But I can assure you that I have learned a ton about dyeing that I clearly needed to learn to make dyeing a fun and effective studio process. I resisted dyeing my own cloth for a long time. To be honest, I really didn't have a good space for it until I got my studio last year. Hind-sight has also shown me that there were other processes I needed to concentrate on.
But now that I have a dyeing process established, I am off and running. I'm dyeing fabric for projects and for studies--which may be my favorite thing yet. I can't seem to get enough of the fabulous colors that I'm making.
There are four things that have improved my process since I started the mastery class.
2. Salt. I really noticed the difference when mixing the black dyes with salt. I see it as a choice that I will probably mostly use.
3. Mixing colors from liquid dye. Previously I would mix colors by adding powdered dye into the water until I got close (by testing on white paper). With this method, I was frequently using a lot more dye powder than I needed, which of course took forever to rinse out. I'm now also mixing liquid dye in larger batches and keeping them in the fridge, which I bring them to room temperature before use.
4. Soaking. The soaking of the fabric to get out most of the dye is working really well. It is amazing though to get to pretty clear water after soaking/rinsing with cold water and then add the hot water and see how much more dye comes out. This has made the dyeing process a lot less hard work.
