Fabric Dyeing Basics & Tips

A Very Brief History

• People have been dyeing fibers since the Stone Age, using all sorts of naturally found dyes in berries, acorns, roots, and other plant materials. These were typically shades of red, yellow, ochre, or brown, much like the materials the dyes were derived from. As time went on, people found more and more materials to make a larger spectrum of colors like purple, blue, and green from materials like purple lettuce and ground up minerals. We did not start commercially making synthetic dyes until the Victorian era, which allowed for a more consistent, cost effective, and accessible way to get colorful textiles at a faster pace, evolving fashion exponentially. Dye technology keeps changing and adapting to the world as more materials are made such as polyesters and other synthetics. With DIY culture, many different types of dyes have become available to the everyday consumer to allow for creativity and expression like never before.

Textile Dye Basics

• If you look at a natural fiber under a microscope, it will typically have scales all along the shaft. When dye is introduced to these fiber, it will be absorbed under these scales and stain the core of the fiber. Some dyes use chemicals or heat to open these scales up to allow more dye to penetrate, and then either a fixative or cold water is used to close those scales again, trapping the dye. Most dyes made for natural fibers work for cotton, wool, linen, etc. These dyes will typically come in either a liquid form or a powder. Some will require heat, such as near boiling water, but some will not require that. It is best to refer to the instructions of your chosen dye for the best results. Cotton and wool will shrink if submerged in hot water for extended periods, so be aware of that, or find alternative methods that do not require heat if you need to retain its original size. Some dyes will work for silk, but due to it’s unique properties, it is recommended you find a dye made for silk.

• Dyes meant for natural materials will not work for synthetic materials based on the structure of the fibers, and vice versa. While natural fibers have scales, synthetic fibers are typically smooth and scaleless. Because of this, rather than using chemicals or heat to open up scales, those methods are used to help the dye penetrate the fiber in a process similar to osmosis to stain the fiber. It is more common for these dyes to require heat as this is an easy way to make the fiber permeable, but it also can cause these materials to shrink. For example, Rit Liquid Synthetic Dye requires the dye to be heated in a pot of water between 180 degrees and 210 degrees Fahrenheit and the material is recommended to be submerged for up to 30 minutes. The full 30 minutes is not required, but the temperature is. One way to minimize the time the material is exposed to heat is to concentrate the dye and submerge the material for a minute or two. But this will need test swatches beforehand as these dyes can be very potent and come out stronger than intended if not careful.

Tips & Tricks

• It is recommended to have dedicated pots and spoons for dyeing projects to prevent contaminating food or unintentionally dyeing something. Stainless steel pots are most recommended as they do not retain dye between projects. Other pots will need to be thoroughly cleaned between projects as they may leech leftover color. Boiling clean water in these pots helps immensely between projects.

• If you are dyeing multiple colors back to back, it is recommended that you start with the lightest color, clean out the pot, then move on to the next lightest color and so on and so forth. This is to ensure that darker colors do not contaminate the lighter colors and muddy them. 

• Synthetic dyes are very potent, so a little can go a long way. Try using less than what you think you need if you are new to dyeing; you can always add more! You can also start with a small amount and keep adding more dye as you partially dip your material to create a gradient effect.

• If dyeing a garment, check the fiber content to determine which dye would be best, but also be mindful that some elements may take the dye differently than others. For example: a cotton button up shirt may take dye meant for cotton well, but a lot of thread is actually a cotton/polyester blend, so the thread may not take the dye and remain the original color. The same could be said for a polyester dress with acrylic lace. The polyester body may take the synthetic dye as one shade, but the acrylic lace may take the dye as another. Even though they are both synthetic, they are still different materials and react differently under the same treatment. Do a test swatch if possible to know what to expect and adjust accordingly.

• Don’t have the space or a big enough pot for a project? A plastic tub may also work and can be left in the dye overnight. A stainless steel sink may also work! And if those aren’t big enough, you can try adding liquid dye to your washing machine. Make sure to read recommended instructions for this method and throughly rinse. Also send it through the dryer alone or with a dark towel as it may stain the inside of the dryer.

Things To Try

• Synthetic dye is great for making vibrant colors in most synthetic fabrics, but it can dye more than just fabrics! You can dye zippers, buttons, and yarn to match your fabrics or make a custom look. You can also dye almost anything that is some form of plastic such as clear vinyl. GIve it a dip and see what you can make!

• Dyes can be mixed to a degree to get new colors, especially liquid dyes. Try small amounts and dye test swatches of your material to see what you can come up with and then scale up the ratios you find work.

• Some dyes made for natural materials can dye leather or real fur, but you have to be careful. Do not keep it submerged for too long, especially if it has to be hot. If at all possible, do not submerge the leather. Instead, use a dabber or cloth to wipe the dye on the material and set it out to dry.

• Dyes can also be used to stain wood! You can either dip them or dilute it and rub on the dye like you would any other stain. If it is a prefabricated item such as a box, be careful about submerging it in hot water as it could melt the glue and make it fall apart or warp the piece altogether.

• You can dye almost anything, just get creative with it!

We are live!

Finally, the website is live after a few adjustments, setbacks, and delays. I am happy to have it finally up and running. I wanted it to be up much sooner, but the universe took my attention and time elsewhere. We were at the Beware the Jabberwocky Market by Every Witch Way Denton this past Saturday and I was very happy to see everyone come out to support such an awesome event and community. It was great seeing new and old faces, and I got to wear a dress of mine that hasn’t seen the light of day in a while! Regrettably, I didn’t have nearly as much inventory as I would have liked at this market; the move and whatnot took up much more of my time than I anticipated. But now that I am settled in, I can start creating again, and I have so many wonderful ideas I’m itching to make! It was great to be out with everyone, and I plan on putting in my application to the next market Every Witch Way Denton has coming up in May!

I will be adding things to the shop, slowly but surely, so keep an eye out for updates!

Welcome

Welcome to the brand new online home for Owl & Peacock!

Please explore and enjoy the new space. I will be updating as I go along and adjusting as needed on this new phase of the journey.

Some of the things that will be found here include an events page, where you can find what pop ups and markets I will be appearing at and all relevant information regarding those. I will also have a blog, which you are reading. I will try my best to have monthly updates here with insights into my process, upcoming projects, musings on some of my artistic and spiritual aspects, and of course any updates.