Fun with cold-water dyes...

I was going to call this Fun With Dyeing but thought it might put
people off...

....but over the last two days I've been having great fun with my
collection of Procion cold-water dyes and the white-on-white fabric I
bought at the NEC on Thursday!

My friend from work, Carolyn-Ann, came over yesterday (Saturday) with
the fabric she'd bought on Thursday too, and we got to work. I'd
already prepared the salt and soda solutions the night before, so it
was just a case of deciding what colours to use, and to get the dye
mixes ready.

And then the fun started - we almost set up a production line of
preparing the plastic bags and writing up labels for them - we were
following the guidelines in Helen Deighans "Dyeing in Plastic Bags"
book which I've had for a while, but never gotten around to using. Its
written in a very friendly and easy way to follow, almost as if Helen
is in the room with you. Its also printed on slightly shiny paper
which resists drops of dye & water, and likes having the pages turned
whilst wearing latex gloves...

We used pure red, pure yellow, midnight blue and jet black dyes, and
between us have managed to turn out ranges of blues, purples, greens
and oranges, reds and an almost black. The white-on-white fabrics are
stunning, some are brighter/whiter than others but the pattern is
still very visible. They look so different when they are dyed, than
from being white-on-white!

Having spent at least 3 hours in the dye mix, the liquid was then
drained and the damp fabric left overnight in their bags to allow the
dye to seep further into the grain, and then today I spent practically
all the day rinsing each fabric in cold water, hot soapy water, then
as many cold water rinses until the water is clear (or until you get
bored/knackered/couldn't give a d*mn anymore - whichever is the
sooner...) my bathroom sink is completely at the wrong height so I had
to sit on a stool whilst doing the rinsing - but I'm still paying for
it with aching wrists and forearms where I've leant on the edge of the
sink...

I'm now in the process of writing up a dyeing diary (sounds painful!)
whist its still fresh in my mind as to what quantities of dye I used
to obtain what, and am cutting chunks of fabric to stick in the book
as a reminder. With any luck, if I keep going the way I want to
(bruises and backache allowing!) I'll have a permanent record of how
to obtain any colour again, and can have more fun in the future!

BTW, I intend to use the fabric I've dyed in the sampler quilt I'm
about to start, and also in a new project I'm toying with, involving
gridded vilene and foundation piecing log cabin squares in my
lunch-hour at work...

Suzie B
--
"From the internet connection under the pier"
Southend, UK
http://community.webshots.com/user/suziekga

On Sun, 24 Aug 2003 15:16:12 -0700, "KittyG"
wrote:

That sounds like fun! A lot of work but worth it.

Some questions: How much fabric do you dye at one time and what kind of
fabric is the base fabric?- white cotton muslin, cotton sheets, etc? Are
you doing solids, marbled, "tie-dyed"/rainbow style or batik style?

Oops, forgot to put that in didn't I! I've used approx 1 FQ of white
-on-white 100% cotton and a FE of plain white calico in each plastic
bag - the sort you get at the grocery store for freezing stuff in,
they are 30 cm x 39 cm and have a gusset at the bottom which makes it
perfect for putting the water, dye and fabric into. The fabrics are
all dyed as solids, which means I've got a sort-of Moda Marbles effect
where the dye hasn't quite taken, which makes for an interesting
effect.

Some pics would be great Being able to do this would certainly help in
the eternal hunt for the "perfect" color.

Hmm, I'm prolly going to do some more tomorrow, I'll see if DH can
take some digi-pix whilst I'm busy knackering myself and I'll bung
them on my webshots page. I needed some yellows and reds anyway!

kitty in phx
~and what a great way to build up your stash "But honey, I just have to
practice"...~
--
http://community.webshots.com/user/kittykatchee



--
"From the internet connection under the pier"
Southend, UK
http://community.webshots.com/user/suziekga

You have inspired me -not just this post, but with your comments during
lunch Thursday. So I bought a starter pack of dyes and a book Thursday
afternoon, along with some WOW pieces. It's near the top of the things-to-do
list!
Roberta in D

"Paul & Suzie Beckwith" wrote in message
...
I was going to call this Fun With Dyeing but thought it might put
people off...

...but over the last two days I've been having great fun with my
collection of Procion cold-water dyes and the white-on-white fabric I
bought at the NEC on Thursday!

My friend from work, Carolyn-Ann, came over yesterday (Saturday) with
the fabric she'd bought on Thursday too, and we got to work. I'd
already prepared the salt and soda solutions the night before, so it
was just a case of deciding what colours to use, and to get the dye
mixes ready.

And then the fun started - we almost set up a production line of
preparing the plastic bags and writing up labels for them - we were
following the guidelines in Helen Deighans "Dyeing in Plastic Bags"
book which I've had for a while, but never gotten around to using. Its
written in a very friendly and easy way to follow, almost as if Helen
is in the room with you. Its also printed on slightly shiny paper
which resists drops of dye & water, and likes having the pages turned
whilst wearing latex gloves...

