Differant values, one pot.

As I mentioned before I don't have a very precise method in regard to dyeing. I'd herald you with some drivel about how my creativity cannot be bridled, blah, blah, but the truth is I just don't care that much.

It's easy not to, of course when you dye pretty much project to project and if you need a LOT of fabric, then by all means write it down.

Anyhow, I decided the orange that makes up the mouth was to subdued for it's surroundings. So I needed to dye up some really bright orange. I sprinkled some scarlet and some yellow until the hue suited me.

The first two pieces I left for hours and distributed the dye throughout, pretty much. The second I left a bit less and the lighter values were really dunked for a few seconds. The trick here it to work before the dye is exhausted. My technical way of doing that it to add more dye then I would rather than watch the pot.

I won't be needing all of this, of course, but a nice orange isn't as easy as it sounds and since I work with kid's art, it comes up pretty regularly.

I used acid dye because while I have Procion orange, it stays in a bit and you run the risk of it bleeding when steamed. Not a big deal with most pieces but more so when you have a lot of contrast.

Here are some pictures of the fabric once it's been dried, or rather hung out to dry. I know some folks advocate washing it hot and then drying to really felt the fabric but you lose so much yardage that way. I prefer to wash and then hang dry.

Here we have all of them.

Then the darker followed by the light. You'll notice the lighter hues are more mottled. While I prefer to have all my fabric mottles to a degree, the lights I prefer more so.

Why? It seems to prevent the lighter shades from looking insipid and washed out. With a lighter hue you lose some of the depth that contrast provides in and of itself. So the remedy is to provide that contrast withing the hue.

Any questions?