Let's Dye Some Fabric

 Fabric ✅

Salt ✅

Rit dye ✅

Hot water ✅

Welcome y'all. What am I doing? Well messin and gommin' as my Nanny would say.😁😀 

Actually today I am going to dye a small piece of 14 count Aida , and I thought I would  take you along with me and share how I  do it. But before we begin,  please, oh please. I beg of you . Do not call the cross stitch or "fabric dyeing " police on me.  This might not be the right way , but it is my way of dyeing fabric, and I have been pleased as punch through the years on how my fabrics have turned out. 

Alrighty, let's get started . Shall we? 

Remember when you are messin' and gommin' , cover your work area to protect it from the dye or any spills. Plastic gloves are handy to protect your hands from dye stains as well. 

I dyed the fabric Lemon Yellow for the Summer SAL. You can see the marbled effect from scrunching the fabric.  Oh bother, the little dark smudge is dirt from the garden. I will get that out shortly. 

First off, let's look at the dye that I am using.  I am using a liquid All Purpose Rit dye which is good for fabrics such as cotton, wool, nylon, linen and silk.  I usually buy mine at Walmart. 

This bottle of dye has been well used. 

 Now let's talk about the salt. The salt is supposed to intensify the colors and help with the dye absorption . The general rule is 1 cup of salt for 3 gallons of water or 1 lb of fabric or one part salt to 16 parts water.  But I am not dyeing that much. I just have this little bitty piece of fabric . So what do I do? Well I eyeball it! Remember, I have told you in the past that I fly by the seat of my pants. My philosophy is "If I don't like the results, I can redye it or dye another piece of fabric. " 

Now what about the water?  Well you want it to be hot at 140 degrees or higher. 

Now let's dye a small batch of  Aida. I will be dyeing my fabric in a pickle jar. Sometimes I use a milk jug that I have cut the top off of. 

🌞1. Heat up your water. I heated mine in the microwave. Be careful. It is hot ! 

🌞2. Dissolve the salt in the water.

Water is heated. Time to add the salt. I am eye balling it for a small batch. 

 

🌞 3. Shake your Rit dye before you begin. Add the dye to your "dyeing"  container .I start off with a couple of cap fulls.    

Then add your dissolved salt water to your container. ( To be honest I do not add much water to begin with.)

 I used 2 cap fulls to dye my small piece of fabric.

I did not add much water. I will add more after I add my fabric  if it needs more to be submerged. 

🌞 4. The fabric that I am dyeing today measures 12" x 18".    I wet my fabric and then .I scrunch and wad  it  because I like "marbled or splotchy" effect that is sometimes  created while dyeing.  Immerse your fabric into the dye. If there is not enough dye water to cover the fabric, carefully add more salt water. 

 I wet my fabric and scrunch it before adding it to the dyeing jar. 

🌞5. I use a wooden skewer to stir my fabric around. Then I let it sit.  Ever so often I check the intensity of the color. For example, I do not let my gray fabrics sit in the dye too long because I just want a light gray . 

Using a skewer to stir my fabric. 

To test your dye before immersing your fabric, you may want to take a small snippet and place it in the dye beforehand. If the dye is too bright or intense, add more water. If it is not intense enough add more dye. I would start with just a cap full and see how it goes.  I leave my fabric in the dye from 10 minutes up to an hour or longer.  I often pull the fabric out and check the color. Remember that it will dry lighter than what is shown. 

Once  I think that the color is to my liking, I pull it out of the dye. Now this is a judgement call based on how you want your fabric to look. 

Rinse the fabric in cool water until the water runs clear. 

I hang my fabric out to dry. If the fabric is not dark enough , I return it to the dye bath after adding more of the color. 

Hanging fabric outside to dry. 

The fabric is dyed , pressed and ready to be stitched on. 

So that is how I dye my fabrics. 

As always, I encourage you to have fun, do research and dye your fabric to your liking using your favorite method. It is all about the enjoyment and the experience of living and learning in my book. Right?  

Happy Dyeing , friends. 

As Always, 

Happy  Stitching and Quilting, y'all

Melisa

Thank you for the sweet visit. 

"The beautiful thing about learning is that nobody can take it away from you .  " - B.B. King

Hugs and Stitches!!!!🤗🧵❤

A Sampler for Lois Ann. 

I dyed this fabric using a Charcoal Gray which I rinsed pretty quickly out for a light affect. 

A Cup of Christmas Cheer- Santa Mug  was dyed with Rit Aquamarine. I then boiled it in a tea bath which gave it a vintage aqua/green look. 

Dedicated to my baby sister, Amy. Love and miss you, Amo.