

Summer is perfect for getting your dye on!

sum dye

Materials List:

Black plastic garbage bags
Large mason jars (or gallon freezer Ziploc bags)
White vinegar
Acid dyes
Protein fibers, including silk

jar dye

Adding heat to your kitchen in the summer doesn’t make a lot of sense but that doesn’t mean you have to abstain from dyeing.  Summer sun, even on a mild day, is plenty hot for dyeing.  If a glass jar isn’t getting the temps you want then a black garbage bag will assist, or even putting the dye containers in a closed car in the sun will get the job done.  Some who use solar dyeing swear by leaving it out for a few days to get the maximum color possible.

I dye in bulk so my batches usually consist of 2 lbs of fiber per dye bath.  It’s also the maximum fiber weight for a 1/2 ounce of Jacquard dyes, and most other dye sources.  I co-mingle my fibers too, anything that will accept a dye with vinegar as the mordant can go in the same color dye.  It’s much more efficient when you desire to dye multiple fibers.

As a test to see if the dye bath is done, I always check to see if the water is clear in the container with the fiber.  If the fiber to dye ratio is appropriate, the dye bath will exhaust (meaning the dye absorbed completely into the fiber) and you will see clear water around the fiber.

bag dye

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