On Sunday I also did a small batch of purple dyeing. I had a purple mixed dye that I had never tried and wanted to see how it worked.
This is one unit from an ecru cotton bedspread I am dismantling. I prewashed it with Synthrapol and soda ash.
I was pleased with the color I got. I have no idea what I will do with it. I may have to block it, but that was one of the problems with the original bedspread……it wasn’t blocked and I’m not sure if it could have been. I think the crochet was done either too tight, too loose or with the wrong side hook.
This is a square of Candle Wicking I did probably 20 years ago. I used Roclon Perma-press muslin. It was not prewashed before I put it in the dye pot. You can see there is one area that didn’t take the dye at all. The thread took the dye a lot better than the fabric but even that had areas where the dye didn’t take. I will attempt to overdye this with a similar color and see if it will take the dye now that it has been washed out. this is a good example of why it is best to use PFD fabrics when you are dyeing. Any finish can prevent the dyes from taking well.
This was the biggest surprise of all. I had drawn on a piece of prewashed Gutcheon Classic fabric with Elmer’s Glue straight from the bottle. I am not even sure if it was regular Elmers or the school glue. I did this at least 10 years ago. I can’t tell you how many times I put it in the garbage and then took it back out! After I dyed it and was ready to put it in the wash machine the glue was still thick on the surface. I rubbed it together, put it under running water and VOILA! it came out leaving a pretty clear print!. I may have to do more of this.
Each one of these was in the same dye pot and handled the same way. I think it is shows some of the things you should and shouldn’t do when dying.
I am pleased with the colors I got from the purple mixed dye and will be using it again. I am always amazed at how far a jar of dye goes and I have enough at hand to do 100’s of yards of fabric if I so choose. I could also overdye clothes in my closet. That is a story for a different day!
5 comments:
I rock this PURPLE.... yes do more...
Great post on different ways to think about dying - love that you are cleaning out some closet and seeing what happens.
WOW! Lovely results!
I'd definitely try blocking the crochet. It doesn't have as much 'give' as knitting but it often can still be blocked out quite well.
The glue resist looks fabulous!!
Really great results Kay!!!
They are all great! From blogger, the bedspread/crochet piece looked like a pillow!
Love the purple- that's one of my colors! The crochet piece was probably done in mercerized cotton- no stretch and tight tension by creator. I think the last piece is my fav. Elmers is water soluble thats why it is used in kindergarten.
Lots of learning today.
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