Dye A Basic 12-Step Color Wheel

To get a feel for the dyeing process, you can try this basic color wheel in medium/dark values with fat quarters using the soda ash soak technique. Prepare your fabric and chemical water according to the instructions on the Soda Ash Soak Dyeing page. You will need approximately 3 pints of chemical water, 3 pint jars for mixing the dye bath solutions, 12 small jars or plastic zipper bags, and 12 fat quarters of a fabric of your choice. You will also need dye powders in fuchsia, turquoise and yellow (you may substitute other reds, blues and yellows to achieve different colors).

The colors for this color wheel version will be: red, red-orange, orange, yellow-orange, yellow, yellow-green, green, blue-green, blue, blue-violet, purple, and red-violet.

First divide the chemical water into 3 pint jars. These will be your basic dye stock colors. Remember to wear a mask and add dye powders to the jars in the following amounts: 1½ teaspoons of yellow to one jar, 3 teaspoons of turquoise (this is one of the powders that need twice the amount of dye powder) to another, and 1 teaspoon fuchsia to the last jar. If the dye clumps, try adding a drop of Synthrapol or dish detergent to the jar. Stir until the dyes are completely dissolved.

Now prepare the 12 dye bath bags. Label the bags from 1 - 12 and set them in a plastic dishpan. As you put the dye bath in each bag, seal it and put it back in the dishpan. Add the following amounts of dye stock to the bags:

#1 - ½ cup fuchsia
#2 - 6 tablespoons fuchsia, 2 tablespoons yellow
#3 - ¼ cup fuchsia, ¼ cup yellow
#4 - 2 tablespoons fuchsia, 6 tablespoons yellow
#5 - ½ cup yellow
#6 - 6 tablespoons yellow, 2 tablespoons turquoise
#7 - ¼ cup yellow and ¼ cup turquoise
#8 - 2 tablespoons yellow, 6 tablespoons turquoise
#9 - ½ cup turquoise
#10 - 6 tablespoons turquoise, 2 tablespoons fuchsia
#11 - ¼ cup turquoise, ¼ cup fuchsia
#12 - 2 tablespoons turquoise, 6 tablespoons fuchsia

If you wish to use salt to achieve a "pickled" or more uneven effect, add 1 teaspoon to each bag. Fold, scrunch, twist or otherwise manipulate each piece of fabric and put it in a bag. Reseal each bag and put it back in the dishpan. It is a good idea to turn the bags frequently, especially early in the curing process, to allow the dye stock to reach all sides of the fabric. Make sure to note which texturizing technique you used beside each color on your chart. Let the fabric cure for 24 - 48 hours, then remove and rinse under running water until the water runs fairly clear. Wash the fabrics in warm or hot water with Synthrapol until the rinse water is clear. Remember to keep colors separate to avoid color migration. With such small amounts of fabric, it is more economical to hand wash them than to use your washing machine. Dry and iron on the cotton settings to help set the color.

This is a very basic guideline and you may adjust the amounts of basic dye stock you use to get colors you prefer.

References for this section are:

Hand-Dyed Fabric Made Easy by Adriene Buffington
Complex Cloth: A Comprehensive Guide to Surface Design by Jane Dunnewold
Pickled Fabric Workshop by StoneyRidgeRags
e-mail StoneyRidgeRags@earthlink.net

Click here for a complete list of references with publishers' addresses and contact information.