Procion Dyeing Class

 

Fun Day Procion Dyeing Class:)

Learning so much from Kathy Shaw in her crazy quilt classes!  Thank you Kathy.  So many of these tips and tricks we are learning can also be applied to all sorts of sewing and crafting projects.  Right now I am collecting white cotton t-shirts so this fall I can make family / team shirts for game time at our annual family fun fall festival!

The first part of this class was preparing the soda ash water for soaking the fabrics and trims that prepares the fibers for absorbing the dye.   I used a gallon pickle jar and set it in my sink on top of an old sheet/dropcloth.   Once the water and ash are mixed in the hottest temperatures, I added the materials... I packed the trims on the bottom so they would get saturated, and then I packed the fabrics in tight as I wanted to get a mottled look to the fabrics.  I then wrapped the jar in the fabrics and it kept all items warm for more than an hour.

 

I then labeled my jars for primary and secondary colors, and began the mixing process, using both my mask and gloves during the processing.   This time I created some beautiful soft shade of green, turquoise, and a nice yellow and fuscia.  

While I was waiting for the hour to pass for the soda ash soaking, I painted a few pieces of lace.  The colors are harsh, but the butterfly when rinsed came out pastel colors which are  so pretty.

 

I submerged ribbon, bias tapes, fabrics, embroidery threads and then last dyed wool pieces.   I now have beautiful silk ribbons for embroidery, some pretty color perle cotton,  fabrics that will be fantastic as skies, and wool that I felted from an old white sweater earlier this year, well, now it is an assortment of pretty colors ready for projects.  These photos are well rinsed and "wet".

 

  



 

The Finish
cotton eyelet on left silk ribbon and perle cotton on right
the blue and pink in front are linen
The stack behind is cotton fat quarters
and the lace were both painted with same dyes, one washed out pastel the other stayed bold

   

These two pieces did not take the dye at all
they must be polyester?  hmmm