Hand Dyeing Fabrics in New Colors for Fall
My latest batch of hand-dyed fabrics has inspired my new fall 2020 color palette!
You'll be seeing these colors pop up in products and patterns that I’m creating this fall/winter season. The soft, muted and earthy tones are reminiscent of darker skies, cooler temperatures and fall foliage.
For this batch, I used RIT liquid dye in black and procion powder dyes in navy and sangria.
To create the subtle patterns and varying color intensity, I pleated the fabric (I usually dye fabric in 1 yard segments), folded and clamped the fabric along the sides, making a nice packet that I submerged in the dye bath.
I put the timer on for 45 minutes and let the soaked fabric packet do its magic!
The best part of the hand-dyeing process is when I open up the dyed fabric packet and can see all the unique patterns that the fold lines and clamped areas have made. This is my favorite part of the process! One thing to keep in mind when you hand-dye fabric, is that the color always ends up lighter once it is dry.
I then let the fabric air dry for a few hours before a cool water rinse. Rinsing the fabric is the hardest part of this process as I find myself having to rinse multiple times in order to remove the excess dye. When I am satisfied that the excess dye is rinsed out, I then squeeze out the water and let the fabric air dry again for a few hours before putting it in the dryer for a final heat setting.
My final step is to iron the fabric, removing all wrinkles. Now I’m ready with a new batch of freshly hand-dyed fabrics that is waiting for me to transform into unique home decor products!