Spoonflower: Setting the Print

     I meant to start working on my experiment scientifically and last night. However, my husband talked me into going to see X-Men: Days of Future Past and then out to dinner, so I wound up being too worn out to do much. This morning, however, I got up and began the test drive.

     After researching methods of keeping ink on clothes (like Sharpie on a t-shirt), I started by ironing the swatches while covered with the cleanest white cloth I could find over it. I think the iron might not have been quite hot enough, but it sizzled when water was flicked on it and I didn't want to scorch anything. After that, I tossed them in my washer/dryer. We have a combination machine, which is awesome because it basically saves time and energy, plus water by being a front loader. Rather than washing the swatches, I put them in a normal dry cycle to add more heat, hoping to help the heat setting finishes on the cloth. I'm not sure it worked.

     When I took the swatches out, the colors didn't seem as vivid as before. That may have been a trick of the light, but I would keep it in mind for the future. Tomorrow, according to my research, I'm supposed to wash them in salt water. I have heard some complaints that salt actually removes color, so I'm only going to use it on half of the swatch and see what happens.

EDIT: It was a trick of the light. No severe fading occurred that I've noticed, after comparing it to the pictures. Still, let's see what happens.