More Fun with Ice

Since two of our members were not able to come to the dye workshop, and wanted to try the ice dyeing, we planned another dye day Amy's. Pat ordered some silk scarves, Corienne brought some woven silk scarves that she made and some yarns, and Jana had bought black dye and a silk shawl.

We first soaked the fabric in soda ash, after putting our initials on anything that wasn't unique. We spent time tucking fabric into baskets and folding it up, and placing it on wire and plastic racks. Jana especially had fun with all the fringe on her shawl. We piled on ice and sprinkled dye powder all over it. Choosing colors was a tough choice, what color to put with which other color of dye. Then the wait.... do NOT disturb for 24 hours...let the ice melt and the dye flow through the fabric. Every one came back the next morning, and we spent time rinsing out each piece and seeing what each other had done.

Everything was luscious and rich colors, Corienne thought she used too much dye powder, Amy thought she used too little, and Pat's silk was a mix of wonderful colors. Jana's silk shawl was a deep purple with blue/green highlights from the black dye, her other pieces of fabric with the black were a deep color also. Amy did a few silk hankies, and they came out a fuzzy mess, but a rich purple, a bronze and a pink/red, what to do with them?

We all had a great time, with lots of stuff for show and tell next meeting. Our little gray furry visitor almost ended up purple as he would not keep out of the strawberry baskets with the silk hankies.