Old Hippie

[View My TQS Profile pknord]

According to Helen Deighan, in her book "Magic Dyeing Made Easy", silk will dye in either an acid or an alkaline dye bath, but she says she has better results with silk in the acid dye bath. Generally, plant fibers (cellulose) do best in an alkaline dye bath, and animal fibers (protein) do best in an acid dye bath.

[View My TQS Profile heleng]

I learned to dye using plastic bags and a book. It worked well but was messy if the bags sprung a leak.

Since I did that original dyeing two summers ago, I found a website www.quiltuniversity.com where they offer online classes with forums for the classes you take. They offer different classes for silk dying, shibori dying, and dying on cotton - muslin etc. I loved the Cotton Dyeing Basics class. I have since dyed about 150 yds of fabric and had a blast. Now the task of putting it in quilts is my next step.

I find dyeing the fabric very fun. The best part is after it is washed and dryed is to iron it and then you can see the efforts of all your work. Thinking about it makes me want to dye some more. LOL

[View My TQS Profile Batgirl]

I recently took a dye class that Justin taught. It was great fun and seemed more like cooking-but less calories.

Besides dying fabric for sewing I also tried out cheap white cotton socks from Target. They turned out great. I think I will give everyone hand dyed socks for Christmas this year. Ricky has a great shirt that is hand dyed. Oh, the possibilities

Just keep in mind that the item needs to be 100% cotton. The threads used in making the garment may not be cotton, but the results might be fun.

Best of luck to you.

[View My TQS Profile Meeka01]

Ok, I will top the charts with stupidity. I too, am gathering all the information so I can do my own hand dyed fabrics (there is no place offering classes anywhere within reach of my home). So.......my stupid question....when one dyes their own fabric using unbleached muslin or sheeting do you get the same feel as what you buy in the LQS? I really love the feel of the LQS fabrics and want to achieve that in my own hand dyes.

Next question is how do you get the one color marbling type effect? I am not looking to start off with multi color fabric like the gorgeous fab's of Ricky's, but rather a palette of colors ranging from lights to darks.

All help is appreciated since I am going to learn this on my own. Oh, lastly for those of you who already dye, am I going to ruin my kitchen sink or bathtub doing this? (Need to know so DH doesn't kill me!!lol)

Go to: www.quiltuniversity.com for classes online teaching various things. I have taken several dyeing classes there and have been very happy with my results. You will need measuring cups, spoons, containers, etc that you will never use around food. You will not be using your bathtub or sink for dyeing unless you are doing many yards. Start off small. The class has you do fat quarters to begin with.

[View My TQS Profile Meeka01]

I recently took a dye class that Justin taught. It was great fun and seemed more like cooking-but less calories.

Besides dying fabric for sewing I also tried out cheap white cotton socks from Target. They turned out great. I think I will give everyone hand dyed socks for Christmas this year. Ricky has a great shirt that is hand dyed. Oh, the possibilities

Just keep in mind that the item needs to be 100% cotton. The threads used in making the garment may not be cotton, but the results might be fun.

Best of luck to you.

I tried to dye pillow cases that were 50/50 cotton poly and got a very light shade of the color I put them in but they have been washed many times and they dye is still there.

[View My TQS Profile TQSWizard]

Sharon440:

I bought lots of my supplies at the $1 store. That way I am not using my cooking items. I am dying fabrics outside in the yard. Currently I don't have a designated space indoors. Lots of fun, just experiment after you take a class. The good thing is you can always overdye what you don't like.

[View My TQS Profile pknord]

I bought a bolt of Pimatex fabric from Dharma Trading (NAYYY). It has that lovely silky feel that the good batiks at the LQS have. I washed it first in Synthrapol, and rinsed a lot. The mottled look is easy--make up your dye, put it in a Ziplock bag, crunch up your fat quarter, and stuff it in the bag, push out as much air as possible, and sit it in a kitty litter pan (in case of leaks) overnight. It should come out nicely mottled. To get an even dye job, you need to use a larger container and stir the piece around to get the dye nice and even.

