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<DIV><FONT size=2>I have dyed finished pieces. The only problem I ran across was
the thread not taking the dye well. It turn out lighter. Keep in mind any
visible stitching may look different.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV>YIS,</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Perronelle la peintre<BR>Debbie Irwin</DIV>
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<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=ArtsofPalm@aol.com
href="mailto:ArtsofPalm@aol.com">ArtsofPalm@aol.com</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A title=ponte-alto@atlantia.sca.org
href="mailto:ponte-alto@atlantia.sca.org">ponte-alto@atlantia.sca.org</A>
</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Friday, July 16, 2004 6:13 PM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: [Ponte Alto] Re: dye day -
July 24th starting at 10am</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=#004000>"<FONT color=#000000>I have
some cream-y colored linen that I would like to sew into both chemises and
dresses, and I'm not sure how much fabric I'll need for the dress I have in
mind -- I was thinking that I'd sew the dress this weekend & dye it next
weekend -- would that work? "</FONT><BR></FONT></DIV>
<DIV>Greetings, Siobhan.</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=#004000></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=#004000>Your question is a very good
one that I think should be posted to the Ponte Alto list, as I remember
wondering myself about these same questions. Also, perhaps Lady Vitha or
others can answer it better than I, but here goes my version of an
answer.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=#004000></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=#004000>I have not actually died a
finished piece of clothing, but this is mostly because I usually dye
resist patterns as part of the process and it is both easier to dye
straight fabric, and I like to have the resulting designs already in the
fabric when I lay out and cut my pieces. That's just part of
the fun of it for me.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=#004000></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=#004000>I see no reason why
it would not work to dye a finished garment, however. It might be kind
of fun, as long as you do not use anything synthetic in the garment
construction, including to b</FONT><FONT face="Times New Roman"
color=#004000>eware of the thread used in the garment! Much of today's
thread is all or partially synthetic. It is not a problem if the thread
you use is the color you are aiming for, otherwise this could end up being a
problem. Also, b</FONT><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=#004000>eware
of interfacings, etc. for the same reason as the thread.
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=#004000></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=#004000>I cannot speak for the dye
concentrating at the seams, although from my experience of how these dyes
work, it would not seem to be very likely. Are you trying to go for an
even, all over color, or are some variations of appeal to you. The
less water you use, the more intense the dye and ALSO, the more variations in
the dye pattern to your fabric.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=#004000></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=#004000>When you come over, I
will see if I can find some sample fabrics that I dyed. These
fabrics were died in the same exact dye pot, and yet their colors came out
extremely differently. One was a silk, one a mercerized cotten and the
last an untreated cotton. Such a difference in color! The moral to
my story is that dyeing is a journey, and you should plan for some
surprizes. For me, this is part of the fun, rejoice in life's little
surprized!</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=#004000></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=#004000>I suggest that you start with
a project with no more than 4 yards, and not something so expensive that you
will be heartbroken should anything unexpected happen</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=#004000></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=#004000>Here is what I HAVE done
to minimize the amount of fabric I dyed (procion dyeing goes by weight, so the
more fabric, the more chemicals and therefore, the more $)</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=#004000></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=#004000>I worked in this
order:</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=#004000>1. prewashed/dried/shrunk my
fabric (You should particulalry do this with dying to get any sizing out
of it), </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=#004000>2. cut out my pattern pieces
with a generous seam allowance (3/4" worked for me), died those, rinsed them
out with the synthahol, </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=#004000>3. Ironed the fabric pieces
dry after they were less than soaked,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=#004000>3. sewn the garment, and
finally</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=#004000>4. THEN run it all once again
through the wash and dry process.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=#004000></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=#004000>Essentially, I cut out the
fabric but did my best not to let it fray before I sewed it all up.
</FONT><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=#004000>Going this route worked
well for me and I did several garments this way. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=#004000></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=#004000>Hope this helps.
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=#004000></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=#004000>YIS,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=#004000>Irene
Madhaidin</FONT></DIV></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=#004000></FONT></DIV>
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