Tuesday, March 03, 2009

No More Excuses
,

A really good red, from Fire Red #10 with some Deep Orange #6 tossed in for warmth. Dyed on Nature's Way muslin. The yellow-orange ( Cheetos Orange) is Deep Yellow #4, also dyed on Nature's Way muslin. Both results are matte and look kinda suede-y. Half yards.



The Compleat Dyer...
When we moved here I knew I was done with dyeing. No laundry sink was my first clue. And really I have enough fabric, she said. But funny how one uses up one's fave-best pieces and then is wondering which old dyer friend to hit up for something that looks just like that piece I used in...
But when push comes to shove, and with the aid of a gift box full of dyes (thanks so much Colleen) I found I could make a spot which could possibly work and of course now it has.


Here is the one box full of utensils, and containers that will work for solids and scrunchy.


The one box of dyes and soda ash. I ordered a few more colors from Dharma, and they will come by Weds or Thurs...These are 2 oz. jars of dye, much smaller than I used to use. But really, I am no longer in business, so what more do I need for the occasional dye session?


That amazing ol' junky armoire just happens to hold the two tubs which are the last part of the equipment. The box of dyes slide in nicely here too. Just the one larger Rubbermaid above has to go in the hall closet.

So there it is. Two boxes and two tubs, and a big ol' plastic table and I am back to dyeing. When it gets warm I can do the fancy stuff that dries outdoors in the sun. Is there any reason you can't dye somewhere in your house too?

19 comments:

  1. I have been dyeing here but it is very difficult. We live in a one bedroom apartment with a tiny kitchen and a tiny bathroom. I have been using plastic buckets lined with trashbags to do scrunchy dyes, and a washtub in the kitchen sink to do solid dyes. I dont feel comfortable dyeing in my kitchen though and try very hard to not get anything anywhere. I also dump the used dye water into the toilet. Which means a precarious journey down the hall from the kitchen to the toilet. I have no yard so I cant do any outdoor dyeing. My dream is for a nice studio with a sink and counters, a door leading out to a yard...*sigh* Maybe someday ^_^

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  2. Silly girl... once dye gets into your veins, you can never completely rid yourself of the insidious addiction! Give in!

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  3. Hmmm... can I make room for this also? "You bet your bippy!" Ok, that's a phrase I've heard my parents say and I must confess I have no idea what a "bippy" is!

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  4. Ohhhh! Is THAT all it takes?! Geez, what have I been waiting for?!

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  5. I'm "dying" to try dying again BUT..... we have new floors (which we installed ourselves) and you should see the trail I leave just trying to clean out the fish tank :)

    I guess I could put multiple layers on and go "shiver my timbers" down in the basement (no heat or A/C)

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  6. I have been dyeing in my basement, and putting things to batch in a big cooler with warm bottles of hot water. I bundle up in my laundry room, no heat,and I, too am waiting for those warm days to batch in the sun!

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  7. Love the red and orange! I'm glad you're having fun again :)

    Colleen

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  8. I neglected to mention putting the container of wet dyed fabric (covered) in the microwave for a minute...that really does the trick and shortens dyeing time immensely. The microwave gets the dye molecules bouncing around to make them bump up against the cotton fibers and bind to them. Don't let it get too dry and burn!

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  9. I love how you have minimalized your dye set up! How fun was that to put a whole new system together so you can continue to get the fabrics you want to make your wonderful art quilts! I say YAY! This is making me wish I hadn't given all my dye stuff away, but with this new Compleat Dyer idea, I might be tempted again!

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  10. It's frigid here-I could just wrap myself in the yellow & orange and feel happy all day. Gorgeous stuff Mel

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  11. You know, I'm picturing the possibilities ....

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  12. I love the way you took the photos of the colors with similar objects that we all know. I can see a book forming in your head.

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  13. Question: when you put your batch in the microwave, how much longer do you let it batch in normal room temp.?

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  14. Well, shucks, I could do this! Just time to upgrade a bit to bigger containers. Where is the "politically correct" place to dump leftover (dyed) water from the tubs?

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  15. Roxy, Um...I did this today, so I guess I let it cook for a minute and then made a pot of coffee, did my emails, then changed to my dye clothes and dumped the two containers in the kitchen sink. They were cooled off already, so I guess I waited about twenty minutes.
    When I have dyes that have sat unused for several days, I test their viability by dyeing a bit of fabric in the microwave. I nuke for a minute and then wash it out immediately. If it stays dyed, then the dye is still good. That' how I discovered the way this works. Try everything and see what happens.
    Melody

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  16. Leftover dyes go down the drain. In my early days I rinsed out the dyes in the yard and the resulting grass was the greenest part of the yard.

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  17. Okay, you've talked me into it.
    I dyeing to try this...sorry, I had to say it.

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  18. I love that red. It looks like it would be perfect for a Santa suit in a Christmas quilt. Question - How much Deep Orange #6 did you add to the Fire Red #10? I want to try to obtain a color as close as possible. Thanks in advance, Jay

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Hello,
So nice of you to drop by. I love your comments, and if you would really like a reply, please email me at fibermania at g mail dot com