Thread: Silk Dyeing 101

I need a new hobby like I need a hole in my head so I thought I would try to dye some silks. Back in the day I did some silk scarf painting, but I've never attempted to dye silk with fiber reactive dyes. I bought a starter kit from Dharma and I have a few sample pieces of silk from my painting days for testing...so we'll see

I'm not planning on becoming pro or anything and I certainly don't want to ask anyone to give away trade secrets, but I thought I would ask for some help. Tips, thoughts, ideas? You can PM me at info @ andaleedance . com if you want (bhuzbox is full). Thanks!

There is no better place to start than this website:

How to Dye Silk

Thanks, I actually read that last night. I need to print off the pages to have handy. It was good, I was just confused if I got the right stuff or not for this technique. I want to make sure things are ok good to go and there aren't any major things I am missing. It feels like chemistry class! (Which I got a D in BTW)

OH and BTW, your blog is helpful!

I started dying my own silk last summer. It was a lot easier than I expected it to be. I went through a lot of disposable gloves. When I finished one color, I tossed the gloves and put new ones on so I didn't accidentally get color in the wrong place. I used the Pro MX dyes from Pro-Chem. They have some excellent how-tos here PRO Chemical & Dye*::*PRODUCT INSTRUCTIONS/DIRECTIONS SHEETS

running outside but..start small. I started www.akaisilks.com with two pieces of silk (3 yards long) and two dyes. Try to resist the urge to buy a lot of stuff..I still swear by extreme simplicity..get a few colors and experiment to see how they mix. One of these days I'll look in my closet if you are interested in buying some oddly sized silks..some are one yard some are two yard, they are great to practice on

have fun!

Shira's site has a "tips" for dyeing collected from members on her tribe

I've done some silk dyeing, but I'm definitely not a pro at it. I think the bottom line is to let yourself experiment and have fun. I agree with Jessenia on simplicity if you haven't done it much. I also think it's fun to try different patterns, like creating a border.

As far as tips...my main tip would be to figure out how much time you think you'll need, and then double it. In my experience dyeing fabric has always taken much longer than what was planned, although I'm sure a pro like Jessenia can do it pretty quickly. You have to factor in set up and clean up as well. I've always had the most fun dyeing veils if it's kind of a social event. Sometimes my dance friends and I will have a dyeing party and make an afternoon of it (which might account for the extra time ), but it's a great way to spend a summer afternoon. Do you have any more specific questions?

it is indeed a time intensive project..because you have to do the ordering, prep, dye prep, cut silk, coloring the silk , rinsing, drying, ironing..

after ten years yes I do have it down to a science but I created my own technique for doing it so now it goes pretty quick..even with mass production :) it's the job i know best, for sure..g.:

Originally Posted by andalee-oriental

OH and BTW, your blog is helpful!

Thanks very much! It's nice to know my incoherent ramblings can help somebody!

Originally Posted by andalee-oriental

Thanks, I actually read that last night. I need to print off the pages to have handy. It was good, I was just confused if I got the right stuff or not for this technique. I want to make sure things are ok good to go and there aren't any major things I am missing. It feels like chemistry class! (Which I got a D in BTW)

That is JUST how I started, printing off Paula Burch's tips.

One thing to keep in mind is that it's really easy to get distracted (squirrel!) by all the dye methods (sparkly!) that are out there (shiny!) and start bouncing around between the methods. It's really better if you're willing to take your time with one method and experiment a good bit at first. Some of the stuff you dye you won't like. Some things won't turn out as planned. That's just the way things happen, so give yourself room to practice.

Do you have to use chemical dyes? Cause I found these on the Dharma website iDye for Natural and Poly Fabrics
not sure how good they are, but it was a thought.

Originally Posted by Shaharazad

Do you have to use chemical dyes? Cause I found these on the Dharma website iDye for Natural and Poly Fabrics
not sure how good they are, but it was a thought.

What do you mean by "chemical" dyes? The iDyes are certainly chemicals.

If you are referring to "natural" dyes, be aware that most natural dyes require chemical mordants that are as poisonous/ bad for the environment as the "chemical" dyes are.

also, iDye is saying it's for natural fibers, not that the dyes are natural. fabric is split into two general categories: natural which includes cotton, wool, leather, hemp, linen, silk, etc; and man made, which includes nylon, polyester, etc.
natural fibers can be further broken into: protein, which is wool, silk, leather; and celulouse (sp?) which is anything from a plant like cotton. each needs different treatments and reacts differently.
no matter what kind you get, always wear gloves. and if you are working with ANY powders (dye, or other treatments like soda ash) wear a particle mask and keep any and all food and drink out of the area (the chemical particles will cling to the moisture on your food/drink) and always make sure anything that will be contact with your skin is properly set so that the dye doesn't absorb into your skin.