Written by: Rachel Broussard, Gallery Assistant
Scarf (Sheila Devine), 2016: 100% tencel; Plain weave structure, colour achieved by snow dyeing.
If you recently stopped by the gallery for exhibition Prairie Woven (now closed), you may have noticed this winsome scarf. It has caught many eyes over the past few weeks. It is not just the assortment of brilliant colors that draw peoples’ pupils; it is also the dynamic dye work. On her description, the artist, Sheila Devine, notes “colour achieved by snow dyeing.” People dye fabric with snow?! Maybe it is just because I’m from down south, but I had never heard of snow-dying before seeing this piece. To satisfy my own curiosity and, hopefully, alleviate yours as well, I will demystify the enigmatic process of snow dying. Thanks to “instructables.com” I found a basic tutorial on snow dying that can be understood even by snow novice like me.
www.instructables.com/id/Snow-Dyed-Fabric/
“This is really fun and opening the fabrics is like opening presents. Every piece of fabric is different and always a surprise. And this technique is easy.” –Bloombakecreate, instructables.com