Sun Dyed Paper Cut Pocket Square.

Creating a Cyanotype on fabric using a paper cut stencil.

Basics:

• Potassium Ferricyanide (Part A)
• Ferric Ammonium Citrate (Part B)
• Paper
• Craft knife & Cutting board / Cricut machine
• White fabric
• Brush or sponge
• A clear sunny day
• A dark space
• Clear glass or plastic sheet, big enough to cover the fabric
• A board or canvas large enough to support the fabric

Start by preparing your fabric. Mixing equal quantities of part A and B together. A little goes a long way.

Using a brush or a sponge, coat the fabric with the mix and then leave in a dark place to dry. It is crucial that no sun (UV light) reaches it.

Prepare your stencil. Remember, any area that the stencil covers won't turn blue. You are essentially creating a photo negative to develop.

Paper cut with Cricut:

I wanted to make a botanic print so I photographed some fig leaves and brought them into Adobe Illustrator and traced them. I was inspired by the mirrored designs of Hermes scarves. I saved the design as an SVG file and brought it into Cricut. I divided the stencil to fit my paper size. The Cricut machine cut out the stencil and I glued it together, making sure to cover any connecting areas. If you want to create an exact replica, I have attached the SVG file I used. Scale it to fit your card stock or fabric size.

Paper cut with craft knife and cutting mat.

Draw your design on the paper with a pencil and cut out the design with carefully with a craft knife.

Check the weather. You will need 5 minutes of clear sunny skies with direct sunlight.

Prepare your materials. Make sure you have the backing boards, clear plastic or glass sheet and stencil prepared. Make a plan for how you will rinse off the unactivated solution. A large bottle or jug of water with a deep bowl will work but a clean sink and tap will work better.

Lay out the backing board.

Bring out the dried fabric and lay it out over the board.

Working quickly place the stencil over the fabric and secure in place with the plastic sheet.

Keep the board flat and take the assembly outside. Place in a sunny spot in direct sunlight. Ensure that there are no shadows falling across the surface. The transformation process is wondrous to see, but do make sure you're standing on the right side of the sun, so as not to cast shade on the piece.

Set a timer for 5 minutes, the vivid green/yellow will turn dark grey.

Take inside to wash.

keep pressure on the stencil so it does not slip when you move it inside. It is better to wash this inside rather than outside as you want to ensure that no more sunlight reaches the design when the stencil is removed.

Rinse the fabric well. You can be rough with it, you want to wash out all the unactivated solution. Leaving any behind will cause it to go blotchy. Change the water if you're washing in a bowl. It may look a little light after you first remove it from the water. You will find that the fabric will go darker as it dries. This is the reaction of the solution with the oxygen in the air.

Leave to air dry. This project is complete.

Cyanotpye is pretty hardy. Fabrics can be washed and will keep this brilliant colour.

Further Exploration

A photograph with high contrast that has been converted to black and white and inverted and printed on to tracing paper can be used to add photographs to your designs. alternatively dried pressed flowers or plants look amazing. Experiment as it is a brilliant craft as seen in these images.