Laura's post--(sorry the pictures didn't show up in the one I sent to Beth for posting)
Using Turquoise in LWI dyeing
I experimented with using Turquoise dye powder and the low water immersion method, because Turquoise is the one color that the dye experts tell you has to stay on for 12-24 hours in order to bind to the fabric. I love using turquoise, and was wondering how it would work to use this method that only requires one hour of batching your fabric.
I dyed four fat quarters using 1/4 cup water and 2 tablespoons of dye concentrate.
One piece was left in the dye for one hour, the second for 2 hours, the third for 8 hours, and the last for a full 24 hours.
The value different is subtle, and hard to see in these pictures, but the one-hour piece was almost an icy blue, while the 24-hour piece was a slightly deeper shade of turquoise. There was hardly any difference between the one-hour and two hour pieces.
So, my conclusion is that if you are using Turquoise in your 1 hour LWI dyeing, you might want to mix up a stronger concentrate so it isn't lost during the washing out part of the process.
Rather than adding a stronger solution of dye you might get better results warming up the fabrics...in the sun, in a dedicated microwave for a minute or two or by placing on a heating pad.
ReplyDeleteI usually dye with Turquoise in the summer, and leave in the sun, which helps a lot. I only have one microwave, and no heating pad, either, so these weren't options for me at this time.
ReplyDeleteGreat, now we can see the results!
ReplyDeleteI never did such an experiment, but with all the good advices, I will try.
Thanks for the pictures. I can't wait until the weather warms up just a bit, so I can dye some more. The alternative is dyeing in my son's bathtub, but he's 20 and isn't that happy about all of mom's buckets and such taking over his bathroom!
ReplyDeleteCraftALife, I've been dyeing in my bathroom for the past few weeks, since it's been so cold here, and I'd much rather work outside or in my garage!
ReplyDeleteDid you add salt in the dye mix?
ReplyDeleteJeanette, no salt. This month we're using Ann Johnston's Low Water Immersion techniques from her DVD set, and she doesn't use salt.
ReplyDelete