Fibermania

Letting the Sun Do the Work

Judy in Indiana asks:
I am interested to know how the process works when letting the dyed fabrics dry in the hot sun without batching (keeping them moist for several hours for the dyes to work.) Why does drying in the sun work?



I am now going to lie through my teeth. I am going to surmise the answer, and do it like I know what I am talking about.
The dye molecule is in suspension in the dye solution. It comes into contact with the molecules of the fiber and may or may not bind with them at that very moment. If the solution is cool the molecules are bouncing around lethargically. If the solution is warm they move a bit faster, pushing and colliding into the fiber molecules.

Since these fabrics pictured here are sitting in the warm sun, imagine the little dye molecules all excitedly pushing and shoving their way to connect, react or bind chemically with the fiber molecules. As the water they are suspended in evaporates, it helps them get together faster. When the water is all gone they have no where else to go but FIBER.

I discovered this fact by accident and used it to my advantage. In the second set of pictures I have dyed silks. The silks take the dye intensely and the way they dried formed these wonderful patterns. Very like watercolors, no?

The first picture above is cotton, two or three layers of fabric dyed at once. The air bubbles formed as the dyes reacted to the fabric. The air bubbles stay until the fabric dries and they form a texture in the fabric. Neato! The second picture is cotton also, dyed in successive colors. They are also three layers deep, and take much longer to dry, being pleated. The top layer dries darker because the sun pulls the water to the surface as it dries and along with the water comes the dye.
That's my story...and I am sticking to it.