Question:
Hi colorscape_quilts
Welcome to here and the Textiles Forum!
I was reading the chat about how to dye cotton quilting fabrics.
I too would like to know more about it.
I've only tried to dye fabrics a few times, many many years ago and it was not a positive experience.
I have tea dyed fabrics for projects but that's a completely different pot of boiling water!
Has anyone else dyed their own fabrics? What's been your experience?
I'd like info on how to dye cotton quilting fabric so the fabrics will not bleed any color when washed afterwards. Is it possible? Goodworks, it is absolutely possible to dye cotton so it won't bleed. And I'll be happy to make suggestions, but I need additional information. What dye are you using? Procion MX? Could you tell me from start to finish how you are proceeding with the dyeing? The better I understand your procedure, the better suggestions I can make.
Answer:
It's been a few years. It was Procion MX.
Other than that, I don't remember much.
Maybe we could do a tutorial/dye-along project here?
That would be fun!
Answer:
I'd be happy to talk about it as much as y'all would like. I've been a devoted quilter for a number of years, I'm one of those 5% of quilters who spend 95% of the money in the quilting industry, but I've become an even more devoted fabric dyer. I have to admit, I haven't even made a quilt top since I started becoming a serious fabric dyer. I just love making my own fabric, and since I started dyeing, I hardly ever buy commercial fabric anymore (which is a good thing, since I'm now spending all that money on dyeing and dyeing supplies).
As for dyeing, I tried it a number of years ago, with so-so success, wasn't able to predict the color or shade I would get, was pretty confused by the whole process, didn't try it again for a couple of years. Then a couple years back I took Carol Soderlund's Color Mixing for Dyers class, and changed my life. Best class I ever took, period (I prosthelytize for Carol a lot, I must admit) Got all the technical information I needed to understand what everything was, why each component was important, how it was done, how to have more control over the dyeing process, and then, there was the Color Bible. Carol teaches a method that produces reproducible results, based on measuring dye and the crucial auxiliaries by weight, not by volume, and in a couple of days of class, the class as a whole used a combination of dyeing pots to produce over a thousand swatches that were cut up and divied up amongst the class, and now with the formulas, I can reproduce any of the colors at will, using one of several yellows, reds and blues. How's that for fantastic? If you ever get a chance to take one of her workshops, I absolutely encourage you to do so.
Now, as for goodwork's bleeding problem, with Procion MX dyes, and assuming you were using cotton fabric, there are several possible causes of the problem, the most common of which would be washout related. After you have finished letting the dyed fabric batch, rinse the fabric out well in COLD water under the tap (you want to get the soda ash out as much as possible), and then let it soak in COLD water again (with synthrapol) for at least an hour. IIRC, the cold water serves two purposes, it shocks the loose dye molecules out of the fabric, and by reducing the temperature and introducing a surfactant like synthrapol, helps keep it from trying to reattach to the dye sites on the fabric. Then, after its cold soak is finished, rinse it out, and wash it in a HOT water bath of at least 140 degrees, preferably in a washing machine (I've purchased one which has an internal heating element that gets water up to 155 degrees, and its nice), again with synthrapol. The hot water bath helps finish off the remaining dye molecules, by further purging them out of the fabric, IIRC, the heat is at a temperature which essentially accelerates any residual dyeing reaction to the point where the dye molecules are exhausted (will no longer bond with the dye sites on the fabric), and the combination of the heat and the synthrapol keep the exhausted dye molecules in the water, rather than trapped in the fabric.
Aren't you sorry you asked, now?
Answer:
Aren't you sorry you asked, now? Actually, I'm THRILLED that I asked!
And I definitely want to know what washer you found that has an internal heating element! Wow! That, plus extra rinse cycles, is what I want in my next one.
I definitely didn't do the 'soak in cold water and synthrapol one hour' part. Nor the hotter (than 'normal' for the washer) water again afterwards. Hmmm.
Thank you! Thank you!
Elaine
Answer:
Colorscape,
First off... welcome to here!
OK... now for the dirty question... you're obviously an experienced fabric dyer... do you have any experience with a product called Retaine?
We've used this product on old print tablecloths that have never been used (tag-on, or equivalent) with some success as far as keeping the dye in the fabric where it belongs. I just wanted to get your take on it.
Cheers... and welcome, again!
Answer:
Pretty sure Retayne just coats the fibers a bit. But I guess I should look it up before spouting off my mouth...
How in the world did you apply it?
Answer:
How did we apply it?
Can't really remember, Elaine... been a while, but I distinctly remember following the instruction on the jug veeeeerrry closely!
If memory serves, it's applied as a soak, similar to that of synthropol... after supper, I'll go down and check the bottle...
(Gives you some idea as to how long it's been since we've run into unused print tablecloths! )
[EDIT]
I suppose I should add just why we used this product... That is, we've had new, never used, print tablecloths that needed laundering, only to have them destroyed by the dyes bleeding during the wash/soak... mind you, we only soak a tablecloth after we give it several baths of cold water with agitation, so we THOUGHT whatever free dyes had been rinsed away... UGH!
Answer:
Originally Posted by goodworks1 Actually, I'm THRILLED that I asked!
And I definitely want to know what washer you found that has an internal heating element! Wow! That, plus extra rinse cycles, is what I want in my next one. There are a number of washers on the market that have internal heating elements to supplement your water heater when it isn't set or can't get up to the proper temperature. I went with a top of the line front loading Bosch, a Bosch Nexxt, but I believe they have less expensive models that have the internal heating element to make sure the water gets to the desired temperature. I did a lot of research before I chose this model, its European, its super energy and water efficient, its well built, and man, is it a REALLY NICE machine. I love it. Everyone I know on my email lists who bought a Bosch loves it too. The only downsides I'm aware of are (1) anecdotally, because of the centrifugal force the machine uses to spin your clothes, you want to make sure you have a decent floor structure underneath, but then I would think you would want that anyway; (2) for the sanitary setting, which is the one that goes up to 155 degrees, a load takes two hours. (A regular wash load doesn't take nearly that long). Bummer, but I do them overnight or when I'm going out shopping so it isn't a big inconvenience.
I definitely didn't do the 'soak in cold water and synthrapol one hour' part. Nor the hotter (than 'normal' for the washer) water again afterwards. Hmmm. Elaine, definitely try it. That probably should resolve the problem. If your washer's hot cycle doesn't get up to or beyond 140, then I'd recommend dumping your cotton in a big bucket of some boiling water from the stove, stirring it around periodically, and adding more hot water periodically, along with a tad of synthrapol, and that should approximate the same thing.
NOTE: Not applicable to silk dyeing, its my understanding that extreme temperature swings can "shock" silk, whatever that means.
Answer:
Originally Posted by FiberGuy Colorscape,
First off... welcome to here!
OK... now for the dirty question... you're obviously an experienced fabric dyer... do you have any experience with a product called Retaine?
We've used this product on old print tablecloths that have never been used (tag-on, or equivalent) with some success as far as keeping the dye in the fabric where it belongs. I just wanted to get your take on it.
Cheers... and welcome, again! I've never used it, because I've been told by at least one dyeing instructor that it was unnecessary. This applies to Elaine, too, if she's washing old quilts or previously hand dyed fabrics that haven't had the proper treatment, you just wash them in the machine in synthrapol, and that won't prevent the bleeding per se, but it should prevent the bled dye molecules from setting back into the lighter colored areas of the quilt or fabric. (Try on a test piece first, results may vary)