We get lots of emails from customers about challenges with dyeing and needing Botanical Colors’ President Kathy Hattori’s help. Why not share the learning so we can all benefit? From our inboxes to you, it’s simple: You Asked, Kathy Answered. Email questions@botanicalcolors with your plea for help!
YOU ASKED: I am learning to use dye blankets in my botanical prints. I want to make a logwood pot that would be used multiple times. Here are my varied questions:
- Since I am using the pot over time, I might not have fabric to put in the pot initially. I want to fill the pot with water and add the liquid logwood. How much logwood since I’m not putting fabric in right away. Maybe 2 caps full to a 4 gallon pot? How long do I need to heat it?
- If the fabric has not been used as a blanket (scoured, not mordanted) does it need to go into a hot pot as if it were a shirt as discussed on your direction page?
- If the blanket has been used and is dry, does it need to go into a hot pot or can it go in cold?
Thanks for your time. LOVE your website and helpful info, to say nothing of the Beginners Dye Kit. Taking the cold water mordant on a test drive today.
KATHY ANSWERED: The first thing we recommend is that you write down the approximate dry weight of your fabric for your first project, and also weigh any additional pieces that you want to add later and note those as well. The second thing we recommend is that you make the dye bath when you need it and not in advance. Logwood dye may shift color over time due to the nature of its dye colorants so in order to get the strongest purple shades, we recommend making up the bath when you want to use it. If you want to add to a dye pot, check the dye color first and make sure you still have a good purple, then calculate and add more dye. If the dye bath seems brown or not purple, I recommend you draw a fresh dye bath.
Once you know the dry weight of your fabric, you can calculate how much dye. Shake the bottle of logwood well, then weigh up to 10% weight of dry fiber (WOF) and add it to the pot. Once you have the fabric in the pot, you can raise the temperature to 160F and dye it for 45 minutes.
Regarding question #2, I’m not clear about your question. If the fabric is not mordanted and you are trying to saturate it with dye, then you can bring the temperature up but you can also experiment with it cold and see what your results are like.
And for #3, You can always put fibers into a cold dye bath and then gradually raise the temperature.
I hope you have a great time with the printing that you are doing! Thanks for the kind words about our site!
Kathy