Rit Dye Failure - Watercolor Technique
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Rit Dye Failure |
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Water Color Technique |
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I started with a circle skirt |
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Gather the Dye |
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Dying the Top |
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Adding Purple |
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Layers of Color |
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Layering Color |
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Sponge to add dye |
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Adding layers of color |
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Layers of color |
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More color layers |
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Done layering |
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After the wash |
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Dye Puddles |
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Fabric Paint |
Because I wanted darker colors, I decided to buy fabric paint to fix the problem.
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Fabric Painted |
Crafting for me is about having fun and saving money. Between dye, paint, sponges and a white sheet from the thrift store I'd spent $30 and still didn't have anything I liked. That's when I came up with another idea.
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Alcohol + Paint |
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1 part paint and 1 part alcohol |
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1 layer of blue spray paint |
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Sprayed! |
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Sprayed! |
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Drying in the sun |
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Dyed and Spray Painted |
I turned the sponge painted fabric into pockets.
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Pockets |
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Dress Pockets |
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Attic dress |
This dress now sits on a dress form in the corner of the attic. I hope that one day soon I'll look at this dress and be excited about it. For now it's just a messy, expensive, splotchy dress sitting in a corner.
With tea party season approaching there's an excellent chance that I'll have a change of heart and she'll get her day in the sun.
You never know!
UPDATE:
In the end I decided to wear this dress and it was a huge hit!! Here are pix.
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For SUCCESSFUL ReFashion projects, click HERE!
6 comments
Hi, when I make alcohol ink using Rit, I usually use the 91% isopropyl alcohol; I don't know if that makes a difference or not. I also heat set my fabric by ironing before washing it. While the color doesn't stay as vibrant as I would like, I was still pleased with the results on cotton fabric; poly cotton - not so much.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for the tip! I need all the help I can get on this one!
DeleteI love that you tried such a cool, ambitious look! ...and that dress might make a good structure layer for a floaty, transparent fabric, or an eyelet...
ReplyDeleteI have given up on Rit and use Procion dyes. They're popular with tie-dye artists because you get a vivid, wash-fast color without having to set it. Each tub of color is more expensive than a package of Rit, but it goes a long way. I ordered from Dharma Trading, but some craft stores have it.
Thanks so much for this tip. I have been obsessively reading Dharma Tradings site and instructions all morning!
DeleteRit offers a product called Color Stat Dye Fixative. They recommend using it immediately after dyeing to enhance the color and reduce color bleeding. Maybe try that next time?
ReplyDeleteYour experiment with RIT dyes made me sad: your first shot at this was really nice- I loved the colors. The post-wash was what made me sad: I hate it when I flub. The secret is to fix the RIT dye: after you paint the dye on (and while it is still wet), put it in a microwave-safe casserole dish (with lid) and cook/steam it for 4 minutes. Let it cool for several minutes, then wash. The heat will make the dye fast and it will look like your original design (a little lighter when it dries).
ReplyDelete