Dyeing 101–don’t make a mess! Learn from my mistakes— you’ll make different mistakes! I have horror stories—like the time we were in a naturally dye workshop. The instructor was making up an indigo batch, she sat the jar aside, without the lid, and when she turned back to add to the jar, she knocked it over!!!
The indigo dye went everywhere! Even hit the ceiling somehow! To this day if you go into that room and look up you’ll see an indigo dyed ceiling tile! A very pretty blue tile!!
Today I’m dyeing with a union dye (Rit). DON’T!! Dye in the kitchen!!
A union dye will penetrate most fibers but if in a powder form can travel many miles even in no wind!
You will find little speckles of dye even though you thought you were careful!
I need three backings for quilts and blue is a good color for those three tops. I scrunched (that’s a technical term!) the white cotton fabric into dyepot. I’m going for a mottled look—not a uniform color. Add water and steep on low heat. Sprinkle in small amount of dye—better use a face mask or you’ll be blowing blue for awhile! I used liquid dye this time—little safer than powder—can’t always find color you want in liquid form though.
Looking good as heat simmers away—poke down the fabric periodically with your dye spoon
Good color for this one but dye is not exhausted as this one is rinsed thoroughly I repeat with second fabric
Second is a little more exhausted but guess what? There is still dye left unattached in the pot—
So in goes the third fabric
Lighter blue still and I could have gone two or three more to completely exhaust the dye—didn’t though.
I hate throwing away good dye!
Dispose of dye carefully—
Fabric pieces go in washer for good cleaning and then into dryer.
Backings ready for next quilting day!
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