Monday, April 20, 2009

A Look To Dye For!

Love this, love this. Saturday I got to fabric dye for the first time in over 20 years (egads!). Then it was tie-dye for school spirit. This weekend it was the serious dye for things that you want to stand the test of time. This is me in my Serious Dye Gear. Yep, those are my swim goggles. DB said, "watch out for fumes" and, generally speaking, this gal listens to safety tips. (I really love those swim goggles, btw.)

Awhile back I had the opportunity to purchase some nice linen - like a lot of nice linen. I thought I could use it for around the house - pillows, embroidery, window coverings and such - and maybe a dress or blouse. Since I'm dyeing linen for curtains and clothes, I wanted to use something that had staying power against washings and sunlight. Did some reading on the web and decided on Dharma Fiber Reactive Procion Dyes from Dharma Trading (but of course). Everything I needed was there (plus more) and shipping was minimal and fast. Since we don't own a washing machine, I had to tub dye. A friend lent me an old washtub she had and it turned out to be perfect for a half-pound load or so (DB purchased a Rubbermaid trash can for the bigger jobs). For the test, I used Orchid. I was hoping it would work in the living room but no such luck. Such a beautiful color though! I also have some Azure Blue and Carmine Red. This is going to be fun! Below is a photo of the finished product. I think it turned out beautiful. No streaking or freckling with a consistent overall color. Poifect! Couldn't have been more pleased. I used soda ash to set the dye as well as a detergent that's supposed to assist. In addition to that, I used a dye fixative in the final rinse. I am happy to say that this fabric no longer bleeds. I'm really comfortable washing it with other items now. How cool is that?! This was a really fun project and I'm anxious to find the right color for the curtains. These will have to be dyed after they're made but I think it will work fine all the same.

I'm told the bamboo interlock I ordered (and that's dyeable) is shipping this week! Whoo hoo! I'm thinking I want to try some of that red..

Rachel S.

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