Flat dyeing

Inspired by Robin Ferrier's article on outdoor flat dyeing in the June/July 2012 issue of Quilting Arts, I set up a dyeing station in my back yard.


I was also inspired by a very thoughtful birthday gift: a full bolt of Kona PFD cotton. Thank you Harper!






Essentially you lay down a plastic sheet, place the folded cloth on top, pour on the dye solution, spread with your gloved hands, then layer another plastic sheet on top. After using a paint roller to ensure a good distribution of the dye, you begin again. In the end you have a multi-layered sandwich of plastic sheets and dye-soaked cotton, which you allow to bake in the sun for a full day. Clean-up with a garden hose is easy.

This approach to dyeing is new to me, and I liked the result of minimal mottling.

These are some of the results, which I plan to use in my next project. To be continued....