippings in a weak bath, allowing the stuff to dry after each immersion, rather than dipping once in a heavy dye. In the former case the dye has a chance to penetrate the fiber thoroughly without fear of the color becoming too dark, and the result will not only be more even, but also more permanent. The quantity of hot water need be just enough to dissolve the dye easily, about a quart for two tablespoonfuls of the powder. To the hot water add also twice as much sodium sulphide (crystals) as dye powder. While these are dissolving prepare the lukewarm water for the dye bath. There should be enough to cover the goods, and the containing vessel must be large, so that the material will not be crowded or lie in packed folds while dyeing. Add to the water twice as much washing-soda as the amount of dye powder that was used, and when it has dissolved pour the quart of dye solution into the bath. Stir it well. Be sure the dye bath is thoroughly mixed, and then immerse the previously wetted material. When using any dyes the material must always be completely saturated with water before dipping it. Stir and turn the goods constantly while it is in the bath, and avoid having any of it stay above the surface. Part of the dyeing process, when using sulphur dyes, takes place after the goods have been removed from the bath and come in contact with the air. It is then that the color oxidizes and "sets." But this must not happen to any part of it while the goods are still in the bath, or dyeing may be uneven.

When the desired shade is obtained (the color is always much darker as the stuff comes from the bath than it will finally be, so allowance must be made), quickly wring out all the liquid possible, shake it, and allow it to hang in the air for half an hour. Then boil it in a weak solution of some mild soap until all the excess color has' been removed. To make the weak soap solution shave a small cake of soap into a quart of hot water and allow it to boil slowly until the soap is dissolved. Then pour it into about three gallons of water for the after-boiling. If more water is needed increase the quantity of soap proportionately. The wax will also boil out, but it may be necessary to change the water several times as the wax is discharged. The used wax can be collected again by saving the water of the after-boiling, allowing it to cool, and straining off the wax that collects on top.

When dyeing silk with sulphur dyes, the fiber can be protected against the alkaline in the bath if some glucose or syrup is added to the liquid, about one cup of syrup to a gallon of water that contains one tablespoonful of washing-soda in solution. Alkalines are apt to impair animal fiber and make them tender.

Wool does not dye well in a cold bath because the oil in it will not allow the dye to penetrate its fibers thoroughly except when hot. However, the majority of textiles that one wishes to dye in batik are cotton, linen, or silk, or a mixture of two of these.