Tag: Dye

I’ve mentioned a few times that I’m filming this project. Well, I had my first big flub with that today. I carefully recorded precise shots to document the dyeing process, until the shot where I actually pour the dye into the washer and put the fabric in. I didn’t hit record. I’m tremendously disappointed. It’s kind of a pivotal shot. Oh well. C’est la vie.

At midway through the dye cycle, otherwise known as catching the wash cycle before it ends and resetting it, I pulled through the fabric, lifting and untwisting it from the dyebath before setting it back in for a second wash cycle in the blue green water. Long stretches of fabric get pretty snarled up in the washer. I read once that if you sew your fabric into a mobius strip it doesn’t tangle as badly. Today was not the day to test that.

It looked like the dye had taken evenly through the fabric, but I won’t know fore sure until it’s dry and ironed. I put the silk through the dryer. Probably shouldn’t have, but it’s done now.

The little thread misadventure…got the whole way there only to discover the green thread I have at home is the best match. Sigh.

Through carelessness and / a bit of bad luck, joy has / evaporated. / Will diligence and hard work / restore that elusive spark?

Repeated samples / in a lovely range of hues / in search of just one. / Will my dyepot reveal the / proper shade of blue-green silk?

I don’t have a scale fine enough to measure in the fractions of grams, so I winged it. I cut a section of silk into small pieces, about 3×6 inches. I used three metal snack containers and deposited a small amount of kelly green, teal, and half and half in the tall tins along with a 1/4 teaspoon of white vinegar. Each container got a piece of silk that I had soaked in water. 30 minutes later and I was in business.

It over-dyes in tests very, very well. And doesn’t lose its lovely sheen. Hooray!

I found that I wanted something in-between the half and half and the teal. I poured out the kelly green and poured equal parts of the other two in, so 3/4 teal, 1/4 green. It looks great, but a little light, which was possibly from the dye load being spent, so I mixed up a test batch. Still light, but I was light with the dye powders. Another test.

It’ll do.

The swatch on the left is the original. From top to bottom, kelly green, half and half, teal, dye-spent 3/4 and full strength 3/4. The colors are a bit more vibrant in person. And the last test produced a color very similar to the shade in 2 of my books. I’m pleased.

More than that. I’m excited. I’m going to put a running stitch through the ends so they don’t fray badly. Tomorrow I’ll dye the fabric via washing machine. Fun stuff.

Oh crap. I just realized I don’t have matching thread. Did a quick online check. I can get a possible match in Gutermann silk thread at Joann, the website says they have 4 each of teal and blue-green. I’d rather order more Japanese silk thread, but there is no time for that now.

Let’s all hope I stitch swiftly.