Dyeing Gradations

[Barbara C.]

Teresa... All your fabrics look good. Very impressive!

Barbara

[Norma H.]

I to use the dharma dyes and I've loved all my colors but I haven't been real successful at putting out a deep rich color I use pot ash should I be using salt as well? Thanks so much for all your help Bettyann I really appreciate it.

I have learned from Ann Jonston's books
COLOR BY DESIGN: PAINT & PRINT WITH DYE and COLOR BY ACCIDENT
that the dye is better diluted in the water and the water can hold more dye when you add urea salt, so that could be your problem with richer colors. You definitely should use soda ash, because that is making the permanent bond to the fiber. And again, the temperature is important too.

Another book, that have widened my universe of dyeing is this book
Fabric Dyer's Dictionary by Linda Johanson

She recommend some other colors to make your recepies from and I have been very happy with what I get. It's not always the same color as in the book, but if you work from it, you get something that matches each other.

The color will be different too dependent on how heavy weight your fabric is, so make something where you use the same amount of fabric every time to make yourself a kind of reference guide. I note how much the fabric weighs and put a little square in my book for later use.

Here is an example of what I have done for one project. I have notes of fabric type and weight on another page in the book. In this case I wanted soft colors.

[Norma H.]

Thanks for the great advice I will be looking for the books and keeping the book with small samples is great. your colors are very pretty. I do use soda ash not pot ash. I'm not sure what part of my mind that came from lol. I'm going to order the urea salt in the next few days. I'm all excited and ready to try the next batch. Thanks again Aunt Ralfie

[Norma H.]

I have been planning to do some farbric dyeing next summer, and this thread is interesting reading. Thank you! I suppose you are using reactive dyes? They have different brand names here. Gradation dyed fabrics look so beautiful! And just what quilter needs; a lot of shades. They would work on bargello style quilt. I have not dyed fabric for many years, so lot of things to re-learn.

[Norma H.]

Yep, the colors are MX Procion fiber reactive dyes. Have fun when you begin again