Wednesday, February 19, 2014

Too Much Snow?...Dye!

I've been meaning to try snow dying for a long time...but usually I think about it during the summer. LOL  We'll, last week someone in one of the Facebook groups I belong to mentioned it, reminding me that it was on my list of things to try, and as luck would have it we're up to our eyeballs in snow this winter.

I started by Googling 'snow dying', watched a couple of videos to find out what I needed to do, and then I got started.  While my muslin was soaking in the soda ash solution, I prepared a few skeins of crochet cotton and then added them to the soda ash solution too.

While that was soaking, I went outside with a big basin and filled in up with snow.

Bin 1
I set up three basins for the dying:

Bin 1. yellow, fushia, scarlet
Bin 2. yellow, turquoise, blue, green
Bin 3. yellow, blue, green, purple

These first images show the snow covered with the procion MX dye powder, most of which has quickly dissolved into the snow.


Bin 2
Bin 3

You're supposed to cover it and leave it for 24 hours, but you know I couldn't do that.  ;o)

...So here's what bin 1 and 2 looked like about 30 minutes later (don't know why I forgot bin 3):

Bin 1
Bin 2
And then a while later...you can see the little blue baskets I put in upside down, to raise the fabric and skeins up out to the melting snow/dye.

bin 3
bin 1
bin 2

Okay, this is scheduled to post at midnight and I'm off to bed.  I'll show you the reveal in Friday's post.  See you then...

14 comments:

  1. this looks like fun-gotta try this thanks

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    1. Thanks Kathy. It really is. I can't wait to see the resulting fabrics and threads!

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  2. Replies
    1. Me too! I so often schedule my posts ahead of time, but these days I'm having trouble keeping up. This concept of writing post the evening before I actually post them is killing me!

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  3. excite to see the end results -- very colorful..
    Hugs

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    Replies
    1. I've just written the next post. You'll see them on Friday if you come back to visit. Thanks Kristeen.

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  4. Oooh I can't wait to see how it turns out - but I have NO snow here! :(

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    1. Kim I wish I could send you some. We have way more than we know what to do with!

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  5. Living in Florida means use ice~and it works great too. We have done this several times and now are going to Good Will, etc. for white shirts to dye. One of my friends is selling them as fast as she can create.
    Looking forward to your wonderful pieces Linda!

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    Replies
    1. That's great Ruthanne. I go to thrift stores for 100% cotton bed sheets that I can dye. It's a great way to reuse and since I'm using them for art quilts I don't mind recycling the sheets.

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Linda

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