Thursday, June 13, 2013

Prepare to Dye!



I've cleaned the house, the studio and the porch, so now I am ready to go to the airport and pick up my cousin Celeste. We are going to try out all my dyeing techniques in just two and a half days. She is bringing her own muslin, but of course we have lots more here to share and that includes some other cottons, and silks.
We'll do solids, textures, maybe a little tie dye and then Special Editions too. I'll be blogging (she says...) the process as well as the product, so heads up, future dyers. It will all be explained here.
This is a solid color which will be massaged and then squeezed till all the excess dye is in the dishpan, and then the fabric will go into a baggie or a plastic container and allowed to sit in the hot sun for a while as we continue to dye more colors. The fabric is prepared for dyeing muslin, prewashed and then soaked in water+soda ash, wrung out and then the dye solution is poured on. Simple!


The Special Editions...stay tuned for more on this technique when we get to it.



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16 comments:

  1. Sounds like a really fun couple of days! I look forward to reading/seeing your blog as you two work.

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  2. Exciting! I'm looking forward to lots of photos! Have fun.

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  3. So this is a version of the "stay-cation", right? What fun! I look forward to your instructional. I'm curious about how you dispose of excess dyes. And PFD fabric allows you to skip the step of soda-ash? Just some questions if you get a chance to cover in your blogging. Have a great time!

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  4. I want to be your cousin!!!! What an amazing experience this would be - I know she's thrilled! Have fun!

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  5. Please, lots of details on the special editions.. I really want to do that.

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  6. Can't wait for the instructional on the special editions. Can you tell us the colours you use together please, I am so sick of my dyelot ending up lots of mucky browns! Enjoy your time together, I wish I was coming too!

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  7. Looks like a great time! And someone asked about excess dyes? There are no excess dyes--you just find more fabric, right?

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  8. How fun... dying without getting our hands dirty! I'm in.
    Hugs

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  9. Me too! Can't wait...I always get dye on my fingers even though I wear gloves. The ones I buy must be seconds I think...I even got bruised looking fingers after wearing two gloves on each hand...

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  10. I hope you do some ice dyeing as part of your experiments. I do it all the time and get fantastic results. I even dye mostly cotton shirts and golf shirts.

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  11. Ooh how exciting. Looking forward to seeing the result!

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  12. Anonymous7:29 AM

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  13. I may dye along when you get to the special editions! I'm totally in love with your results! Have fun...

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  14. Hope you are busy dyeing and about to publish...

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  15. The color intensity is amazing. I look forward to seeing what you do with them!

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