Hand-dyed fabric - what qualities are you looking for?
#1
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2023
Posts: 3
Hand-dyed fabric - what qualities are you looking for?
Hello all,
What qualities are you looking for if you were to buy hand-dyed fabric for your quilting or textile projects? I am a dyer and am going to offer some dyed fabric for sale on my etsy shop. I am not trying to sell or advertise here; rather I just want to know what makes the best quality fabric for a quilter even though I know this may vary depending upon the project. Specifically:
a) I am starting with Kona cotton, but are there other fabric options that are desirable?
b) Should I treat the cloth with a professional (and no fragrance) fabric softener or would you prefer the cloth to be untreated beyond the dyeing and washing? I have not done this in the past and can simply use a vinegar rinse, but sometimes the dyeing and excessive washing stiffen the fabric
c) Are there patterns, colors, gradients or techniques that especially appeal to you? Shibori, hand-painting, wood block printing, highly textured cloth? I know this is highly subjective......
I would love to hear from you and am grateful for any feedback or just general chit chat.
Happy Quilting and warm regards,
Sonna
What qualities are you looking for if you were to buy hand-dyed fabric for your quilting or textile projects? I am a dyer and am going to offer some dyed fabric for sale on my etsy shop. I am not trying to sell or advertise here; rather I just want to know what makes the best quality fabric for a quilter even though I know this may vary depending upon the project. Specifically:
a) I am starting with Kona cotton, but are there other fabric options that are desirable?
b) Should I treat the cloth with a professional (and no fragrance) fabric softener or would you prefer the cloth to be untreated beyond the dyeing and washing? I have not done this in the past and can simply use a vinegar rinse, but sometimes the dyeing and excessive washing stiffen the fabric
c) Are there patterns, colors, gradients or techniques that especially appeal to you? Shibori, hand-painting, wood block printing, highly textured cloth? I know this is highly subjective......
I would love to hear from you and am grateful for any feedback or just general chit chat.
Happy Quilting and warm regards,
Sonna
#2
Super Member
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Houston, TX
Posts: 9,517
I look for the same qualities I look for in any fabric, color and hand being the most important for me. I don't want fabric that's treated. Especially not fabric softener. I use a lot of Best Press or spray starch just to make it stiffer.
#3
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: NY Adirondacks in Summer and goes "South" to WNY in the winter!
Posts: 480
Please don’t take this as an insult but I find hand died fabric to look “ faded out” without much depth to the color. Perhaps that is what it is supposed to look like. For me I would want it to have the intensity of batik fabric.
All that said, good for you in your new endeavor .
All that said, good for you in your new endeavor .
#5
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2023
Posts: 3
Thank you for your input!
Thank you for your responses. It is very helpful. Stay warm and dry. (We are having a terrible ice storm here).
Last edited by sbhickory; 01-03-2023 at 09:31 AM. Reason: Was trying to respond to a specific reply instead of a general one