Watermarked silk experiments

[mmcnealy]

The outfit that I posted earlier that I want is made out of watermarked silk, not moire.
I have been talking to folks about how to make this, I have several feelers out for knowledge and will be making a trip to the library for a book search.

So far I have heard/read that its supposed to be made by getting silk wet with water and then putting it through rollers, that's supposed to create the pattern... However, the patterns don't look that they could be made that way AND I have no access to a set of heavy rollers to do this. It looks to me like a water stain pattern on a ceiling.

So, what leaves spots, permenant stains on silk that never come out? Wine.

So I have been experimenting with things that would leave that kind of pattern on silk. I now have three swatches of silk, one has spots made with just water, the next has spots made with a water and white wine mixture, the last with spots made with just white wine.

As of right now, the plain water has stiff spots, but no distinct lines around the spots like in the pictures. The water/wine mix has faint lines but not really the strong ones that I am looking for. The wine looks to be giving the best results so far. I am going to let it dry overnight and then iron it to cook the sugars in the wine and give the stain the outlines if it doesn't turn that way on its own.

Comments

watermarked silk

[serenalyons.livejournal.com]

I happened to drip water on some silk taffeta about a month and a half ago and it left a ring around the water puddle that seems impossible to get out. I Don't know if it is as strong a mark as what you are looking for and don't know if that helps any but I thought I would share anyway.

[gailsedotes.livejournal.com]

they would not have used wine - a too expensive product - try vinegar

[mmcnealy.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the tip. I've actually had the best results from the wine that had been sitting out all night that had turned to vinegar. Pretty cool I think.