Fabric Dyeing for Beginners

For the many people who love hand-dyed fabrics but think they are too difficult to make, Vimala McClure presents an easy to do technique that is convenient and gentle on the pocketbook. The author says, 'I use methods that are simple to understand and that can be broken down into steps to be completed on separate days.' Because her dyeing process is done in small batches, there is minimal mess to clean up. Worked in small jars or a plastic bin, luminous fabrics with exciting patterns can be made in a total of two to three hours. Using widely available dye products, which are listed in the resources section, the author provides dye recipes for mixing batches of 12 different colors or, for more variety, 24 colors. She shows how to make intriguing color mixtures, single-color gradations and multiple color gradations. With a cookbook approach and step by step photos, the author demonstrates tie dyeing, Shibori-like dyeing, fold dyeing, and overdyeing, each method illustrated with examples of wonderful fabric swatches and quilt blocks. She also describes how to make simple stencils for sponging or spraying to add pizzazz to any fabric.