Fabric Dyeing

I’ve recently begun Art Cloth Master Class, a demanding and rewarding three year course with Jane Dunnewold.  While I’ve worked extensively with color and fiber, I’m a dyeing novice, so this class is a stretch for me.  We work in all area of surface design and I’m delighted, if sometimes frustrated, with all I’m learning.

First off, I needed to set up a wet studio – fancy name for an outside dyeing area just on the deck outside my sewing area.  With that done, and fabrics, dyes, and paints ordered, I began my assignment.  After over 100 dye pots later, I learned that very, very frequent stirring and careful weighting down of small fabric pieces are needed to obtain any sort of consistent color when combining dyes.  Perseverance paid off – finally!

Dyeing samples done at last! Four fabrics: 2 silks, linen and cotton. All dyed in 55 different combinations of 11 pure color mix dyes.
Whew!