With the advent of the internet, the global population has information at their fingertips regarding a wide variety of topics, not just batik. Anything from automotive related topics to health care to financial tips can be found if you just know where to look.
Interest groups tend to congregate around specific ideas be they automotive, fashion or political in nature. The topics are endless and there are bound to be clubs and forums discussing and sharing knowledge on just about anything under the sun.
This is especially true with the topic of batik fabric. Those that are not satisfied with purchasing the batik scarf or sarong in available prints usually endeavor to produce their own batik fabric. There are a few things that are needed before embarking on such a project. You will need the fabric, pencils to draw out the designs, paraffin wax and a brush of some sort.
Generally speaking, the best fabrics to use in such a project is cotton. It take the dye in well and it is cheap. You want to avoid silk as they are difficult to work with and are expensive. Should something go wrong, a perfectly good (and expensive) silk fabric piece will have gone to waste.
You should already have a design in mind before actually tracing it on the fabric. If you have not, go ahead and make some rough sketches on a piece of paper before finalizing the design. Once the design has been determined, it is time to trace it on to the batik fabric of your choice. You can use pencils, crayons or a marking instrument of your choice.
Next, you will need melted paraffin wax. Paraffin wax is used to paint areas that will not be dyed, mainly your traced design among other locations. Go ahead and paint the wax on to the areas of your choice. It is important that the paraffin wax penetrates through the fabric entirely. Once this is done, allow the wax to cool before proceeding to the next stage.
We will now be dyeing the fabric in a predetermined color. To prevent stains in the work area, go ahead and cover the work area with a sheet of plastic etc. Go ahead and use gloves as well. Take the batik fabric and submerge it into the dye for about twenty to thirty seconds. Rinse of the dye with water. If the desired intensity of color is not achieve, repeat the dyeing process until it is achieved.