community of dyers

This forum is for all sorts of hand-dyers to post links to pictures of their work and discuss dyeing with other dyers. Please jump right in and post. We'd like to see your work!

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I'm using Procion dyes from Dharma--some tie dye, some LWI or shibori.

I'm wanting to add some veins to my work as per this shirt, which I love. I've done so by accident in the past, but I don't remember how I did so. Please, experienced dyers--help! This is driving me crazy! (To clarify, this pic that is hopefully attached iis not my work but something I'd like to give my own twist and replicate. )

I appreciate any and all suggestions!

Hello all. I took about a year off from dye work for various life things going on and now I am back and having a fine old messy time again.

I bought some of the spray DeCoulerant discharge product on a whim, but am hesitant to use it without knowing a bit more of people's experiences with it. I planned to lay some "found objects" on a black cotton shirt from Dharma, spray, and then let it dry before ironing to discharge. However, I'm not sure how much to spray on... should the fabric be saturated? should I protect the back of the shirt from the front, or is it unlikely to soak through?

I am new to dyeing & need some guidance. I have an expensive fine white linen top (lined) that a waiter spilled food onto. I've tried to get the stain out by dry cleaning but the stains (light coffee colored) are visible. I bought some Rit liquid wine color dye but am afraid I'll make a mistake. I've come to this site to get some professional dyeing help. Any suggestions?

Justine mentioned that Dharma's cerulean blue has been out of stock for months. Does anyone here know whether it is currently (or recently) in stock anywhere else?

This is the dye variously known as Colour Index reactive blue 163, Procion Blue MX-G, ProChem's #406 Intense Blue, G&S Dye's 506 Cerulean Blue, George Weil's M50 cerulean blue, Kraftkolour's Blue MXG, Aljo's #27 peacock blue, and Jacquard's 070 cerulean blue.

ProChem's website says,

"There is currently a Worldwide shortage on this color. To make sure that we have enough to supply to all our customers, we are only able to sell a maximum of 1 x 2 lb. container per customer. We will keep you informed on this situation and thank you for your understanding."

Hiya Folks!

I haven't been here in ages! Lost all my bookmarks and then my whole computer went kaput. Kept meaning to pop in, but time gets away from me.

Anyhow, I still dye shirts for myself, new grandson(!!!) and of course for a few friends that order from me every year.

For the past few years I've been doing lots and lots of Sleeveless V-neck shirts that I buy from Jiffy Shirts. My friend and I both wear size Large, so I buy them 10 or more at a time.

Last year she waited until too late in the season to give me a big order and I couldn't find any shirts to buy. Everyone else must have found out about our favorite shirt, darn it!

I need to dye some cotton braid (as is used with canvas) and some cotton twill tape to match several colors of waxed canvas. These are tans, murky dark greens, charcoal, and various browns.

Right now I am taking Jane Dunnewold's dyeing class at Craftsy. Jane thinks I might get undesirable results from the low water immersion dying method (colors from the mixture spotting here and there) and that I should use some technique "where the soda is put in late and the fabric is soaking in the bath for awhile - that levels out the color".

What would this method be called? Where can I learn about it? And which pure Procion MX dyes should I accumulate?

I really love the style of this shirt to use as a team sand soccer shirt because the solid dyed side will highlight the screen printing. Can anyone please tell me how I would do this? I know I would fold the wave pattern and tie tightly to retain much white. I also assume I scrunch dye one side, but how would you suggest I get the more solid color on the other side? I was thinking that this shirt looks more like a reverse bleach dye but I want to create the same effect w/procion dyes. Maybe dip dye that side? Thanks for any tips!!

I really love the style of this shirt to use as a team sand soccer shirt because the solid dyed side will highlight the screen printing. Can anyone please tell me how I would do this? I know I would fold the wave pattern and tie tightly to retain much white. I also assume I scrunch dye one side, but how would you suggest I get the more solid color on the other side? I was thinking that this shirt looks more like a reverse bleach dye but I want to create the same effect w/procion dyes. Maybe dip dye that side? Thanks for any tips!!

I've been lurking here about four years on and off, and now I'm hoping to get help with a question I've had.

I keep seeing shirts with specific veiny marks, and that's something I want to try for my own personal usage. I'm having trouble with the technique, though. Is it LWI with salt? Freezer dyeing with dye sprinkled on it?

Any help would be appreciated!

(I've attached photos; I can't tell if they will show up in the post below or now. )

Hi all,

I'm not really new to dyeing. I've been dyeing yarn for a couple of years now, but I had decided recently to try other methods of dyeing such as trying to mix my own unique colors rather than relying on the all-in-one dyes, but I've run into a snag. All the guides and books I've come across say to slowly bring the dye bath up to temperature after adding the fibre.

How long should it take, ideally, to bring the dye bath up to temperature?

At the moment, all my tests have pretty much been failures. I can't figure out where I've gone wrong.

I have made sure that the dyes have been properly mixed, the water is the correct PH and I have, also, used a tiny bit of levelling agent to help with even uptake as I was having problems with blue absorbing, but I'm still left with patchy results (but closer to my target color than in past tests). The only thing that I can think of to do now is adjust my heating times.

