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Post by MTRuth on Jan 8, 2012 3:53:32 GMT
I spent all day on Friday dyeing more thread and fabric for my stitch class. I used Procion MX dyes. I did take Ann's suggestion and tried some wool thread but instead of soaking it in soda ash like you do for the cottons, I soaked it in vinegar. I have tried dyeing wool thread before with the Procion dye and they turned out very pale. But this worked - thanks Ann! The color isn't quite as intense as you can get with acid dyes but it isn't pale like my other experiments.   The wool thread is the turquoise one at the bottom left of the second photo. |
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florcita
Junior Member
www.florcita.eu
Posts: 48
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Post by florcita on Jan 8, 2012 8:24:29 GMT
lovely colours!
I have never used Procion dyes...
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Post by zed on Jan 8, 2012 8:46:51 GMT
Oh wow, they're gorgeous  I've never used Procion either. Can you apply it directly and steam or do you have to use a pot ful? |
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Post by karen on Jan 8, 2012 11:07:10 GMT
Oh gorgeous colors Ruth |
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Post by MTRuth on Jan 8, 2012 22:37:27 GMT
I hadn't used Procion dyes before I took this stitch class but they work better with cottons. I apply directly and the nice thing about this type of dye is that you "batch" the dyes to set them which means you let them sit for at least 4 hours. No steaming required. I also direct dyed a hat that I made with Procion dyes. I'll post photos as soon as it is dry. The Procion dyes take up better in silk so if you add silk or plant based fibers to your wool, the wool will be lighter and the embellishments darker.
For the threads, I just laid them out on plastic and squirted dye on with a syringe. You do have to soak the threads in soda ash water before dyeing. That's the setting agent.
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Post by teriann on Jan 8, 2012 22:55:56 GMT
Ruth,
They look great.
Would this work on cotton scrim or cheesecloth?
I've been experimenting with nuno felting on cheesecloth and I wonder if I could use the method you described to dye a design onto the cheesecloth?
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Post by jufergu on Jan 9, 2012 1:30:17 GMT
I use Procion Dye with my cotton fabrics. They are wonderful to work with. I have also died silk ribbon with my batches and also lace. Poly lace will not work, it has to be a cotton based lace, but it makes beautiful embellishing elements. I have a page on my blog on snow dyeing. Using snow to mix your dyes into and then let it melt on top of your fabrics overnight. You can see it on my blog http://judysfiberart. blogspot.com Click on the Projects of Interest tab at top. It does work on cheesecloth, by the way.
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Post by MTRuth on Jan 9, 2012 1:32:34 GMT
Anything cotton or plant based works well with Procion dyes. I haven't tried the snow dyeing - I keep saying I want to but haven't managed to do it yet. It seems a bit messy |
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Post by zed on Jan 9, 2012 9:56:17 GMT
Do they keep after they are mixed up and do you have to rinse after dyeing? The colours are so gorgeous and the cotton keeps its shine |
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Post by pamd on Jan 9, 2012 14:38:05 GMT
Ruth, those colors are absolutely gorgeous.
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Post by shelley on Jan 9, 2012 16:07:45 GMT
Colours are just fantastic, so rich and deep. Lush!
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Post by MTRuth on Jan 9, 2012 18:22:30 GMT
Thanks everyone!
Zed - the colors were mixed a week before the dyeing session. You just can't mix the dye with the soda ash beforehand. You mix the dyes with water and they can be stored in a cool place for a while. You do have to rinse and you lose a lot of color. So the threads turn out a lot lighter than when the dye is applied.
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Post by lyn on Jan 9, 2012 19:02:21 GMT
Lovely threads Ruth!
Annie and I used to dye our own scrim (cheesecloth) with procion dyes and got some fabulous results.
We had great fun mixing the dyes to make our own colours - but sometimes we forgot to take notes and then couldn't re-create a colour we really liked!
One thing we used to do was put a piece of cloth in the dye mix, then twenty minutes later add another piece of cloth. That way we got two shades of the same colour.
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Post by jufergu on Jan 10, 2012 20:45:46 GMT
There is also a process call Low Emersion Dyeing. You scrunch the fabric, put it in ziploc bags, put small amount of dye in bag and squish around, heat briefly in microwave and let sit overnight. Rinse the next day and then put in washer. The fabric must be presoaked in soda ash before you dye it. It makes a very mottled effect. Some lights, some darks.
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Post by MTRuth on Jan 10, 2012 21:11:23 GMT
Judy - I love low immersion dyeing and use it a lot. It's fast, simple and I do love that mottled effect.
Lyn - I rarely remember to take notes and just go with serendipity and know that I won't be able reproduce colors exactly. That's a great idea for getting lighter values of the same color.
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