Ice Parfait Dyeing

The latest issue of Quilting Arts Magazine had dyeing instructions for 'Ice Parfait' dyeing, but it boils down to A. Presoak your fabric in soda ash solution.
B. Use any large container (mine is a clear plastic garbage can) to layer your dyeing 'parfait'.
C. place a fat quarter/half yard/yard of fabric(whatever fits and however much you want to dye) loosely scrunched in the bottom of your container.
D. Toss a layer of ice cubes over the fabric layer.
E. Sprinkle teensy selections of different colors of Procion Fiber Reactive dye powder over the ice.
F. Repeat, repeat, repeat, fabric/ice/dye until you get to the top of container or out of fabric!
G. Cover container and wait 24 hours minimum.
H. Drain container, rinse fabrics, toss them in the washer with a little Synthrapol or other gentle laundry soap, like Drift, etc. (no bleach, no whiteners, etc.)
I. Tumble dry and iron.
J. Admire your handiwork!
 I am totally sold on this style and the results you get! And since I was doing all that stacking and icing and mottling of cotton PFD yardage, the little light bulb went on in my head and I decided to toss in handfuls of white, bright Egyptian cotton floss. The fabric, and the floss to embellish that fabric, will be color coordinated! Great idea! Great colors! Not so great that even though I tied each skein in two places...well, I must have agitated too often and too violently when rinsing. And, okay, I admit, the skeins were taking FOREVER to dry thoroughly so I tossed them into the dryer without a bag to cradle their frantically flailing little bodies. I now have lots of time to repent, as I untangle and wrap each and every one, one by frustrating one. Sigh...sometimes my impetuosity drives me nuts! (But aren't they pretty!)

Oh, what a tangled web I weave, when I practice...

26 down and ??? to go?

Three and a half days later...

Is that a moose?

 Some are 'moody' pieces...

Some are celebratory!

Try anything once, or twice!

Apple, alder, onion, rusty tin, toadstools, dandelion, espresso, rose hips...

There must be 'something in the air' because I can't seem to stop dyeing. A couple days ago DH and I went up into the woods and hiked through the wilderness looking for things to dye with. I love playing with vegetative dyes, it is always a surprise when you are through. Some give fantastic colors, some blah, but you can always re-do the blahs until you get 'ahhs'!
I read another book on dyeing, loaned to me by a friend. I am finding you cannot read too much regarding dyeing, dyers, and each individual's discoveries. The gem I got from this last read was the addition of soda ash toward the end of the dye process. I had boiled down a mass of dandelions, placed wool in some of the broth, pre-soaked in alum and cream of tartar. I also did a jar with soda ash pre-soaked cotton. This morning when I un-jarred them the results were pretty much a blah tan. Since that meant trying something else on them anyway I poured some soda ash solution on both and TADAH! They yellow-greened right up. I am letting them soak a bit more, then out to dry and finish processing!
I also received my ProcionMX order yesterday. Now that I have read this last book with its different twist to dyeing, I pretty much know what I will be doing the rest of this week! I will post the pix as I get the final results. I learned long ago not to get all excited over some color apparently achieved, because it doesn't count until it has gone through the washer and dryer. I sell my fabrics/fibers to the public and the product has to pass muster. Time to go play. Have a great day!

Quilter's Snowcones?

My 3 bolts of PFD fabric arrived yesterday afternoon...

 

And it snowed during the night...

So, you KNOW I had to have a 'snow day' and dye!

I will post the results tomorrow afternoon!
I can hardly wait to see what I get...

Want to play in the snow?

If you type in snow dyeing in your search engine you will find a LOT of instructions. Since I buy my dyes from ProChem, I used that result/recipe from my search.