How a handpainted silk chiffon scarf is made

When I paint a silk chiffon scarf, I first stretch the silk on my wooden frames.

For some scarves, I outline a design with cold wax - in this case I've created a flower.

When the wax dried, I start to paint with a soft paintbrush, using silk dyes.

I blend the blue and the green .

The cold wax acts as a barrier so that when the dye is applied, it flows beautifully to the edges of the wax outline, and stops.

This is often called the Resist Technique or Method.

There are other products to use as a resist/barrier, but for this design I am working with the cold wax.

Once I finish painting the flower, I start painting the background.

After the silk is dry, it is carefully wrapped in cotton and placed inside a special steaming machine for a minimum of 3 hours.

After the steaming process, the silk is washed to remove excess dye. The colours will be strong and colourfast, and the scarf is ready to go to its new home :-)

Depending on the design and the client, I might start with a scarf which has already been hemmed, or I might hem the scarf after it's been completed.

Voila! This is the finished scarf!

I love painting on silk to create gorgeous, vibrant designs - it makes my heart sing :-)

View more small square silk chiffon scarves like this >>

View other silk scarves >>