6 Color Rainbow Fabric Dyeing Tutorial

To get started you will need:

• 3 Primary Colors in Procion Dye (I used Lt Red # 12, Golden Yellow #3 & Cerulean Blue #23 from Dharma Trading)
• 1 1/2 yards of PFD cotton fabric (rip the fabric into 6 fat quarters, this gets it on the strait of grain)
• Rubber Gloves
• 6 Plastic Containers (similar to the Glad 4 cup containers)
• 3 Plastic cups and plastic spoons
• 1/2 cup measuring cup
• 1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon measuring spoons
• Paper towels
• Some large plastic containers (I use two 5 gallon buckets)
• A workspace near water where you have no worries if the dye is spilled (I do this in my garage or if its nice outside I will go in my backyard)
  

• Soda Ash is also known as Sodium Carbonate. Soda Ash is found in the pool section and is used to up the PH in pool water, it can also be found in the laundry isle as Washing Soda (I prefer the pool chemical type). In dyeing it is used to cause a chemical reaction between the fabric and the dye, making the dye permanent. Do not use Baking Soda; it will not create the chemical reaction needed.
• Dish washing soap, this is used to help remove the excess dye from fabric. Some dyers use Synthrapol, I have found I get the same results with dish soap and very hot water. Do not use the type with bleach added.
  
  *Do not use any containers for foodstuffs after using them for dyeing!
  

Making the Soda Ash Fixer

Wearing gloves mix 1 1/2 cups Soda Ash to 2 gallons of warm water in a large container (this can be saved and used over and over). Place the 6 fat quarters into this soda ash water solution make sure the fabric is thoroughly wet and let set for 15 to 30 minutes.

Dye Concentrates

While the fabric is soaking we can mix the dye concentrate. Take a plastic cup and add 1/2 cup of room temp water (do not use hot water as this can effect the dye), add 1/2 teaspoon of the red dye powder. Mix well with the plastic spoon there will be a few lumps at first, set this aside - a little time will help with the lumps. Clean and dry the teaspoon measuring spoon (make sure it is dry before moving on to the next dye color, you do not want to get water into your main jar of dye powder as this can effect the life of the dye).

Repeat with the blue dye and then the yellow dye. Let the three cups of dye sit for 15 minutes and then mix well again, this time try to mix in all the lumps. You want a well mixed dye concentrate.


Mixing the Colors

Label the containers 1 through 6; this will help you keep track of where to add the dye concentrate. Using the 1 Tablespoon measuring spoon add to each container as listed:

4 Tbls Red
2 Tbls Red and 2 Tbls Yellow
4 Tbls Yellow
2 Tbls Yellow and 2 Tbls Blue
4 Tbls Blue
2 Tbls Blue and 2 Tbls Red
To each of the 6 containers add 1/2 cup of room temp water.

Adding the Fabric to the Dyes

Remove each fat quarter from the Soda Ash solution and squeeze out the excess liquid. The Soda Ash solution can be saved and reused. (I keep mine in a 5 gallon bucket with a lid in the garage.)
Add a fat quarter to a container of dye liquid, move gently and squeeze the dye into the fabric. I do this and then turn the fabric over once and squeeze again. Rinse you gloves and set this aside.
Repeat for each of the colors and let rest for at least 4 hours or overnight.

Rinsing the Fabric

Rinse the fabric first with cold water to remove the soda ash and dye, not all of the dye will come out. (I do a quick cold water rinse for each color, leaving it in its container.) Then get my large container (a large bucket is what I use) and with the hottest water I can get (the hotter the better) add some dish soap to soak all the fabrics. Yes, they are all in the same bucket, but the very hot water helps to 'kill' the dye and the soap helps to 'capture' the dye. I leave this to soak for and hour or over night (sometimes the longer the better as some dyes can be slow to remove).


After the fabric soaks I rinse once more in cold water and then add all the fabrics to the washer. I let the fabric go through one wash cycle and check for color fastness, usually this is all that is needed. Then a run in the dryer and a pass with the iron and the fabric is ready to be used.

