colour scheme
Resist Dyeing
Resist paste patterning is considered to be the oldest method of decorating textiles, although the dates and origins of block printing are uncertain.
Bosence’s own early experiments were centred on resist work - "resist" meaning preventing dye from penetrating selected areas of cloth prior to dyeing - combining patterns made by wax, stitch or paste on white cotton with an indigo blue dye. Proudly claiming to be "outside fashion", Sue’s interest in ethnic fabric was ahead of its time. She found batik fabrics, associated with Javanese hot wax resist methods, in India, Sri Lanka, Japan and Thailand and adire cloth produced by the Yoruba in Nigeria (the resist being applied with small chicken feathers, sticks or palm leaf ribs).
She was also drawn to South East Asia, Africa and the Pacific building up a textile collection from these regions and developing her own variety of free hand resist techniques. She encouraged her students to look at Navajo Indian blankets for the way in which the patterns move when hung or worn.
