FOudn the book whilst in the middle of redoing parts of the library (putting in better shelves).
Japanese Stencil Dyeing, Eisha Nakano with Barbara B. Stephan
Weatherhill, 1982 ISBN 0-8348-0169-8
Bare amazon.com link:
www.amazon.com/gp/product/0834801698/104-1563619-8566325?v=glance&n=283155Recipe for the resist paste:
Rice flour (mochiko) 1 cup
Rice bran 1.5 cup (sift finely) mix these
water .5 - .75 cup mix in a bit at a time, make 'rice donuts'
steam for about an hour
while still hot pound into a paste adding:
hot water .33 cup
salt 2T dissolved in a bit of the hot water
calcium hydrixide 2T or so dissolved in .5 cup hot water use only enough of the 'top water' of this to turn the paste a glossy mustard yellow
Adhesive paste for sticking fabric to board
rice flour (mochiko).5 cup
luewarm water 3T mix this, make dumplings from it, boil for 7-10 minutes
beat with 6-8T hot water
Get your board and make it very smooth (I might try melamine or something next time, the adhesive is really sticky)
Put the adhesive paste on it with a pastry knife or wide putty knife, and work it into a very smooth, thin layer. Let dry. The book says if you use wood you'll likely want a second coat. To stick fabric to it, use a spray bottle to dampen the adhesive, and lay the fabric down. This I've done, and it's very simple. The fabric is going nowhere.
In the book, the most often lay the resist through a stencil, with a putty knife looking wooden instrument. But they also give instructions for using a paper cone, as for pastry icing, to put on the resist.
Most of the book concerns itself with brush dyeing.
To remove the paste, while rinsing the fabric (it is dye, after all), when the paste is softened, pull the fabric gently on the bias. IF there's any left after rinsing. use a soft brush gently.
The book isn't too expensive, and pretty good about technique. Not too big on history, though.