Batik Project - Start to Finish

I've decided to make a tote bag with a batik patch pocket. I'll use the dimensions of my favorite cross body tote bag. I'll follow a permanent dye process for the batik patch so the bag will be machine washable.
All dying materials are available at https://www.dharmatrading.com/

Like following a recipe for baking a cake, chances of a successful result are improved by reading through the recipe/ process end to end before starting!

Presoak 1 yard of fabric in 1/2 cup soda ash dissolved in 2 quarts of water in basin for 30 minutes and then drip-dry. The soda ash will penetrate the fiber and will activate the Procion dye when the two meet, later in the project.

Once dried, the next step is to apply wax. An electric frying pan works well because the sides are low and temperature can be controlled. Wax should be hot but not smoking hot. The room should be ventilated. I use a 50/50 mix of bees wax and paraffin wax. Beeswax is less brittle than paraffin, so the more beeswax you use, the less "crackle" in the batik. I use inexpensive acrylic bristle brushes. Natural bristles will "fry."

Brushing on the wax takes practice. The most common mistake is trying to paint the wax onto the fabric after the wax has started to cool on the brush - it must be hot and liquid in order to penetrate the fabric. With a little practice, one learns to stop at the right moment and reload the brush. Let the brush pause for a moment in the hot wax so that the wax on the brush melts completely - the brush is now loaded and ready to brush again..
I sometimes use cotton string instead of a brush and just lay the string on the fabric. The string wicks up the wax nicely, and creates a nice clean line. Notice the vertical lines in the fish body and a few crisp dashes around the sun. The same rules apply, you have to move quickly while the wax is hot and melted on the string.

Wax on, first layer:
It's difficult to see, but this is the waxed design from the fish above, on the white fabric that was presoaked in soda ash. The light blue areas on the fish body result from brushing the wax loosely over the fabric wrinkles. The pure white lines result from taking care that the wax penetrates, to fully resist wax incursion during dying. I lightly penciled in the design, and then brushed on the hot wax.

Dye bath:

2 quarts water
1 teaspoon fiber reactive dye
1/2 cup dyers salt
2 tablespoons soda ash

Put one quart of warm water in the basin; dissolve the dye in it.
Add the dyers salt and dissolve it. Now add the fabric. Place the fabric in the salt water mixture, stir it around and allow to soak for 20 minutes or so.

Dissolve the soda ash in one quart of water until the water looks fairly clear. Hold the fabric up and away from the dye, pour in the soda ash/ water mixture slowly and evenly and stir well. The soda ash activates the dye so that it is permanent and color fast.
Put the fabric back in the dye, lift and separate pieces so that the dye permeates the folds and layers. Let sit for no less than 30 minutes.

Rinse the fabric in cold water to remove loose dye. If another layer of wax and dye is planned in the design, allow the fabric to dry and then repeat the process.

A few things to note:
A small plastic basin that fits in your sink works well because you can create a warm water bath around your basin. If the dye gets too hot or too cold, it will die. Maintaining a warm, even temperature is essential. 
The salt bath is optional, its purpose is to open up the fibers so the dye will readily attach. However,  the salt can begin to break down the wax which allows dye incursion. If the wax is thick and you are not doing multiple dips, salt bath is optimal.

The final step is to boil out the wax:
I use an old aluminum pot purchased at the Goodwill store.

Simply bring the pot of water to a slow boil, drop in the fabric, stir slowly and well. The wax will melt and rise to the surface. You will see wax accumulating on the surface. Spoon this off and discard. Retrieve the fabric with a wooden spoon. Inspect for wax residue. A few bits of whitish wax clinging to the surface will wash off with water. If it looks like there is still a lot of wax attached, just drop if back into the boiling water.
If you have multiple small pieces, I recommend doing them one at a time.
I usually hand wash the pieces at this point with a little laundry detergent. The batiks are now ready to use as finished fabric, suitable for whatever purpose you choose.

Stay tuned for the follow up to this post, constructing the tote bag.