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Post by Pandagirl on Mar 15, 2014 13:21:49 GMT
Cathy, the difference may have been yours was cheesecloth and the locks were wool. She also used vinegar. I don't recall if you did. My first attempt with cheesecloth was Procion dye and they turned out very pale even though I used soda ash in low immersion. The second time I steamed them and got better results with vivid colors. It's always an experiment unless you do it often enough. :-). The nice thing is if they come out too light the first time you can always overdye.
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Post by zara on Mar 15, 2014 13:44:33 GMT
I also like the idea of using food colouring and the microwave to quickly and easily make small batches in different shades and colours.
As I understand it, wool and silk are among the fibers that most easily absorb colour. Other fibers such as cotton usually need a fixative such as salt. But I am not an expert. Just learning by trial and error. :-)
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Post by Pandagirl on Mar 15, 2014 14:35:08 GMT
You are right Zara. Wool and silk are proteins. Cotton is plant based and usually requires salt and soda ash as a fixative. You are learning quickly. :-)
I've never used food coloring, but would imagine it works the same with a fixative. Obviously it work well for you using the vinegar.
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Post by luvswool and dyestuff on Mar 15, 2014 15:06:58 GMT
Marilyn, That makes sense, but I did use a vinegar and water bath for soaking both the sheep wool and cheesecloth. But then I rinsed them in cool water. When I tried to felt the cheesecloth, most of the color washed out! Haven't tried to felt the food color dyed wool yet…maybe that's on tap for today!
Zara, trial and error is exactly how I am learning, too!
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Post by carole aka craftywoman on Mar 16, 2014 7:29:14 GMT
A friend told me that acid dyes don't work on cottons, so maybe that's why the cheese cloth has been difficult :-)
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Post by Pandagirl on Mar 16, 2014 14:51:13 GMT
Yes, Carole, cotton is plant based and will dye with Procion mx dyes and soda ash and salt fixative. Acid dyes are for protein fibers like silk and wool and use vinegar as a fixative.
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Post by luvswool and dyestuff on Mar 16, 2014 21:31:24 GMT
Did a wee bit of dyeing today--after all, I have that 12 color collection of Wilton icing gels! Here's what I got (6 down, 6 to go): IMG_5316 by catwycliff, on Flickr
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Post by luvswool and dyestuff on Mar 16, 2014 21:33:42 GMT
Just in case you are wondering, the hot pink was labeled "burgundy," yellow was "golden yellow," and the camel was "brown."
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Post by Pandagirl on Mar 16, 2014 21:46:33 GMT
The yellow certainly came out bright enough. I'm sure you'll find a use for all of them! Did you use vinegar?
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Post by luvswool and dyestuff on Mar 16, 2014 21:54:14 GMT
Yes, used vinegar in soak water and washed wool in cold water after dyeing!
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Post by MTRuth on Mar 16, 2014 23:53:56 GMT
I think when you get around to trying the acid dyes, you'll really appreciate the colors that you get. Nothing wrong with these but seems they are a bit unexpected.
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Post by luvswool and dyestuff on Mar 17, 2014 0:16:11 GMT
You are spot on, Ruth! I never know what to expect with the food colors.
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Post by Shepherdess on Mar 17, 2014 14:25:41 GMT
Dyeing is lots of fun. I use both kinds. Silk is the only one that will dye with both types of dye.
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Post by luvswool and dyestuff on Mar 17, 2014 17:28:43 GMT
Making note of that, Ann! Have not yet tried to dye silk, but I am tempted now!
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Post by zara on May 5, 2014 21:02:57 GMT
During Easter I tried dyeing wool with the dye in tablet form used for dyeing eggs. We actually dyed the eggs first, and then dyed wool in the same solution (tablet dissolved in water and a little vinegar) - I figured it was a shame to waste it. Just popped it into the microwave for a few minutes, and it really worked well. :-)
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