mjpEncinitas

Oh this is a great thread for me. I inadvertently bought some Kona fabric that was ready for dyeing instead of regular fabric. I love tie dye. Ok so i had some Rit dye but this probably isn't the quality of dye we are looking for. can you recommend some brands? Has anyone used this Kona fabric before. thanks

Carrie in PA

I personally don't like RIT dye for clothes but that's because i wear them hard and wash them often. But RIT is good for curtains and linens and things that won't be washed every other day. If you want to experiment with the RIT there's no reason why you can't. It's less expensive and easy to find in grocery stores and local shops so it will be available while you "play" to find out what you like.

Then when you are sure what you want to do, find a store or internet shop that has Procion dye. I've always loved Dharma Trading Company online because you can buy kits that have some of everything you need or you can buy all of the kit items individually as needed. The last i did some comparing, their prices and selections were the best for what i wanted. You might be able to find the supplies at a shop near you, unfortunately for me this isn't an option.

Even if you don't want to buy from Dharma Trading, check out this page http://www.dharmatrading.com/dyes/dh...cion-dyes.html

That's the dye that i fell in love with and swear by. On that page, there is a lot of info about the dyes, links to other pages and reviews at the bottom so you can see what others have to say.

Now i want to go dye something lol

mjpEncinitas

Thank you Carrie, I think I may dye this fabric and use it in a quilt so I better go with the Procion dye. How do you make sure the fabric won't bleed after it's dyed? I know I can prewash it and use the synthropl??? thanks

mirish2

This is a bit off -topic. Whenever anyone brings up Rit Dye, I think of my mother. We did not have much, but about once a year, we would come home from school to discover that she had dyed the curtains. Once she even used a sponge and applied dye to our couch which had faded to a light gray. She used dark teal and it turned out great. We have joked that if they have Rit Dye in heaven, the Good Lord, might be in for a surprise.

Carrie in PA

After your fabric is dyed, Rinse Rinse Rinse! I set up a couple containers or buckets of cold water and i rinse in the first bucket by dunking a few times and swishing the fabric around. Then i squeeze the water out by hand and move to the next bucket. A white bucket is great so you can see how much color is in the water. If you have 2 buckets then you can rinse in one while the other is filling with clean water. As you go the water will get lighter and lighter. I usually stop when my hands just can't take it anymore, they get really stiff from the cold. Sometimes i will just soak a while and go back and work again. Rinsing is really really important because of bleeding.

After rinsing, wash in hot water with synthrapol and check the color of the water when it fills for the rinse cycle. If there's still color in the water, you can wash another time with the dawn dish soap. Lighter colors don't seem to bleed as much or maybe they aren't as noticeable, darker or brighter colors can bleed a lot. You can check the color of the water by scooping it out with a white container or cup.

Once the water is clear and there is no more color in the rinse water, there is no more worry about bleeding.

Carrie in PA

My mom was the same way, she dyed the curtains every spring with rit dye.

We never dyed a couch but it wouldn't surprise me if she has. She once told me i could paint a yucky looking couch so i took her advice. I took my awful dingy dirty white couch and painted it HOT PINK! I miss that couch so much, i had to give it away when i moved because it doesn't fit in my current apartment.

ckcowl

visit Dharma Trading Company---they carry all the supplies you need, free *recipes*, hints, tips, instructions. I've been shopping with them for over 10 years- love their dyes, have used their Batik(ing) kits, tie dye kits, kids projects, fabric markers, paints - pretty much my *go to* place for anything to do with fabric dyeing/painting

Carrie in PA

I am so glad someone else suggested Dharma Trading Company. I was beginning to think there was something wrong with me for not being able to suggest another shop. I too have been buying from them for ages and i don't look anywhere else anymore.