Dyeing fabric???

How about going with a tie dye process? Then, if there is fading and/or running it will still look okay, in a

60s way. Remember, if you use a washer to dye fabric, it is important to run another wash with rags or old towels right away, to capture any stray color. PAT

Jill -Critter Comforts wrote:

Also if its a front loader wipe the rubber seal round the door really well, especially at the top.

How do I know this?!!

I hadn't thought about that, but it's a good idea, especially being that I could do boyish colors. What is the best dye to use?? It's been a very long time since I did tie-dyeing. I guess I need to start collecting some rubber bands and squit bottles.

Critter Comforts: Quilts for Homeless Animals

I'm still a big fan of Procion, and of Dharma Trading. So far as cost effective, I would still say procion, but do get something like the Dharma Dye Fixative

It really does make a difference, and with something headed for use bypets it would probably be worth the added expense. So far as colors, some of the darker colors that are a mix containing blue (greens and purples for example) tend to fade faster. Some of the colour mixes containing red (Dark Purple!!!) are fussy about the water. I find a little calsolene oil does a lot to help with the problem with red mixes, though if you have soft water it should not be a problem. Oddly enough, I have had no such troubles with mixes I have made myself, mixes on the fabric like tye dyes, or overdyed colors. It seems to be just the colors pre-mixed in the jar that give me trouble.

Now all that aside, the absolute most permanent dye-like thing I have played with is Dye-na-Flow. Dye-na-flow is a paint put out by the same company that makes procion and is usually sold as a heat set silk paint. It works marvelously well on cotton though. It is more expensive being as it is sold as a paint, but it is thin enough that you can use it like a dye. It might be fun to get one of the packs of minis that are sold

and try it on a few special project pieces, or just for highlightinghere and there, or catching that obnoxious white spot that alwayshappens where you don't want it to in tye dye. It is also less fussyabout fiber content than most dyes. It has saved me a couple of timeswhen a white "100% cotton" T-shirt has turned out to be polycotton. NightMist