the wonders of dye

Good old "over the counter" dyes like Rit, Tintex and Dylon are under-rated, and under utilized. Don't turn your nose up at them: they are available for ease and safe, aggravation free dyeing! (You should still use some common sense however.) I don't always like messing with Procion, and right now with everything in boxes for the move, and space at a premium, they are more than adequate for my purposes. I did a rough wrap/bind shibori this morning in a strong mix of Tintex's royal blue and black, transforming this scrounged piece from this to this:

I don't wet my fabric first when i'm doing this---for me it seems to give sharper definition, unless it's purely luck. This is more what i'm looking for for the Hoodoo fabrics, some definite striation, some really blended colours and scope for additional stitch to sex up the areas. Beads will further turn up the heat.

Areas from the above piece:

You may or may not get as vivid colouring as Procion, depending on your fabric, but the smoky shades that usually happen with these commercial general purpose dyes are equally as lovely for your stash. It's also a much cheaper way of exploring possibilities, colour combos and techniques, so give it a try! The most i have ever paid for a box of this stuff is 2.49, and that was in a little guy's store who was trying to charge enough to pay the rent in competition to the big boys.

 PLEASE--if you are dying fabric for clothing, then check the references at the end of this post, in particular Paula Burch's page, information and tips from a true Dyeing Guru. Since my pieces using these dyes are not either going to be washed again or in direct sun with a lot of wear and tear, i don't worry about it. This is my PERSONAL choice and method; make up your own minds about results and end use longevity. Tintex is made by Kiwi Brands Inc, the shoe polish people and seem to have no actual website--the Australian "Tintex" site does not have any affiliation as far as i can see. (If i'm wrong, please correct me.)

At the same time, i am so impatient to do some of this in indigo!

Update on Thu, June 18, 2009 at 4:09PM by arlee

PS this is post #1902, so stay tuned for the Blogaversary 5 giveaway--another question/clue coming up!

Update on Thu, June 18, 2009 at 4:37PM by arlee

On Flickr, The Cheap Dyer!

Comments

[jude]

i am a rit gal...when i do get around to any dyeing. this came out great.

[jackie]

That piece is so beautiful its like a hoodoo landscape in itself. Sometimes I just want to hang up the dyed piece by itself..just do a stitch or two.

[Anne Marie - Toronto]

Yummmmmm!

[Carol Wiebe]

If these pieces are any indication, you are absolutely right. They are beautiful. How about the fading factor: does the cloth retain the color when exposed to sunlight?

[arlee]

They would probably fade faster than Procion, but then keeping out of the sun is one thing we all do with our art and clothing anyways, for the most part. I haven't a definitive answer, user results and satisfaction would depend on what you feel comfortable with for colour fading and end product look, and function.