Credit Meg for this idea. We were going to dye and she decided to take pics to share with those who are scared of dyeing.

http://cookiepants.com/albums/dyealong/p5260079001.thumb.jpg

Step one, warm water, lowest level, and 6 cups of Costco salt. Agitate a little to mix the salt in.

http://cookiepants.com/albums/dyealong/P5260078001.thumb.jpg

Mix dye well

http://cookiepants.com/albums/dyealong/P5260081001.thumb.jpg

We used Baby Pink for this batch. Add dye to washer, agitate a bit before adding fabric/clothing.

http://cookiepants.com/albums/dyealong/P5260083001.thumb.jpg

Add clothing/fabric. This is how it looked while agitating.

http://cookiepants.com/albums/dyealong/P5260084001.thumb.jpg

While that's happening, we super heated some water in the microwave. I'm measuring out my soda ash here (1/3 c.).

http://cookiepants.com/albums/dyealong/P5260085001.thumb.jpg

I'm *slowly* (in the bigger pic you can see the falling granules) adding my soda ash to the HOT HOT water, stirring well the whole time. The goal is to get it ALL to disolve, with no grainy bits at the bottom.

http://cookiepants.com/albums/dyealong/P5260086001.thumb.jpg

Nicely disolved!

http://cookiepants.com/albums/dyealong/P5260087001.thumb.jpg

Here I've moved the fabric out of the way and I'm pouring the soda ash in. After adding the soda ash, we set the washer to agitate some more.

http://cookiepants.com/albums/dyealong/P5260088001.thumb.jpg

When that spun out, I added a capfull of synthropol to wash out any excess dye.

http://cookiepants.com/albums/dyealong/P5260089001.thumb.jpg

Here's the color we got at the end of washing.

http://cookiepants.com/albums/dyealong/P5260091001.thumb.jpg

close up of Meg's velour, and below shows my hats after they'd gone through the dryer.

More/larger pictures can be seen here: http://cookiepants.com/gallery/dyealong including some of my spazoid children, lol. Yes, they're bouncing off the walls all around us while we're doing this. :juggle:

Awesome! Thank you both for doing that :heart:

Now who's going to dye-along tub & tie dyeing? LOL!

Great job Shecki, thanks for doing it! I just adore my bouquet velour. I'm hoping to sew it up into a coat for Melissa this weekend. :)

I added the instructions to the page :D
http://cookiepants.com/gallery/dyealong

Originally posted by kkdmommy
Awesome! Thank you both for doing that :heart:

Now who's going to dye-along tub & tie dyeing? LOL!

Ditto the tye dye and Id like to add dyeing in a frontload washer :D

I'm willing to do a tie dye one if no one else steps up--I just need a few days to get it all together. I do have fabric soaking in soda ash right now already tied, though :)

Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you!!!! Off to bookmark the page...

Amber

Thanks for the dye-along. I've LWI-ed a number of times, but have yet to attempt the washing machine. I have some monkeys PRR that need some color ;)

You mean a missed a dyeing party???:wah:

I love the velour in that color. And the pics are great. Great job!:thumbsup:

:D that was so fun to view. :D
Thanks for letting us all view, in detail, the party.

:balloons:

Thanks!

Do you agitate it with the soda ash for 30 minutes to an hour or just 20 or so minutes?

I only added 1 container of salt (regular noniodized mortons) last time and then only agitated with soda ash for 18 minutes or so and alot of the color washed out. Wondering if I should add more salt or soak longer in the soda ash?

I have a few questions, if you wouldn't mind:

a) what happens if you have granules in your soda ash?

b) what happens if you add it while the washer is agitating and some of it falls on the fabric?

I've done a few batches in the washer just like your instructions, but I've never been very careful adding the soda ash dissolve. I feel like I'm lucky I haven't had a catastrophe yet? :eek: Will it make spots or ??

Thanks.

I have a question too...what does the salt do exactly? I have never added anywhere near 6 cups...is that a problem?! :o

ditto to all the questions above and what is synthrapol and where to get it?

nak
synthropol: http://www.dharmatrading.com/html/eng/2127-AA.shtml tells what and where

soda ash ~20 min

They don't sell those big ol' bags of salt at our Costco. :( Unless you found it somewhere other than the flour aisle?

You gave me the courage to dye in the washer for the first time. It turned out well, other than that i didn't add enough dye. Oops. But nice and even. Thanks!

you two are great :thumbsup: I have been wanting to dye some things but I'm really clueless about the whole process...as in, you dyers speak a different language!:p

Originally posted by jessikate
They don't sell those big ol' bags of salt at our Costco. :( Unless you found it somewhere other than the flour aisle?


I bought (well DH did since I couldn't lift it) a 50 pound bag of salt from the feed store for less than $4. I guess they add salt to the feed of some animals?