Email me at kira.bell@yahoo.com if you would like a PDF File of this tutorial.

I am a big let down

I am, I have been invited to go with a dear friend to a party Saturday (a really posh one at that) and I had to back out at the last minute. I feel like a real heel!!! My DH is going out of town on work and that means I have to be around the house 'cause my son is having friends over (and there is no way I am leaving a bunch of teenagers alone). blah blah mumble heel I am mumble.....


So as to not let blogger down, I am posting an update on Christmas sewing. I finished a robe for my husband (for the picture I have the robe on my body double, my shoulders are not as broad as DH)

Can you tell DH is a Washington fan? By the way - friends and family if your reading this don't tell him. It's Simplicity 3969 , very quick and easy!! I wrote a review at pattern review . I made it in fleece and used the serger (mostly) and for the trim on the front edges I zig-zaged over acrylic yarn.

This is the special order I did the other day, beautiful rainbow in fat quarters.

All dressed up and ready to go to its new home. I guess I will go and look at the fabrics in the stash, that always cheers me up.

Call it my Red/orange phase

I call this my red-orange phase, because I crave the color orange and mostly red-orange. I use to hate orange, could not stand it- but all that has changed.

I can't seem to get enough, I even colored my hair auburn, to the surprise of my family. But then again - if you know me I love playing with color and that even goes as far as my hair. (odd pic but it's hard to take a picture of the back of your head)

I saw a dress at a local thrift shop and fell in LOVE with the colors!! It was a plaid in red-orange, orange, deep green and fuchsia. What a combo, just loved it, but it did not fit. Soooo.....

I used the plaid design and colors to inspire me to dye two pieces of cotton, in hopes of making a Fab'O handbag. I know it doesn't look like much now but just you wait.

Christmas Sewing

I have started sewing my gifts. Like many other bloggers I am not buying premade things this year, but trying to make gifts that are special. So the first WIPs (work in progress) are shorts from McCall's OP 2568 .

I have had this pattern since 2000, when I made my DH some shorts (sleep/lounge shorts). Those have since worn out and now I have been told more are needed.



I found this COOL fabric at my favorite little quilt shop here in town. It's called "Madame Butterfly" in the Opulance series by Paula Nadelstern. This pair of shorts will be for DH.


And this flaming colorful fabric from the Headgear series by Fabri-Quilt will be for my son. Saying all this my DH and DS don't read my blog, so I should be ok.

I have to be honest, I really wish I was sewing the 'Share the Love' ruffle bag- the fabric turned out very nice.

And I found a cute rose & vine print in my stash for the lining. I did get the 32 ruffles cut out, yep 32. See there are 8 on each side = 16 ruffles total. I am using the self fabric as the facing so that makes 32 curved pieces. If I was using suede or leather I wouldn't need all this, just 16 ruffles. Any-who this looks like its going to be very funky!!

What does this fabric have to do with Tennessee

I can't say just yet, because I am working on a special project for someone (so its a secret, sssh) but its a fun piece that's for sure.

Do you think they can dance well together? (that's a hint)

I have been stalking the mail box in anticipation for the catalogs and fabric swatches. I just know the postal carrier is starting to wonder about me. My fingers are itching to get started playing in dyes. I have a list of the dyes I must have on hand (not that I don't already have most of them) : lemon yellow MX-8G, golden yellow MX-GR, deep orange MX-2R (one of my favorites), Chinese red MX-GBA, fuchsia MX-8B, cobalt blue MX-2G, cerulean blue MX-G, turquoise MX-G, sky blue MX-R, new black MX-CWNA, & grape MX-G. I get most of these from Dharma Trading .

Now you don't have to have all of them, you really only need the 3 primary colors and you can make a world of color. I just like color and love playing to see all the variations that I can make. I only used fuchsia, turquoise, and lemon yellow (these are very bright colors) when I first started dyeing fabrics. Then once bitten by the dye bug I slowly started collecting colors.

On a crafty note, I love these flower pins . They would make great package/present bows, and the recipient could use it after unwrapping their present.