More Dyeing (Still with an 'e')

Monday was another dyeing day with my partner in art quilt experimentation - this is my stack of boxes ready to take home to cure until the next day. Zip-lock bags and jars were also used.) So pretty and full of promise.....and gives a new meaning to take-away, doesn't it?.......

This time we ordered some PFD (prepared for dyeing) fabrics and some new dyes as well - though, Scrooge that I am,  I used up my old dyes but they still worked. The results from our first attempt were a little more muted than we expected so we spent some time researching and set out to make some changes to our methods and materials. 

We pre-soaked our fabrics in soda ash and salt solutions while we mixed up our dye stocks seperately. My fabrics were laid out in the take-away boxes, dye poured on then scrunched to move the dyes through the fabric and blend colours. (I also mixed different coloured dyes together before pouring them onto the fabric.)

The washout started Tuesday morning and pretty soon there were 16 richly coloured fat quarters swinging in the breeze and soaking up our spring sunshine.

By evening the pile was ironed and all was revealed..........though the photos don't really capture the intensity.

The reds and oranges..........

The warm yellow was a little unreliable again (or maybe it was my mixing - but 'never blame yourself'.....to quote someone near and dear to me.)

These three were dyed in the same pot - the darkest one at the bottom with full strength dye which was progressively watered down as the layers were added and produced a lovely gradation........

The rose-brown gradation..........

The blues.......

The blues and greens.......

The berries, pinks, purples............

Put together with the first batch and a nice little stash of fabrics suitable for landscape quilts and flowers is building up.

The stash so far...........

L-R homespun, sheeting and poplin.

Three different fabrics were put into the same dye bath to test their take-up of the dye. The poplin dyed more evenly - and has a lovely hand.

I also tossed a couple of quilting samples in dye and the results warrant further investigation. (With this book to guide and inspire.)

And finally  a silk scarf which slurped up the dye and washed out well - so there could be a few more of these next time - though I need to be a bit more considered in my approach.........

All in all pretty pleasing, outcomes achieved but there's always more to learn.......

Sue xxxx