We used pure red, pure yellow, midnight blue and jet black dyes, and
between us have managed to turn out ranges of blues, purples, greens
and oranges, reds and an almost black. The white-on-white fabrics are
stunning, some are brighter/whiter than others but the pattern is
still very visible. They look so different when they are dyed, than
from being white-on-white!

Having spent at least 3 hours in the dye mix, the liquid was then
drained and the damp fabric left overnight in their bags to allow the
dye to seep further into the grain, and then today I spent practically
all the day rinsing each fabric in cold water, hot soapy water, then
as many cold water rinses until the water is clear (or until you get
bored/knackered/couldn't give a d*mn anymore - whichever is the
sooner...) my bathroom sink is completely at the wrong height so I had
to sit on a stool whilst doing the rinsing - but I'm still paying for
it with aching wrists and forearms where I've leant on the edge of the
sink...

I'm now in the process of writing up a dyeing diary (sounds painful!)
whist its still fresh in my mind as to what quantities of dye I used
to obtain what, and am cutting chunks of fabric to stick in the book
as a reminder. With any luck, if I keep going the way I want to
(bruises and backache allowing!) I'll have a permanent record of how
to obtain any colour again, and can have more fun in the future!

BTW, I intend to use the fabric I've dyed in the sampler quilt I'm
about to start, and also in a new project I'm toying with, involving
gridded vilene and foundation piecing log cabin squares in my
lunch-hour at work...

Suzie B
--
"From the internet connection under the pier"
Southend, UK
http://community.webshots.com/user/suziekga

Next time, Suzie, do it at Carolyn-Ann's house. It should be easier on your
back unless she, too, lives under a pier.
--
Ruth in Happy Camp
"Paul & Suzie Beckwith" wrote in message
...
I was going to call this Fun With Dyeing but thought it might put
people off...

...but over the last two days I've been having great fun with my
collection of Procion cold-water dyes and the white-on-white fabric I
bought at the NEC on Thursday!

My friend from work, Carolyn-Ann, came over yesterday (Saturday) with
the fabric she'd bought on Thursday too, and we got to work. I'd
already prepared the salt and soda solutions the night before, so it
was just a case of deciding what colours to use, and to get the dye
mixes ready.

And then the fun started - we almost set up a production line of
preparing the plastic bags and writing up labels for them - we were
following the guidelines in Helen Deighans "Dyeing in Plastic Bags"
book which I've had for a while, but never gotten around to using. Its
written in a very friendly and easy way to follow, almost as if Helen
is in the room with you. Its also printed on slightly shiny paper
which resists drops of dye & water, and likes having the pages turned
whilst wearing latex gloves...

We used pure red, pure yellow, midnight blue and jet black dyes, and
between us have managed to turn out ranges of blues, purples, greens
and oranges, reds and an almost black. The white-on-white fabrics are
stunning, some are brighter/whiter than others but the pattern is
still very visible. They look so different when they are dyed, than
from being white-on-white!

Having spent at least 3 hours in the dye mix, the liquid was then
drained and the damp fabric left overnight in their bags to allow the
dye to seep further into the grain, and then today I spent practically
all the day rinsing each fabric in cold water, hot soapy water, then
as many cold water rinses until the water is clear (or until you get
bored/knackered/couldn't give a d*mn anymore - whichever is the
sooner...) my bathroom sink is completely at the wrong height so I had
to sit on a stool whilst doing the rinsing - but I'm still paying for
it with aching wrists and forearms where I've leant on the edge of the
sink...

I'm now in the process of writing up a dyeing diary (sounds painful!)
whist its still fresh in my mind as to what quantities of dye I used
to obtain what, and am cutting chunks of fabric to stick in the book
as a reminder. With any luck, if I keep going the way I want to
(bruises and backache allowing!) I'll have a permanent record of how
to obtain any colour again, and can have more fun in the future!

BTW, I intend to use the fabric I've dyed in the sampler quilt I'm
about to start, and also in a new project I'm toying with, involving
gridded vilene and foundation piecing log cabin squares in my
lunch-hour at work...

Suzie B
--
"From the internet connection under the pier"
Southend, UK
http://community.webshots.com/user/suziekga

Suzie, US2U, is located a couple of miles from me!

Moira

"Paul & Suzie Beckwith" wrote in message
...
The funniest thing is, when I first bought some WOW at Chilford, with
the intention of dyeing it, I had no idea how it would turn out, and
neither had the stall-holder... also neither did the people who ran
another stall at Chilford which specialised in the exact fabric dyes I
was gonna use...

It was only at the NEC on Thursday that I found a stall called US2U
Fabrics who had samples of WOW dyed with Dylon - and I was absolutely
thrilled!!!

D'ya know, Thursdays trip to Birmingham, even tho it was a very early
start for me and I didn't get home until after midnight, has proved to
be brilliant in loads more ways than one!

