I spent the day today turning this white fabric into this.....
I dye fabric about once a year. Its extremely messy, and I don't have a lot of space to do it in so that's why I don't do it real often. I ended up with 14 yards total and there are only three that I think are ugly so I think I did pretty good.
This time I decided to try the "recepies" from Ann Johnston's Color by Accident book. I don't normally work from a book but there were some things in there that I haven't tried before so I thought, what the heck? Some things I liked, some things will need some help with additional surface design to avoid becoming the backing for a quilt. All in all, it was pretty successful.
And since I spent nine hours today with my hands in water and dye, I bring you my Top Ten Helpful Dyeing Hints:
1. Even if you wear rubber gloves, you WILL get dye on your hands. Get over it, but some Reduran and move on.
2. If you are new to dyeing and love red fabric, choose a new color for your favorite. Or be prepared to spend hours rinsing the same yard of fabric.
3. Black dye can fix everything.
4. Black dye isn't really black. Its blue black or green black or some color you can't identify...
5. Dyeing fabric is not for control freaks. It doesn't matter what it looks like in the book - your's will always look different.
6. A stainless steel sink is essential.
7. Dye and pets with white fur don't mix.
8. A 90 degree day + blacktop driveway + fair skin without sunscreen = stupidity.
9. Dyeing fabric is not a fashion show. Choose clothing you aren't particularly attached to. Aprons don't work.
10. I know there is a #10 in there somewhere but I'm too tired to think of it now...oh be quiet and go dye something.
5 comments:
Hi! I am one of the original artful quilters web ring members. I am surfing from Diane's blog backwards to see who is new. I have searched all over your blog and I can't find out who you are or where you live. Maybe you don't want me to know. Anyway, love the fabric you dyed. Ann lives here in the Portland area and she does such fantastic work.
Another hint, if you go to blogger settings, you can set your comments for a pop up window, then we can see what we are talking about when we comment. Just a suggestion.
Let me know who you are, some of your favorite artists, are mine, too!
Gerrie,
I added my name to my header, my location has always been there. Thanks for the comment on the dyeing. I know the pop-ups for the comments are an option but I elected to leave them off when I set up the blog, its not something I like.
Thanks for the critique of my blog.
Lynn
#10. There will always be one piece you love and cannot bear the thought of cutting into it and there will always be a piece you throw into the clean up bag, looks like all the colors ran together and formed mud.
Loving your blog, Lynn! Isn't dyeing fun, though - you got it right with your 10...
Lynn, I love your comment about if red is your favorite color, get another one! LOL That hits home because red IS one of the colors I want to get with dyes..........
Ah well, I can only try - then I too will have something to whine about when I get all pinks.... sigh........
Gena
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