Pat in Rockport, TX

[View My TQS Profile redcheek2]

I am new at hand dyeing and have checked out classes offered locally and statewide, as well as withing the United states. I have checked everywhere. And have found some really wonderful classes but way to far and expensive. My solution??? I found Quilt University that has a whole line of dye classes, very reasonable, and online!!! Go to www.quiltuniversity.com and check out the classes. It has been the answer to my prayers! Much fun in your dyeing. Ann aka redcheek2

[View My TQS Profile eileenkny]

I was signed up for the basic dyeing class at QU. I got an email this morning saying it was cancelled and they were returning my money because they had no date to reschedule. I've already spent money on the supplies so I went out on the internet and found this site:

http://fabricdyeing101.blogspot.com/

It's very informative and I think I'll be able to do it from her instructions combined with the information on the Dharma Trading site.

If anyone here has any advice for a newbie to dyeing, bring it on!! I need all the help I can get.

[View My TQS Profile Quidnunc]

I dye many of my own fabrics - some to use and some to sell. I am completely self taught so I read everything I come across.

I started this thread about 4 hours ago and got so sidetracked by ideas that I have been googling and reading since then.

This board is going to be something I need to ration.

I just ordered the supplies to try the "ashari shibori" technique on silk for a jacket I want to make. It seems to be a completely different method than dying with procion. Next I want to figure out if shibori can be used on cotton. This afternoon led to so many different ideas.

[View My TQS Profile redcheek2]

I was signed up for the basic dyeing class at QU. I got an email this morning saying it was cancelled and they were returning my money because they had no date to reschedule. I've already spent money on the supplies so I went out on the internet and found this site:

http://fabricdyeing101.blogspot.com/

It's very informative and I think I'll be able to do it from her instructions combined with the information on the Dharma Trading site.

If anyone here has any advice for a newbie to dyeing, bring it on!! I need all the help I can get.

Yeah, me too! The instructor got sick. I also have read that link and it is very informative. I have also read alot of dyeiing books and they all different advice as to how to dye your fabric. I take what suits me in that book and have dyed a ton of fabric sucessfully. My biggest nuance has been recoding what I do so I can duplicate it!

[View My TQS Profile Kristin1]

The Procion Fiber Reactive dyes work on any and all natural fibers like silk, rayon, cotton, cane for baskets, wool, of course human skin.

It is my understanding that the Procion Fiber Reactive dyes do not work for silk or wool. They are indeed natural fibers, but are of animal, rather than plant, origins.

I don't know about wool, but procion MX dyes can be used on silk, although some of the colors come out differently on silk than on cotton. I took a class from QuiltUniversity called Gutta Resist on Silk, using procion dyes to paint on silk. The results were fabulous.

[View My TQS Profile Kristin1]

To Sharon's440.

I'm glad you started dyeing! I am just now reading these posts and felt I had to respond.

I do use my kitchen sink for dyeing, which is metal, and the few times the dye has stained I used a cleaning product with bleach to clean it and the stains came out. I believe this would work on porcelain also.

I mix my dye solutions in my breakfast room, which is right next to my kitchen. If done using safety precautions, I personally do not think this is a problem. The dye powder is what can be problematic healthwise. After it is in solution, it is not a problem. I open the top of each jar only as long as it takes to measure the dye, then close it immediately. I am also not doing this around any moving source of air, for example an A/C vent or ceiling fan, so I have not had any problems with the powder floating. I aslo do not have any beverages or open food around when I am dyeing. And of course I wear either a mask or respirator.

For those of us who do not have a "wet studio" or exclusive area to dye, I don't think that should stop anyone from dyeing fabric. It is so much fun!

[View My TQS Profile Lorchen]

I'm a 'Lazy Dyer'. I have got little spare time, and so far have not set up anything at home, but every other year or so I book a one day workshop (either dyeing or marbling), have a super time, and come home with a stack of fabrics. But I don't have to work out how and where in my home to do the dyeing, and most of the materials are provided, so I don't have to think about how and where to store any leftover stuff, and there is a lot more space in a purpose-built workshop than in my humble home. It suits me.

Lorchen