Suzie B
--
"From the internet connection under the pier"
Southend, UK
http://community.webshots.com/user/suziekga

On Mon, 25 Aug 2003 16:49:24 +0200, "Roberta Zollner"
wrote:

You have inspired me -not just this post, but with your comments during
lunch Thursday. So I bought a starter pack of dyes and a book Thursday
afternoon, along with some WOW pieces. It's near the top of the things-to-do
list!
Roberta in D

We're gonna have to have a hand-dyed block swap or Round Robin the
rate things are going! You let me know how you get on now, you hear!

Suzie B
--
"From the internet connection under the pier"
Southend, UK
http://community.webshots.com/user/suziekga

On Mon, 25 Aug 2003 10:17:09 -0700, "Ruth in Happy Camp"
wrote:

Next time, Suzie, do it at Carolyn-Ann's house. It should be easier on your
back unless she, too, lives under a pier.

Naah, she lives in a bungalow which is actually smaller than my flat,
and is on an island...

Suzie B
--
Ruth in Happy Camp
"Paul & Suzie Beckwith" wrote in message
...
I was going to call this Fun With Dyeing but thought it might put
people off...

...but over the last two days I've been having great fun with my
collection of Procion cold-water dyes and the white-on-white fabric I
bought at the NEC on Thursday!

My friend from work, Carolyn-Ann, came over yesterday (Saturday) with
the fabric she'd bought on Thursday too, and we got to work. I'd
already prepared the salt and soda solutions the night before, so it
was just a case of deciding what colours to use, and to get the dye
mixes ready.

And then the fun started - we almost set up a production line of
preparing the plastic bags and writing up labels for them - we were
following the guidelines in Helen Deighans "Dyeing in Plastic Bags"
book which I've had for a while, but never gotten around to using. Its
written in a very friendly and easy way to follow, almost as if Helen
is in the room with you. Its also printed on slightly shiny paper
which resists drops of dye & water, and likes having the pages turned
whilst wearing latex gloves...

We used pure red, pure yellow, midnight blue and jet black dyes, and
between us have managed to turn out ranges of blues, purples, greens
and oranges, reds and an almost black. The white-on-white fabrics are
stunning, some are brighter/whiter than others but the pattern is
still very visible. They look so different when they are dyed, than
from being white-on-white!

Having spent at least 3 hours in the dye mix, the liquid was then
drained and the damp fabric left overnight in their bags to allow the
dye to seep further into the grain, and then today I spent practically
all the day rinsing each fabric in cold water, hot soapy water, then
as many cold water rinses until the water is clear (or until you get
bored/knackered/couldn't give a d*mn anymore - whichever is the
sooner...) my bathroom sink is completely at the wrong height so I had
to sit on a stool whilst doing the rinsing - but I'm still paying for
it with aching wrists and forearms where I've leant on the edge of the
sink...

I'm now in the process of writing up a dyeing diary (sounds painful!)
whist its still fresh in my mind as to what quantities of dye I used
to obtain what, and am cutting chunks of fabric to stick in the book
as a reminder. With any luck, if I keep going the way I want to
(bruises and backache allowing!) I'll have a permanent record of how
to obtain any colour again, and can have more fun in the future!

BTW, I intend to use the fabric I've dyed in the sampler quilt I'm
about to start, and also in a new project I'm toying with, involving
gridded vilene and foundation piecing log cabin squares in my
lunch-hour at work...

Suzie B
--
"From the internet connection under the pier"
Southend, UK
http://community.webshots.com/user/suziekga




--
"From the internet connection under the pier"
Southend, UK
http://community.webshots.com/user/suziekga

In that case you can expect a visit from me and Carolyn pretty soon!!

Suzie B

On Mon, 25 Aug 2003 21:11:40 +0100, "MOIRA RIDDELL"
wrote:

Suzie, US2U, is located a couple of miles from me!

Moira

"Paul & Suzie Beckwith" wrote in message
...
The funniest thing is, when I first bought some WOW at Chilford, with
the intention of dyeing it, I had no idea how it would turn out, and
neither had the stall-holder... also neither did the people who ran
another stall at Chilford which specialised in the exact fabric dyes I
was gonna use...

It was only at the NEC on Thursday that I found a stall called US2U
Fabrics who had samples of WOW dyed with Dylon - and I was absolutely
thrilled!!!

D'ya know, Thursdays trip to Birmingham, even tho it was a very early
start for me and I didn't get home until after midnight, has proved to
be brilliant in loads more ways than one!

Suzie B
--
"From the internet connection under the pier"
Southend, UK
http://community.webshots.com/user/suziekga




--
"From the internet connection under the pier"
Southend, UK
http://community.webshots.com/user/suziekga

Thank you so much for the tutorial.
Your hand dyed fabric is lovely.
They look just like I want to make.

On Mon, 25 Aug 2003 19:15:59 GMT, M. Wetmore wrote:

Hi Suzie:

Be careful, dyeing can become addiciting. I know this because I have
over 50 yards of hand dyed fabrics in my stash due to this addiction.

Just in case you are interested, I dye my fabrics in small canning
jars. You can see a tutorial he

http://www.mardiweb.com/quilts/dyeing.html

Mardi