MAGIC SIZING® APPLICATION KAREN’S WAY

NOTE: Spray in a ventilated area

SUPPLIES:

MAGIC SIZING *FABRIC FINISH* by Faultless. (This is not a starch, but a ‘fabric finish’. Much like the textile industry adds to fibers in production). It is only sold in the US, but you can find at Walmart on line, or some grocery stores in the laundry aid aisle. You may find a substitute brand where you live.

Stretched silk

Paper towel

Hair dryer

PROCESS:

  1. Stretch your silk as usual.
  2. Shake can well.
  3. Make sure the nozzle is pointing to the red mark on the cap.
  4. Hold the can at a 45 degree angle, 15 inches away from the silk surface.
  5. Mentally divide your silk into quarters. You will spray one section completely before spraying the next.
  6. Keep your stretched silk completely flat at all times while spraying to avoid drips.
  7. Press the nozzle completely down and start spraying your section, keeping the can moving at all times to avoid over spraying. The sizing will come out in stream if not pressed all the way down. When you stop spraying, lift your finger off the nozzle quickly and completely.
  8. Once you have completely sprayed the entire surface, hold the silk FLAT into the light to see that the surface is completely shiny. Spray in short “spurts” over the portions that the spray has absorbed into the silk. Do not over spray. “Spurt“ just enough to cover the spot. Your dyes will spread on any portion of your silk that has not been completely sprayed with the sizing.
  9. Over spraying occurs when you have stayed too long in one place. A white foam will appear, and big drips can form. Once this happens you will need to remove the excess with an unwrinkled paper towel. While your silk is flat, lay the edge of the paper towel over the top edge of the silk, and drag across the surface in a downward motion. You may have to stop and turn the paper towel to a dry edge during this process. Try to avoid streaking the sizing. This may leave lines on the silk after drying.
  10. While keeping your stretcher perfectly flat to avoid drips…tap your stretcher several times on a hard surface to ‘settle’ the spray.
  11. Your silk should look completely shiny at this point.
  12. Once your silk is wet, it will stretch. Tighten the tension just enough to remove the sagging ripples. If left unattended the ripples will stay in your silk for the duration of painting, and your dyes may collect in the dips. Avoid pulling your tension too tight, as it may leave pull marks in your silk.
  13. Keeping your silk completely flat, start drying with a hair dryer.

    Sometimes, the over spray can seep to the underside of your silk. You can lightly dab with a paper towel, or slide your stretcher away from the edge of the table, and dry from the underneath as well as the top. Your mission is to stop drips from leaving a residue on your silk.

    *TIP*: avoid pointing your hairdryer directly to the silk keeping the hairdryer at an angle. This will allow the hot air to travel across the surface of your silk, rather than back to the hairdryer. Set your hairdryer to “high” speed and medium to hot heat. Keep the hair dryer from getting too close to the silk, as it can melt the silk.
  14. One coat of sizing is sufficient. *IMPORTANT* applying too much sizing will fill the fibers of silk and impair the penetration of dyes through the fibers to the back side of the silk.
  15. VOILA! Now you are ready to paint!!!!!

Magic Sizing is a registered trademark of the Faultless Starch Company