Went ok. Colours that seem solid are mottled, but the camera didn't pick it up. I'm no photographer. :lol:

The colors turned out beautifully! Did you take a class or teach yourself? They are really great.

Absolutely G O R G E O U S!!! Was it hard to do? And what do you plan to make with it?

Thank you. Self taught. On Labour Day. :lol: Without a book, just a website I found with a lot of instructions. I need a book to learn all the important stuff, like WHY to do things, and HOW things work. I was pretty much winging it.

I had to just jump in because the batik-type fabrics I like I can only get for between $16 and $21 a metre here, and I'd buy online, but can't tell the coloour for certain.

Not hard at all. I'm planning on doing more (only used 3 colours of the 16 dye colours I bought), since I'm looking for blues/greens and turquoises/purples for my two daughters' mariner's compass quilts. I also want to try a New York Beauty or two.

Anyone who is interested, the dyes were not very expensive, and the supplies to do it (ie. buckets, polished rocks, disposible beer cups, etc.) cost a total of $15 at the dollar store.

I love this! Can you give us the link to the website?

I agree --- I'm a long ways from quilt shops that carry a variety of colors in the "dyed" look......these are beautiful! I'd like the link, too.

I think they turned out great. If you want more uniform coverage, less mottled, you may need to adjust the soda ash you use. Also, if you are doing a low-immersion method, turn your jar or container. If you want more texture, you can play with other effects, like sprinkling with coarse salt to draw the colors into small points of light. Also, using an old toothbrush, you can spatter on some nice metallics or another color can produce some great effects. Part of the fun is never quite knowing what your end result will be.

Where did you get your dye? Dharma Trading has a great selection.

Also - a reminder - some of the chemicals used in dyes are not meant to be injested. Once you use an item for dye, NO FOOD in that container. I use a salad spinner to get excess dye out and would never dream of using it for food.

rb, I keep looking at your pictures and studying the fabrics. I've GOT to learn how to do that. Wow, they sure are beautiful for a self-taught beginning. I'm impressed. I, too, would love the link if you don't mind sharing it with us.

A Mariner's Compass would look amazing with your vibrant colors!

BTW, welcome to the board. Lots of great people here.

My apologies. I thought you were fairly new. You're just the silent type :lol:

Wow.. you did an amazing job!! keep up the good work.. I've wanted to try this and now I think I have to.. wonderful graduated colors. yep.. if you can, please post a link to the site.

they look great

:lol: Yup. :D

Ok, everyone. First, Moonpi is right about the mottling. I was going for the mottled look, and I used a low water immersion dyeing technique, basically putting the fat quarter in a bowl, pouring the cup of dye liquid on it, squeezing it out, crumpling up the fat quarter, putting it in a beer cup, and pouring the dye from the bowl into the cup. Weighted with a couple polished stones. I will give the website link, but if you want solid colour, you can also wet the fabric with the dye, and put it in a ziploc type bag.

Ok, so, I learned, somewhat, how to do this from this website. Lots of instructions and recipes. Watch the recipes, though. Unless I missed something in reading, the concentrate recipes require more water to mix with the powder than she calls for. Perhaps she scaled it down and lost something in the process, or I just can't read. Anyway, this site will take up your whole day.

http://fabricdyeing101.blogspot.com/...roduction.html

I purchased my dyes, because I'm in Canada, at G&S in Toronto (no duty at the border, no currency exchange neccessary). They also have silk dyes, fabrics, etc. They were very fast, and online purchases can be made, by phone, etc.

http://www.gsdye.com/index.html

Another place to purchase could be another site I came across in Saskatchewan:

http://www.harmonyhanddyes.com/index.html

For Americans, as was mentioned above, Dharma Trading Co. has TONS of stuff. I purchased my fabric, a 25 yard bolt, from them. Even though it had to come to Canada, I had it in days. With exchange and shipping, my fabric cost about $4.40 a yard.

http://www.dharmatrading.com/

If I missed any questions, I will come back (grocery shopping time...blech) and try to catch them. But it was very easy, and yes, you can't use your food stuff for it, and use it again for food. Dedicated bowls, measuring spoons, etc. Oh, and don't buy your measuring spoons at the dollar store. They are FAAAR from accurate. Get a new set for your kitchen, and use your old ones that you know are accurate. For a bowl I used a Gladware/Ziploc kind of disposable container that's about 4x4, and about 4 inches deep. Worked great. Plastic ice cream buckets, kitty litter plastic containers with lids, etc.

Your dye job(s) is/are absolutely beautiful. I can definitely see a gorgeous mariners compass out of these. Can't believe its the first time dying fabric what a great job. :)
Please post the link we're on the edge of our seats.

Oh, and gradations are really easy to do. Make your dye concentrate, then use 8 tsp for one, 6 tsp for one, 4 for the next, 2 for the next, etc. Cool how easy it is, eh? :lol:

Can't seem to edit the thread title....


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Oh, wow. What wonderful information, rb. Thank you very much!!!!!

A hem. I expect pictures. Lots of them. That's why I'm so silent, I spend all my time at this part of the forum looking at everyone's pictures, and getting inspired. :lol:

Thanks :)

rb, I LOVE your fabrics! You have a great eye for color and I can just imagine how glorious those colors will look in your Mariner's Compass or New York Beauty quilts!

Kudos to you and now I wanna just dye!!!!!!!!!!!!

Odessa

Very cool! They look great!
Something I've always wanted to try.

The fabrics are great looking. Would enjoy hearing more about this experience. For example products used for dyes and how fabrics were prepared for dying.