Hi dyer community,

I'm a seasoned urban dyer, planning a move to the countryside. Currently, I dye with Procion MX, maybe once a month, dyeing 10 - 20 metres of cotton, mostly (but not only) using low water immersion.

As I consider the various homes on offer, I want to make sure that water and septic systems are not an issue. I found a lot of very useful information on the site about septic systems, thank you. But I didn't find much information about well capacity and water quality. What questions should I be asking before I buy the house?

I'd appreciate hearing about experiences of other dyers on rural septic and wells.

HI Paula and Forum Members

I intend to tie dye my shirts and after they are dried i would like to use paintstik to draw a motif in the centre (i just read about paintstiK)

Originally i was intending to dye paint the motif however it involves batik wax and the thickener for the paint and the shirt would go through many washings.
I would like to give these shirts away and would not like it to look worn out.

Is the paintstik method better than the dye paint.

Can one iron over it before wearing it I read that it must not be drycleaned.
Does the motif crack over time?
Will the motif feel stiff when one wears it?

For St Patrick's Day I decided to try a shamrock and I'm really pleased with how they turned out! I used a dry T-shirt folded down the middle in the front (the back was left loose), drew half of a shamrock on the t-shirt in washable marker, used a needle threaded with fishing line to baste along the outline, pulled the thread tight, and tied with artificial sinew. A lot of work, but worth it!

I have a customer who wears about a size 3X and she is looking for an empire waist rayon tank or short sleeve dress. I buy all my dresses from Dahrma, and they do not have this particular combination of size, material, and style. Can anyone recommend another place to look?

Hi
Am not sure this topic belongs here
I intend to donate the cotton t-shirts and would be using procion dyes from dharma

half the tshirt will be tie dye (which i have never done before) and will use the centre of the tees to put a motif

i would not like to put the tees thru many washes so that it would look washed out before giving them away.

My question please is
when i die the tees my understanding is to soak it in soda ash and urea and wring out the water and do the tie dye
Can i use beeswax and do my batik outline for the motif i intend to do and then do the tie dye so that some of the color from tie dye can be used for the design i want in my batik

Hello! I'm glad to have found this source of seemingly infinite wisdom. I'm trying to figure out if it's worth attempting to do what I've seen some call impossible, and others say just takes a good pot of boiling water...

I have a white dress that's a little bit fancy. It has a polyester lace shell on top of a 95% viscose/5% elastacine lining. The shell and the lining are inseparably sewn together in the bodice. The only occasion I have to wear this dress is a wedding, and I don't want to show up to a wedding in a white lace dress.

I know that polyester is extremely difficult to dye. My question is: if I were to use iDye Poly (on the stove, boiling) and it succeeded in dyeing the polyester, would it effectively dye the viscose lining as well?

Hi, I'm in the UK and using Dylon washing machine dye in a front loading washing machine (8kg capacity with option for extra water and extended wash time).
I'm trying to select the right colour to dye 3m lengths of white cotton x 4 to a pale shade of grey.
I've been experimenting with little test swatches with procion safari grey - too green, pearl grey - too brown, ice blue - it was violet.
The closest seemed to be using a tiny amount of black or antique grey. I've now dyed up some large old pieces of fabric and 10g of dylon velvet black on 1.2 kg of fabric gave me a very pale blue grey - actually quite nice but I was looking for a little more neutral / less blue. 100g of dylon antique grey on about 2.5 kg of fabric gave me a very greenish colour.

I really like the direction that Jacquard Products is taking with the new Earth Colors in their line of Jacquard Textile Colors fabric paints. They are putting the Colour Index pigment names and the lightfastness ratings right on the front of the labels! They're starting this with their new colors, which are made with traditional artists' earth pigments, but they will also be including this information on their other colors in the future.

To me, knowing the chemistry of the colors in a product gives me a greater feeling of confidence in my materials. It's better when artists can know what it is that they are using.

It's interesting to think about the historical importance of the pigments they've chosen for the new colors. These are the colors that have been used for centuries, pigments used in the oil paintings of the Renaissance, in Ancient Egypt, even in prehistoric cave paintings from 17,000 years ago, such as raw and burnt umber:

When I think I know what I am doing, the dye pot humbles me, again. This time when trying to do something simple like dyeing some yarn red - not pink, orange, brick, magenta, raspberry, or purple. Red. Kick ass, candy apple, little red corvette, red. I have a student weaving on gold silk to make a shawl for a student at Harvard so we need the Harvard Red to go with the Harvard Gold. I have virtually every red dye ProChem, Dharma, Jacquard and some others offer. I'm dyeing 1/2 oz lots of Cascade Petite from Henry's Attic and Baby Alpaca/Silk from Ashland Bay so I can up the math for the pound of each I need to dye. I'm using citric acid and heat from 150-190. I like the Fire Red MX from Dharma -- the water clears until I wash the yarn with detergent. Then it looks like I slit my wrist -- for several rinses. Oxblood looked promising but it dries a bit brick red. ProChem's basic red 310 is basically very pink. I thought the Jacquard Cherry Red would work but I'm told the dye has gone bad (with about 8 oz left). I'm now trying to mix a great red but am hoping someone out there can save me a bunch of time and frustration. It's gotta be very red and it can't bleed on the gold. I would prefer to dye with heat for both yarns.