Looking for information on dyeing a portion of the center of a silk so that when a knot is tied in the center, the knot will be a different color. Any ideas would be appreciated.

Search on the Internet for Tie Dying silks. Check out this form as well for dying silk.

You can contact Richard Hughes for a professional job, or go to your local hobby store and buy the markers for cloth material.

I am assuming from your comments you only want a dot in the center. If you mean a strip across the diagonal corners to tie a know using 2 ends to form a knot in the center, then the markers would be the simplest method.

As I try to interpret what you are trying to say, it gets more complicated. Much of this also depends on the color silks you are wanting to use. Remember, mixing colors creates new colors.

Well, I give up, because it is too difficult to know what you are asking, as this incomplete question has too many questions to answer properly.

Thanks for the information. Cloth markers may do the trick. I want to have a knot tied in the middle of the silk that is a different color than the rest of the silk. I believe that a strip running across the corners may work.

There are different ways that can be accomplished. If you twirl the silk 1st, then 2 corners only need be colored, but if you do not twirl the silk, then the whole middle strip may have to be colored.

I think you should experiment with the knotting before coloring the silk, understanding the properties of how the silk will knot will be of major concern.

If you want a crisp line around the opposing color, you will have to use a resist. If can use a less defined line, you may be able to tie it and do it like a tie dye. You will get a blending of the two colors and have to be careful of the dye spreading too fast.

Richard

Jacquard brand fabric paint is ideal for this. It is an intense color and doesn't 'bleed' much, and can be 'set' with a iron.

Marking off the area to be colored can be done with resist or as I have done...with masking tape only.

Paint it on using a brush and the color will saturate well. Avoid using too much of the paint, let the brush do the work.

Jacquard brand fabric paints are designed to not stiffen the fabric and allow for an even color , which is probably better than markers.

Regards
JNeal

Tony, I don't know what color you need, or how large the color spot will need to be so this may not work, but here goes: I needed to color in some white areas in one of my printed silks. I tested Sharpie markers, and another brand of permanent marker on an old silk. They 'bled' badly and I was afraid to use them on the silk. I decided to try a highlight marker, and it worked better for me. It did not 'bleed' as profoundly, and I could easily keep it within the outlines that were already printed on the silk. The color is even and rich, and it has held up nicely for 4-5 years now. I do not remember the brand of highlight marker I used. It was a yellow one, so I can't say if other colors or brands of highlighter will react the same way on silk, but if you can find a suitable color for your project it may be worth a try.

Regan