Silk Dyeing Workshop

Beth and I drove in to Artists Emporium in Winnipeg to take a silk dyeing workshop. There were eight participants and half of us were from our Fibre Arts Divas group!!

Here are the basic steps:

1.  Fold your silk cloth and use plastic clothes pins, elastics, chop sticks, etc to hold the fold and create lines on the cloth as it dyed. 

2.  Soak in soda ash mixed in water. This is a mordant that allows the fibres to accept the dye. 

3.  Apply dye. We used squeeze bottles. The instructor provided dozens of colours!!

4.  Let the cloth soaked in dye sit for 12-24 hours. We put each of our pieces in plastic bags and brought them home. 

5.  Rinse in cold, and then hot water until it runs clear. Wash in hot water with synthrapol or other dye fixing detergent. The piece should now be fixed and ready to wear.