Fabric dyeing for first time
 

Spent a long full day yesterday dyeing fabric. First time doing it and very happy with the results. Took the dyeing class from iQuilt.com. 9 yards of fabric cut into 36 fat quarters. Got a light, a medium, and a dark value each using the red, yellow, and blue Procion dyes. Funny thing is when I showed the pictures to a coworker she said, "cant you just buy those colors at the store?" In my head I heard, " cant you just buy a $40 quilt at Walmart?" Sigh.

Those are lovely! I've been playing with using alcohol inks to dye a variety of fabrics. Have you tried ice/snow dying yet. I've seen some pics of absolutely luscious fabrics done that way.

Rob

Rryder....would like to try the snow dyeing but we are having a 60 degree heat wave in MN right now and have zero snow now. we are expected to get anywhere from 7 to 18+ inches of snow tomorrow so maybe I will try it this weekend!

Wow, those are beautiful!!

Fabric envy here!! Love what you did. I always flirt with trying hand dying but haven't. And to your co-worker who asked, a definitive and and resounding NO. Hand dyes have a look that no mass produced fabric can achieve and rarely will you get the exact color you want. You can only get these by doing them yourself or buying from another hand dyer on Etsy or from Cherrywood and even then you might not get the lovely assortment you made yourself and probably at a MUCH higher cost.

Great colors! Some people just don't understand the creative side of us, do they?
Too bad for them - - -

Your colors are stunning, just so vibrant. ANd they are yours!

Oh how I remember my first dyeing day! Can hardly wait for warmer weather so I can go out to my dye cottage and dive in! I do a yard at a time, as just as much work for a yard as a fat 1/4. I have done as much as 50 yards in a day, I just get so carried away with all the lush colors I can play with. I do gradations of 8, so I have 8 yards going from light to dark of colors I really like, and use. Making a quilt now with just my hand dyed and off white. Have fun with your dyeing, it is just so much fun!!! PS my Avatar Picture is all my hand dyed fabric.

Those are gorgeous! I'm off to iQuilt.com now!

Love them all!

That is something I want to learn to do too- guess I'll be checking out iQuilt too.

Those hand dyed are just beautiful. Now I have a question. Do you use a special dye? My DH had dyed things over the years (he likes dark colors) & dye shirts, etc. with Ritz dye. Then, if I'm not careful with separating my clothes we end up with "greyish" whites & lights because of him. Do you have to rinse & rinse & rinse many times so that the dye does not bleed? I would love to give this a try someday. One more question. What fabric do you use to dye?

No, you can't just buy those fabrics at a store! Your fabrice is gorgeous! Well worth your efforts in creating them.

I bought the starter kit with procion dyes and cotton PFD fabric (got 3 yards each of 3 different kinds to try out) all through Dharma trading company. Collected household supplies off and on until I had what I needed. Did lots of reading and internet searches ahead of time, took a deep breath, and went for it. Yes, it was a lot of rinsing which wasnt great but am trying to find more information on how to let your washing machine do the rinsing.

Thanks for the info on the dying and the company. I just keep coming back to your thread & drooling over your dyed fabrics. They are so very, very pretty & I can't wait to see what you make with what you've done here.

Ah! So beautiful, congratulations on your success. I used to make my own batiks in college...and dye my own fabrics, too. Your post makes me want to take it up again. I remember batiking a large flower and leafstalk on silk, grey background, as a scarf and gave it away before I hemmed it... the hem was just too much for me at the time. (!)

Beautiful! I love dyeing my own fabrics. Waiting ( patiently) for spring summer to dye some new. Yours make me want to soon. :)

Fabric dyeing is very addictive! There are so many variations that create so many effects. By the way, you don't need snow to "snow dye". Using crushed (or even uncrushed) ice cubes works. Exploring fabric dye websites and blogs is a great way to spend a lunch hour at work!

Please keep posting your results.

very pretty colors

Drooling over the colors! Looks like you really did your homework before trying this.

Your fabrics are simply beautiful and so well worth all the effort. I took a class to dye fabric and loved it. I still have the fabrics because 'they are too beautiful to use'. To dye your own fabric creates a whole new aspect of quilting experience. Go to the next mile and use them in something super beautiful. I am glad you enjoyed the class you took from iquilt. Just have fun.

I love the colors. Wonderful. I would love to dye my own material except I am a little too lazy. Haha!

Beautiful colors!

Fantastic job! So far, I'm challenged to find enough time just to get quilts made with ready to go fabric, but dying my own is definitely on my must do list. Thank you for sharing your experience, fabrics and iQuilt class info, etc.!

Those colors are wonderful. Cringe on the Walmart comment, though I have found nice Waverly fabrics there. Reminds me of the woman who commented on the blanket I was working on (hand quilting). Makes one wonder. . .

Oh my my my! Those are wonderful!!! Congratulations!

you did a fabulous job, I envy you. I love hand dyed fabrics.

your colors are great. they look so yummy

I've never done dying before. Never thought it would look all that great....but WOW!~ Those are fabulous!

Can I ask how the "feel" of the fabric was when finished? I'd be afraid it would firm up or something and not be as soft as it was when you started. All wet here?

Those are splendid!

I really didnt notice a different feel after it was done. I bought fabric from Dharma...Mercerized Cotton Print Cloth 45" and the Pimatex cotton PFD...both felt good. I even used a yard of Joann Fabric muslin which wasnt too bad either.

Well done! Enjoy.....when you get up the nerve to cut them! LOL

Wow! Gorgeous fabric! I want to shop at your house.

Very nice job. I try to put a few of mine in every quilt I make

They look great! Don't listen to the coworker who doesn't get the big picture!!!!

Stunning and you did them yourself. Congratulations. BrendaK

Beautiful job! I love what you were thinking in your head. What is with people? A friend, who puts very high prices on her quilts, when I showed her my handmade umbrella canopy said, "how much did it cost you to make a handmade umbrella? I just bought one for $4." My head said, "why are your handmade things so valuable that you price them high, and mine aren't?" I was going to make an umbrella with a matching bag for our church silent auction. I would have put a value price on the set as over $100, and because I know who shows up at the event, I know the set would have gone for that. We just moved and the whole process made me so tir d, I never even started the set. Next year.....

NO! not another idea to try. They are so pretty who wouldn't want to try dyeing?

Very pretty fabric.

Your fabric is gorgeous! Sometimes people who don't quilt/sew/create don't understand.

I have a project that needs gradated fabric. I've been looking, but can't find what I need. Maybe you have provided the solution!
Your fabrics are lovely. I hope you post a photo of whatever projects you use them in.