TILLIA DYES & FABRICS

INSTRUCTIONS FOR LOW WATER IMMERSION

WITH PROCION FIBRE REACTIVE DYES

Dye Safety Note:

Always be careful working with dye powders.  Work in a well-ventilated area and wear a mask while handling the powder.  While the dyes are not poisonous, they can irritate the lungs.  Wear rubber gloves – disposable surgical one are good.  Don’t let children handle powdered dyes – mix powder into liquid or paste for them.

Materials Needed:

• Procion Dye powder – these require only room temperature to bond with the fabric, so no steam or heat is needed.
• Soda Ash – acts as a fixative and causes the dye to bond with the fabric and make it colour fast.
• Aviscour detergent (or Teric or Synthropol) – this removes excess dye.  You can also use a good quality wool detergent instead of these.
• Plastic tray (eg unused cat litter tray) or ziplock plastic bags big enough to hold fabric.
• Mask
• Disposable gloves
• Several plastic containers not used for food
• Measuring spoons and cup

Note:

Keep the mixed dye cool, and use it as soon as possible for the strongest colours.  Mixed dyes will start losing colour strength after 5-7 days but will last longer if kept in the refrigerator.  

Dye may be sprayed, poured or brushed on, or fabric may be dipped in it. 

Method:  - this will dye 2 metres of fabric

 1. Dissolve 1/4 cup of soda ash in 1 litre of hot water. 

 2.Soak your fabric in the hot soda water till thoroughly wet, then transfer to a tray (eg an unused cat litter tray) or a plastic bag. 

 3.Mix dye with 200 mls of warm water.  For dark colours, use 4  teaspoons of dye powder; for a medium colour, use  1 to 2 teaspoons; for light colours, use ¼ to ½ teaspoon.  Ensure the dye is fully dissolved, then make mixture up to 500 mls with more warm water. .

 4.Pour the dye (or dyes, if you're using more than one colour) over the wet fabric.  Press and mix the fabric and dye in order to ensure that dye penetrates all the fabric.   

 5.Let the fabric sit for at least an hour.  If you have plenty of self-control, let it sit overnight.  This time is called “batching”.  Longer is better, as it allows more colour to be absorped.

 6.Rinse the fabric under cold running water until the water is reasonably clear. 

 7.Wash in hot water in the washing machine with 1-2 tablespoons Aviscour (or Synthrapol or Teric) per load.  It is safe to wash different colours together.  The water should be as hot as possible.

 Test colour fastness of dark colours by ironing fabric wet over white cotton.  Rewash with detergent if necessary. 

NOTE:  Leftover soda ash solution can be kept in containers (preferably sealed) and used again.

© Shirley Goodwin

Tillia Dyes & Fabrics

51 Charles St, Rangiora 7400, Canterbury

Website: www.tillia.co.nz

Ph 03 313-9347

New Zealand’s leading supplier of fabric dyes & paints and unique hand-dyed fabric

TILLIA DYES & FABRICS

Stove Top Immersion Dyeing with Acid Dyes

1. Fill a stainless steel or enamel pot with just enough hot or warm water for the wool or fabric to swim freely, and turn on the heat.
2. Add the dye powder to the pot and stir. Normally in this procedure you would add 2% to 4% of the dry weight of the wool or fabric in dye powder. For example, if you are dyeing 500 grams of wool or fabric, use one 16 gram pottle of dye.
3. Add the wool or fabric that has been thoroughly wetted to the dyepot.
4. Raise the temperature to 185 to 200 degrees, just below boiling. Stir frequently.
5. Add ¼ cup of white vinegar per 500 grams of wool or fabric. Try not to pour directly onto the wool or fabric.
6. Maintain temperature and stir frequently for ½ hour. Wash in Aviscour or similar detergent and warm water.

Tillia Dyes & Fabrics

51 Charles St, Rangiora 7400, Canterbury

Website: www.tillia.co.nz

Ph 03 313-9347

New Zealand’s leading supplier of fabric dyes & paints and unique hand-dyed fabric

ALTERNATIVE METHOD: (for each colour)

Mix ½ teaspoon dye powder with 1 cup hot (not boiling water).  Add 2 tablespoons white vinegar.

Lay skein (briefly soaked in warm water and a drop of detergent) on plastic wrap eg Gladwrap.  Apply dye mix directly to yarn, using a foam or paint brush.  Ensure dye penetrates through to the back.  Wrap loosely, roll up and place in an ice-cream carton or other suitable container.  Place in microwave.  A 50 g skein of wool will take 2 minutes at high, then 2 minutes' rest, then another 2 minutes on high.  Adjust time depending on weight.  Do not let the skeins dry out or they will burn.  Rinse immediately with cold water.  All dye colour should have been absorbed by the wool.  Hang to dry.