You did a great job love all of them. :)

They are beautiful!!!

would you be a sweetheart and do a picture tutorial on how to do this; this exactly how i want my fabric to look




:mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

:lol: I could try, next time I do it (tomorrow?? maybe). Problem is, you're in rubber gloves all the time when mixing the dyes. I'll see what I can do. If you go to the first link in my link posts, she has quite a lot of pictures from the process.

You did an awesome job - your fabrics are beautiful! Thanks for the pics and all the information. If you manage a tutorial, that'll be wonderful.

Those fabrics are beautiful! Did you do all the dying indoors, or did you have to go outside or to the garage? How much of a mess does it make? I took a one-day dying class 3 years ago, and the instructor taught it outside. We made a huge mess, but that could have been the methods she taught. I also got the impression the dyes were really expensive. (I know the class was!)

No, I did it all indoors, and in my kitchen as a matter of fact. I have no choice, at least for the mixing, immersion part. It did not make a big mess, I had a bucket in one sink, the bowl in the other, another bucket of cold water on the counter to rinse my gloves, and another area beside the sink to work on, covered with a dollar store plastic tablecloth. ( I taped the table cloth just under my window, so that any splashes wouldn't get on the wall.) That work space is just a bit bigger than your standard dish drainboard/rack. As I put each piece into a beer cup with dye, it went into a dollar store kitty litter tray, sitting on my stove top. Beside my workspace.

Ideally, this would be done in a laundry room, or garage with running water. I don't have a laundry tub (yet), so kitchen it was. But I was masked when mixing the powder (N95 masks are everywhere now due to Swine Flu), and had my kitchen window open. I did find the blue dye was unappealing in smell, and the odour of the soda ash is yucky, but I kept that to a minimum (got rid of the solution as soon as done. I would recommend good ventilation when rinsing, or else wear a mask. And ALWAYS rubber or latex gloves.

Oh, and for storing the kitty litter trays full of beer cups, fabric in dye, I covered lightly with garbage bags (they're supposed to sit at least 3 hours), and put them on my dryer. (not a running dryer, you don't want agitation to get mottling) I covered them to keep any fumes from rising.

Dunster, I didn't find them too expensive. I bought 16 different colours, at 50 grams each, and paid about $130 including shipping (was a 20% discount sale going on). I only dipped into three of them. 13 still to crack open. I'd suggest buying three primary colours (red, blue, yellow) in a decent size, and trying that to start. As for the soda ash bath...that's just PH Up (must be sodium carbonate...read the label) from a pool store, or Walmart, etc. Here in Canada I got it at Canadian Tire. Anywhere that sells the inflatible ring pools will likely have it. A big bottle of it cost me about $4.

oh wow :) looks great

Those are more than ok, they're gorgeous!

rb, would you please clarify something for me? I know you said that all containers, etc., should be used ONLY for this process. But then you said you used your kitchen sink? Do you still wash dishes there? Do food prep?

Also, if you're wearing a mask to avoid inhaling any dye powders, should you honestly be doing this in the kitchen (or any food prep area for that matter)?

Honestly, I don't want to create a big fuss here, but I just want to make sure that anyone who does this does it safely. Especially since I want to try this some day, too, and since I also make wedding cakes in my kitchen, I don't want to run the risk of contaminating an area that should not be contaminated.

Thanks for the advice.

Odessa

Your color choices are perfect! They came out so nice! I don't think I could ever take on such a project, congrats!

Yes, I still wash dishes in my sink. I cleaned it really well, because it's one of those icky white resin (?) ones. If I had a stainless steel one (soon I hope), I'd just give it a good scrub, because it won't absorb any chemmies. Food prep...I covered my counter work area with a plastic table cloth. I don't let food touch the sink, even veggies while washing, so that's ok. The no-contact-with-food-containers thing, is, I believe, the dye companies covering themselves legally. However, I've only ever come across mention of the problem (online) next mentioned with the mask.

I believe the mask is to avoid allergic reactions to some of the dye powders. They don't fly all over or anything, it's a relatively heavy powder. If your work area is covered, you don't have an iced cake sitting beside your work area, and you wipe down the rest of your counters, then I would think it should be fine. I don't put foods directly on my counter (but on a plate or cutting board) unless it's fruit or veggies about to be washed. And chances are they're covered in microscopic bits of manure, dirt or pesticides anyway.

No problem, very good, logical questions/points. In our house, we have a saying...Safety First. LOL IF you have a laundry room, with a tub and a work area (counter, top of washer, dryer etc.), I would strongly recommend doing it there. IF you have a bathroom with a countertop larger than just a sink, and a tub that won't stain (like standard porcelain coated tubs, don't know about fiberglass), I'd do it there. Same with any kind of outbuilding with running water, or a garage. Kitchen is my last choice. You could mix the concentrates outside or in a different room, and then do the rest of your work in a kitchen to wipe out any chance of dye powder travelling. However, if using outbuildings, the water in the dye needs to be around room temp or warmer (not hot) to react. In a cold climate like mine, dyeing outside is out of the question the majority of the year due to the cold. As for rinsing out the fabric and dumping the dyes, that could be down down the toilet, in a bathtub, if you don't have a laundry tub. Doesn't need to be in your kitchen sink.

Think I got all of your questions. :D

I will try to do a pictoral tutorial (there's a mouthful!) soon. Today and tomorrow are out, I have some commitments. Hopefully over the weekend, when I can have someone else take the pictures at each stage as I do the work.

Great job. They came out beautiful. What method did you use?

I absolutely love them all!!! Good Job!!! :D :D :D