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Post by carole aka craftywoman on Jul 7, 2015 8:22:12 GMT
I am thinking about buying viscose tops for the next challenge as it's cheap and I believe dyes well.
I haven't felted with it, neither have I dyed it - can anyone help me. I did read your blog Ruth about dyeing but I think I need step by step instructions.
I also have a notion to use natural dyes - plant life for the challenge - again I've never done that either.
So I suppose this thread is a please HELP
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Post by felicity on Jul 7, 2015 9:33:29 GMT
Carole, I work with viscose a lot, mainly because of the cost and then with coarse (or just carded) wool it shows better than silk which often disappears. I do not dye it, buy coloured already. As for natural dyes I use onion peels, I like the colours and it stays weel after felting. I know there are a lot of natural plant dyes like roots and leaves but have not use them yet!
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Post by carole aka craftywoman on Jul 7, 2015 9:51:35 GMT
Thank you Felicity, I have placed an order today it looks so shiny, do you do anything to set the colour of onion skins?
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Post by felicity on Jul 7, 2015 10:09:06 GMT
Carole, I just boil them and then boil the fabric with them. I do not use any additives but rinse with some vinegar afterwards.
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Post by zed on Jul 7, 2015 11:47:25 GMT
Hi Carole, I've just dyed a lot of Viscose, both the staple fibre and tops. I used Lyn's tutorial for dyeing scrim rosiepink.typepad.co.uk/rosiepink/tutorial-hand-dyeing-scri.htmlI altered the 'formula' slightly to include more dye, I don't know if mine is 'weak' or if it was the fibres I first used, but I wanted deeper colours. I mixed up red, yellow, blue and black, then mixed those together in various amounts for different shades. I used (red, yellow, blue): 1 ml spoon of dye plus 15ml tepid water; 6.25g washing soda + 30ml hot water; 7.5g salt + hot water; 500ml cold water black: 1/2ml dye plus 15ml tepid water; just over 3g salt + 30ml hot water; 4g soda + 30ml hot water; 200ml cold water (I made various greys/silvers by adding more cold water I used those mushroom tubs to make the dye up, they are big enough. You put the dye in first, then soda, then salt, then cold water-rinse your dye mixing tub out to get all the dye. 500ml each of red, yellow, blue and the 200ml of black (goes further if you make greys) will dye more than 200g of viscose. If you have any other fibres or fabric spare to dye, or cotton thread, have that handy to use up spare dye. It takes a LOT of rinsing. This is the red shades of viscose fibre:  red shades of Viscose fibre par Zedster01, on ipernity I found when dyeing the tops that splitting them first when dry, before soaking makes it easier. They will look crinkly and not very 'tops' like when they're dry, just from squeezing the water out, they do look a bit better if you give them a good shake/swing. |
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Post by carole aka craftywoman on Jul 7, 2015 12:15:57 GMT
Wow, Zed, thank you so much that is great info, I've checkout the blog link and I think I understand.
I am still waiting for the viscose to arrive, so this afternoon I am FREE..... marking done, lunch done, head full of challenge ideas and fibre and dyeing and colours, so I am heading out with my camera to try to capture some inspiration, buy soda crystals and a mask.
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Post by zed on Jul 7, 2015 13:19:55 GMT
You're welcome  Have fun! |
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Post by elizabeth on Jul 7, 2015 17:25:00 GMT
Zed, thanks for those nicely detailed steps. I have one question, of course... What is 'washing soda'? Can you name the brand or tell me what the chemical is?
Thanks so much!
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Post by zed on Jul 7, 2015 17:28:39 GMT
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Post by MTRuth on Jul 7, 2015 20:48:00 GMT
Elizabeth - you can buy soda ash at Dharma Trading.
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Post by Shepherdess on Jul 7, 2015 22:20:54 GMT
It's not the same as baking soda. PH up for pools is the same and cheap especially at the end of the season.
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Post by zed on Jul 10, 2015 9:10:57 GMT
baking soda is sodium BIcarbonate, similar but different Bicarb costs the same here for a tiny little tub as the washing soda does for a kilo! |
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Post by Teri Berry on Jul 10, 2015 9:50:30 GMT
I wonder what impact the bubbles made by baking soda would have on the dye pattern....? Wet out your fabric, sprinkle on some bicarb to raise the pH, let it bubble, sprinkle on some dye, wait a couple of hours..... mmmm
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Post by MTRuth on Jul 10, 2015 15:45:22 GMT
Teri - do show us the results if you try it!
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Post by Teri Berry on Jul 14, 2015 19:53:50 GMT
Well, I tried it.... I'm afraid the Bicarb of Soda didn't work as I had hoped, but after a bit of trial and error, bubbles from detergent gave some pretty patterns  There's more photos and description of what I tried on my blog - link below. |
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