Please RSVP to Nancy at schultzcolor@gmail.com if you will be dyeing to give us an idea of how many will be participating.
Dye studio classes and studio use 2024.
This year I am not setting monthly gatherings, instead contact me with email and we can arrange a time. Depending on the weather and your schedule.
It will be outside in my yard, for the best lighting. Bring friends and some plastic, pail or tub and gloves to bring your dye works to dry at home.
The dye process:
There are many different dyes with different chemistries. Each different dye chemistry affects which types of fiber can be dyed, and how strong the bond will be. For the dye party, we will be using Procion MX cold water fiber reactive dyes for natural fibers (cotton, linen, rayon). If you have a special dye project with a different chemistry (e.g. indigo, onion skins, etc.) there may or may not be space and equipment to accommodate it.
~ Selecting your fiber ~
Please bring the textiles you want to dye. They should be white or light in color (light grey works well too).
The textile should be at least 90% total cotton, linen, or rayon to take the dyes most brightly. Lower percentages retain less color, but can still be beautiful. For newly purchased textiles, washing before dyeing can open up the fibers to better absorb the dyes.
~ Protect yourself and the environment ~
Even though I have designed my process to be as safe as possible, there are still some things that need to be done to protect yourself and the environment from dye and other chemical pollution. Wear the gloves provided or bring your own. Use the dyes efficiently, and keep your project on a contained work surface like a plastic bag or tray.
~ Prepare your fiber ~
Soak your textile in a baking soda solution (1/2 cup per gallon of water) and wring it out as much as possible. The baking soda is important for getting the dye to bind to the fibers, and wringing out the excess liquid will keep dye waste and pollution to a minimum.
~ Set up your design ~
Arrange your textile on your work surface (plastic bag or tray). There are a lot of ways to take artistic license here. Twisting, wrinkling, tyeing, rubber banding, whatever! This is your opportunity to choose your colors, too.
~ Apply your dyes ~
Apply dyes to your textile using the squirt bottles. Saturating the fibers makes for a bright pattern, but too much liquid will make it muddy, and lead to waste.
Keep your textile on the work surface to contain the dyes. Moving the textile around a little can improve penetration of the dyes, too much can muddy the pattern and lead to dyes getting into the environment.
~ Let it cure ~
Once you have finished applying your dyes, the project needs to cure for 1 to 2 days. It’s very tempting to sneak a peak at early, but give it enough time to dry completely. This means you will want to be prepared to bring home the wet project, but if needed we have a few spots available here, and you can come back for it.
~ Wash ~
Once the textile has dried completely, it is ready to wash. Rinse out excess dyes in plain water as much as possible, then wash with detergent. Be mindful that for these first couple of washes, you should keep your projects separate from your other clothes to avoid staining.
Contact Nancy at schultzcolor@gmail.com for more questions or to RSVP.