Man in Stitches: 1.6 Fabric Dyeing (1)

I have never dyed my own fabric before as the thought of all the mess has always put me off so this is the first attempt of a 'dyeing virgin' (that doesn't quite sound right!). I decided to start out by using cold water dyes on a small scale. I prepared a range of fabric pieces - cotton lawn, muslin, hessian, etc., - by folding; tying around bamboo shewers (Shibori style); insert pebbles/shells and tying; and, plain squares.

#1.6.1

I prepared four dyeing baths - red, blue, yellow and green (self-mixed). I then immersed the fabric pieces in the baths and waited for the results. I was surprised that after 45 minutes immersion the dye had not penetrated some of the tied fabrics more. Where the remaining white was too dominant I dipped immersed the fabric into another colour to dye the white.

The results below are the flat fabric pieces. Clockwise from the top - cotton open weave , a 100% synthetic fibre fabric, two hessian fabrics. The cotton open weave took the dye the best; the synthetic fabric has turned a very light pink (not quite evident in the photograph); and, the both hessian pieces have taken on a light shade of green and yellow.

#1.6.2

These are the folded fabrics. I really like the yellow pleated fabric which has produced a sun-ray effect and also the gradually fading blue pattern.

#1.6.3

The next set are the fabrics tied around the bamboo sticks. All have been re-dyed with a second colour as the dye did not pnetrate the fbric very well.

#1.6.4

The piece below shows the change when a second dye is taken. The end green patches were originally dyed blue and turned green when an overall second immersion in a yellow dye was applied.

#1.6.5

The final pieces are perhaps my favorites. In keeping with my theme I inserted a scallop shell (green), pebbles (blue) and a range of shells (red) and tied them tightly into th fabric. I really like the pattern and effects the shells have left where they have resisted the dye.