Bob
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Post by Bob on Feb 21, 2011 18:01:18 GMT -5
I have this big sheet, and I want to dye it lime green.
The last time I tried to dye a large painters tarp and it was a disaster.
What would happen if I mixed salt, water, dye and sprayed the mixture on the sheet instead of dipping it?
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Post by Justin Thyme on Feb 21, 2011 22:39:05 GMT -5
My guess is that you would have a big sheet of varying shades of green.
But that is just a guess.
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Bob
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Post by Bob on Feb 21, 2011 23:01:33 GMT -5
My guess is that you would have a big sheet of varying shades of green. But that is just a guess. that's what I got when I soaked it. |
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Post by mikeydokey on Feb 21, 2011 23:08:43 GMT -5
Why don't you spray paint it Bob? I've seen people paint fabrics before, don't know if there is a special technique or not but you should be able to get a uniform color, other than that take it to the cleaners and pay tham to do it, if they mess it up refuse to pay for it.
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Post by Justin Thyme on Feb 21, 2011 23:28:34 GMT -5
I've seen the industrial dying processes and they use a tank with a bunch of rollers that allows them to run the cloth through the dye without and wrinkles. Small fabric can be soaked in a tub in a way that is going to allow the dye to reach every nook and cranny even with wrinkles in the fabric. When the tub gets too much fabric in it the fabric bunches up so much that you have unequal application of the dye to the fabric. With a large enough tub you could probably get the drop cloth evenly dyed but how to figure out how large the tub needs to be is beyond me.
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Bob
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Post by Bob on Feb 22, 2011 0:46:15 GMT -5
SO I've a queen size sheet. It still sounds like mix a half gallon and spray it on.
I am good with a spray gun, and spray still sounds like the best method so what do I spray? The dye? acrylic? T-Shirt quality airbrush paint is about a dollar an ounce.
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Post by Justin Thyme on Feb 22, 2011 5:57:50 GMT -5
Go with the dye. The dye is cheap enough that you could spray it and then soak it in a tub if the color is uneven. I'd use a garden sprayer to spray it, though, and not an air brush.
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ScarlettP
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Post by ScarlettP on Feb 22, 2011 6:48:01 GMT -5
Honestly, it might be cheaper and get you better results to hit Joann's on coupon day and BUY a big chunk of fabric the correct color.
My suggestion would be to use watered down acrylic paint sprayed on. The acrylic will 'cover' the existing color of the fabric and be reasonably flexible. We've all used a drop cloth and have a pretty good idea of what the results are of getting paint on it. Acrylic paint COVERS the existing color.
Dying fabric is a totally different art form. You just have to experiment with it until you learn via trial and error how to get good results. Mostly, you have to remember that whatever color dye you are using will not cover or replace the color which is already on the fabric, it will simply add to it. Think of having a large bucket of white paint - not the base stuff - WHITE wall paint. You will never get a vibrant color because the white will still be there and blend into what you are adding to it. You cannot dye a darker color to a lighter shade.
I can't tell you how many times I have tried to tell people that it is IMPOSSIBLE to dye anything black. But no one listens to me. They always ruin their favorite garment by turning it some hideous shade of gray because they thought "If I use 6 boxes of Rit, it has to work!" WRONG! Rit dye has many fun uses, but it is not the same as what commercial companies use.
If you are still keen to try it - here is the trick. WET THE FABRIC BEFORE PUTTING IT IN THE DYE BATH! Do the dye job in the washing machine. Wash the fabric first to remove any oils that might be on it. Remove from washer and do NOT dry it. Leave it wet. Fill the washer with hot water. Low level is OK for one sheet, but I have better results with a full washer. Put the dye into the water and hand turn the agitator to thoroughly mix it in. Add your wet fabric. Press the fabric into the dye mix and turn it by hand and watch the results. If it looks like you need more dye, move the fabric to one side, add the dye to the other side and start swishing it around. If it gets to dark, there is nothing you can do except bleach it and pray. When you think your color is getting close to what you want, close the lid and let the machine run. Pray harder that you get a good result.
