The soy-sized and dyed goods must cure for a “time.” Curing oxidizes the soy, making the bond between the fibers and the soy permanent. According to John Marshall, there are many variables depending upon climate and weather. The work can cure for several days up to several months. I cured my dyed goods for a 3-plus days, hanging above a radiator, before rinsing out the rice paste. The issue with the soy in the dyes is that you don’t want it to sour. So warm, dry air is best for curing. If you cure goods for the minimum then rinse paste out, the soy won’t wash out — you just need to be gentle handling the fabric. The soy continues to cure after rinsing the rice paste out.
I soaked my work in the bathtub for a while to soften it, then rinsed the rice paste off, then gently squeezed it out and rolled it up in a towel to blot, then hung it to dry over the radiator again. There was not a drop of pigment in my rinse water! This thrills me after many years of working with fiber-reactive dyes and frustrated by the amount of water necessary to rinse out the spent dyes.
The final image, below, shows the outcome of the rice paste resist problem documented in my previous post.
silver minnow 
Wow, the heron design is really beautiful! Can really see it as a wall piece, too. And the cone flower is also stunning. Congratulations will all the effort!
I can imagine the joy at seeing the piece washed out and just as good as you hoped. This is a fascinating technique. I am looking forward to seeing how this continues.
These pieces are stunning, Kit. I love the kaleidoscope effect of the four coneflower images. It makes me think of the prairie and how patterns are repeated there. And the heron is magnificent. I really like the way you used the same colors and treatment for the fish and the heron’s bill. Very nice!
Thanks for your comments everyone … Mary, the repeating patterns of nature are very inspiring to me. Looking forward to seeing the early flowers — wild and otherwise!
The heron! The shades of blue are wonderful, the water pattern is alive. It’s cool to see how your new stencils are a little looser than the ones you did a few years ago. I love the sharp points on the coneflower seedhead. Wonderful work, Kit.
Thanks for sharing your work. It’s lovely and in line with the technique I’m trying to learn. Any advice on the rice paste? How is it made and used? Is that your resist?
Happy painting!
Thanks for commenting! Please check out my new blog at http://www.kiteastman.com/silverminnow for more info about making rice paste!