Wanna see my hand dyes?:
My Hand DyesGetting Started
The first method of dyeing I will present is cold water immersion dyeing. Even though technically, you don't use *cold* water, you do not need to use additional heat methods to set the dye. I actually find that using very warm to hot tap water makes the fuschia dye easier to mix. You may use 1 gallon baggies, or some other container to hold your fabric. Here is a generalized listing of supplies:§
****The items mentioned above should never be used for food once they have been used for dyeing!****
- Measuring Cups (both standard dry measure cups and a 2cup+ liquid measure cup *you may substitute 16oz Solo Cups to measure your 2cup dye solution)
- Measuring Spoons
- Long Mixing Spoon
- Mixing cups for dye ( 10 oz. clear Solo Cups work great, also consider canning jars with lids attached for storing mixed dyes )
- Mixing utensil for powder dye/water mixing (I got a 100 pack of wood skewers at grocery store for 99 ¢)
- 1 Gallon Container for mixing activator solution
- 1 Gallon Size Ziplock Baggies (the freezer variety hold up best)
- Paper towels (I like the adjustable size Sparkle)
- Chemical Dust Mask (provided if you order starter kit from Dharma)
- Rubber Gloves (I like the generic rubber maid that go up farther on the arm as opposed to the thinner, surgical style)
- Tub to hold your baggies (the 2.5 quart storage boxes you can get at Wal-Mart are excellent for this, or a dishpan)
- Small hand-trigger style spray bottles, squirt bottles, droppers *optional*
Chemical Additives & Procion Dyes
- Soda Ash (activator)
- Non-iodized Salt
- Synthrapol
- Procion Dyes
- *optional* Urea
You should be able to find the activator, soda ash, at any art store. You can also find it at Pool/Whirlpool Supply Shops. Ask for "PH Up" or a PH Increaser. The more scientific name is Dense Sodium Carbonate.
You may be able to find large bags of non-iodized salt at retail marts such as Wal-Mart and Kmart packaged as canning salt. Otherwise, just look for it onsale at your local grocery, generic brand is fine, and stock up on it in the normal carton size.
Synthrapol is a special detergent that you will use to pre-wash your fabric, and wash your fabric after dyeing. This is a crucial step in the hand dyeing process as the Synthrapol will suspend any remaining dye particles in the wash cycle to prevent them from falling onto the fabric and thus causing "backstaining." Backstaining is when one color from a fabric falls onto another piece of fabric. When the fabric still has significan soda ash solution to make it reactive, the dye molecules may bond with the fabric and give you some undesired colors. Synthrapol is usually available at my local quilt shops. If you don't find it stocked, check with the owner, they may be able to order it in, thus saving you larger shipping fees. Otherwise, order it from one of the sources below.
Procion Dyes are special dyes that are permanent, colorfast, and of course, washable. Normally, you will mix these with cold water and then fix with a soda ash solution. These dyes may also be thickened (using sodium alginate) for doing dye painting techniques. You may purchase Procion Dyes from the following sources:
Procion dye prices can range anywhere from $2.00 to almost $10.00 per 2oz. containers. I recommend that you order only 2oz containers to start. Primary colors of Red, Blue, and Yellow are good places to start as you can make just about any color with them. You may want to add a black to the list to try for deeper colors.
Suggested Colors for Red, Blue, and Yellow, according to Retailer:
*Thanks to CrystalGrif1 on the QuiltingPassion forum for this input
- *Dharma: #13 Fuschia Red (MX8B), #23 Cerulean Blue (MXG), #1 Lemon Yellow (MX8G)
- Colorado Wholesale Dyes: #8 Fuschia, #51 Turquoise, #38 Lemon Yellow
- *ProChem: Red: 308 Fuschia, Blue: 406 Intense Blue, Yellow: 108 Sun Yellow
Fabric
This is the tough choice. There are so many choices out there. You can go expensive and buy some fine quality Pima Cotton PFD (prepared for dyeing) for $5.00 - $6.00/yard, or go the cheaper way and get some nice Chatfield 200 thread count muslin from www.hancocks-paducah.com. Other choices that you can get from your local retail shops: 200 thread count Bellisimo from Joann Fabrics and Quilter's Only also from Joann's. I find that the 200 thread count fabric, even though it is divine to feel, is very hard to needle, and not the best choice for hand quilting/piecing. The Quilter's Only is a nice substitute, yet not the *best* fabric, but very nice. Recently, I have been buying mostly the Kona cotton by Robert Kaufman. It is a bit heavier feeling than the Chatfield, but less thread count, so easier for hand sewing and quilting. You can also use White on White (WOW) or White on Cream (WOC)fabrics. I haven't tried them yet, but several of my dyeing buddies have and they turn out really beautiful. No matter your fabric choice, remember to follow "preparing fabric for dyeing" instructions before starting your dye process.
Whew! That was a lot of information to process, wasn't it? Well, how about we take a brief break and check out what you can do with these dyes and some nice fabric.
§ If you prefer, you may order the Baggie Starter Kit from Dharma that comes with the book: Hand Dyed Fabric Made Easy by Buffington for around $30 at Dharma Trading Company
Fabric Dyeing
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