When it's done, put it in a hot dryer to set the color. Be happy if it comes out anywhere close to what you had in mind.
I have successfully dyed a lot of fabric and this method - Wet Fabric - works best. You get a more even color as you don't have those little dry pockets that don't accept the dye as well as the part that was wet. This is like using a damp sponge instead of a dry one to pick up a spill. The water attracts more water. Good luck.
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Bob
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Post by Bob on Feb 22, 2011 7:14:21 GMT -5
Thank you!!
good advice. What do you do after to clean the washer?
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Post by Warkitty on Feb 22, 2011 7:58:32 GMT -5
run it with soap empty, or possibly with some rags you don't mind risking getting some of the color on.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 22, 2011 15:53:44 GMT -5
Scarlettp's first sentence is the approach I'd take.
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Bob
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Post by Bob on Feb 22, 2011 22:51:56 GMT -5
Scarlettp's first sentence is the approach I'd take. Yeah but what fun is that... [grin] |
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Post by LimitedRecourse on Feb 23, 2011 17:38:08 GMT -5
Why not wrap a model or two in the sheet and have them roll around in some dye? Photo caption: Ladies to dye for (me).
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 23, 2011 20:46:08 GMT -5
Booooo.
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Bob
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Post by Bob on Feb 23, 2011 21:42:42 GMT -5
Why not wrap a model or two in the sheet and have them roll around in some dye? Photo caption: Ladies to dye for (me). If I pick carefully, the two models would soon make everyone forget about the dye or the cloth or pretty much anything... [grin] |
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Post by mikeydokey on Feb 23, 2011 21:57:55 GMT -5
Thank you!! good advice. What do you do after to clean the washer? You go to the laundrymat and ruin their washer. |
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Post by ssmynkint on Feb 24, 2011 8:03:18 GMT -5
Ah, Free Market md, compassionate as always.
But what about the socialist death panels for dying fabrics?
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Post by gridbug on Feb 24, 2011 15:12:06 GMT -5
Should I assume that you want this sheet to be dyed green because you do not want it dyed blue? If so I would probably take Scarlett's advice to get the most uniform background. But then, effects of a spotty dye job can be corrected in Photoshop.
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Bob
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Post by Bob on Feb 24, 2011 15:30:14 GMT -5
Should I assume that you want this sheet to be dyed green because you do not want it dyed blue? If so I would probably take Scarlett's advice to get the most uniform background. But then, effects of a spotty dye job can be corrected in Photoshop. green-screen or chroma-key you don't want to "fix" in photoshop. and you can't if you're shooting video. Karen said several really ugly words and several I didn't catch but basically I'm not dying anything in her washer. [grin] I mixed up about a half gallon and put it in a sprayer. It coats very evenly but will take a very long time to get it the right shade. The 2' area I am testing on looks like the forth "coat" will be "it". At this point I'm leaning toward acrylic paint instead of dye because it's more economical. The material at hanconcks is about $65 to buy two 48" pieces 4 yards long |
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Post by sadmemories20 on Mar 9, 2011 20:24:03 GMT -5
My guess is that you would have a big sheet of varying shades of green. But that is just a guess. __________________ watch online movies |
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Bob
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Post by Bob on Mar 9, 2011 21:38:09 GMT -5
Income tax money came, so I decided to go buy a real green-screen.
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Post by coffeeshooter on Mar 11, 2011 16:06:53 GMT -5
julie from julie belle designs may have some suggestions. she sets up at the chatt market but her work studio is at rivoli mills. her process is interesting and the dyes she uses are commercial grade. she does dye classes too. www.juliebelledesigns.com/or do what scarlett said  |
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Red
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Post by Red on Mar 15, 2011 12:12:34 GMT -5
What scarlett said.
Or find a dark green sheet and wash it with the white sheet in HOT water. lol!
(the way you turn a mans white underwear pink when washing them with dark red socks) bwahahaha!
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