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About these dyes!
We sell Procion MX dyes. They come as a powder to which you add water. They are fiber reactive dyes-- which means that they actually change the color of the fiber, as opposed to staining or sitting on top of the fiber. When used correctly, they are permanent, colorfast and washable. ProcionMX dyes work very well on cotton, rayon, linen or hemp. They are available in a wide range of colors, but can also be mixed if you are trying to match a color. Soda Ash is the fixative used for these dyes. (Note: We have dyes for other types of fabric. If you are dyeing something other than cotton, linen, rayon or hemp, check out our fabric dyes page. It may hold the answer to your burning questions!)
Hints and Important things you need to know!You can store the powder and auxillary products for a long period of time providing they are kept in a cool and dry place. Once they are exposed to moisture, they begin to degrade.Dyes are transparent. That means you need to remember all those things they taught you in grade school about mixing colors. If you have a yellow shirt, and you dye it blue... you will end up with green. Procion dyes are considered safe when used properly. Inhalation of the powder can cause an allergic reaction in some people, so wearing a dust mask while handling the powder is suggested. Given the chance, the dye solution will stain clothing, hands, tables etc.... Gloves are suggested for your hands, plastic sheeting is suggested for your work area and don't do it where you have white carpet!
The joy of dyeing with a squeeze bottle! | This is the squeeze bottle method, also known as the soda soak method. This technique is great, because it isn't really messy, you can get lots of colors on the same piece of fabric, and if you limit the number of colors, you have to really try to make an ugly piece of fabric! The fabric should be washed ahead of time. - Dissolve 1 cup soda ash per 3 gallons of water. You need enough water to cover the garments. You can do it in batches if you want to. The garments should soak in this solution for 15-20 minutes.
- The dye solution: in a squeeze bottle put 1 teaspoon salt, 2 teaspoons dye, 3 teaspoons urea and 3/4 cup warm water. Put the top on and shake, shake, shake until everything is dissolved.
- Pull garments out of soda ash solution, and wring them out. Fold and rubber band, or tie, them to your heart's content.
- Apply the dye, making sure that you are getting the inside layers as well.
- When you are done, pop it in a plastic bag or wrap in plastic wrap. Make sure that the air is not getting to it. Now you have to exercise a bit of patience. The fabric needs to cure for at least 8 hours. It may look like nothing is happening, but the dye is bonding with the fiber. And the longer you allow it to work, the less dye you will have rinsing off the fabric.
- When you are ready, open the bag, and rinse it off first with the bands on. Unband it and wash and dry as usual.
A variation on this method is the process of batik. To batik you mask out areas using hot wax before dyeing. When you remove the wax you are left with undyed areas. A few hints--  Make sure you have enough squeeze bottles filled with dye.
 Take your time, make sure that the bands are on tightly.  Dyes are transparent, so they blend and make new colors. If you have red and yellow next to each other, they will make orange where they overlap. In my experience, unless you are having a tie-dye party with a bunch of color-theorists, it is safer to use fewer colors. The best combo are the three mixing primaries-- lemon yellow, fuchsia and turquoise. If you have too many colors, I guarantee you will end up with a muddy brown. Tie-dye is a great group project. Check out our hints for groups page.
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If you have a question about dyes, quantities or techniques, email us, and we'll try to help.
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