My First Experience With (actual) Fabric Dye

We all do it.  Go digging through the clearance bins just because there might be something in there we didn't know we needed for the best price ever.

Such was the case one day when I walked in to JoAnn's and what to my wondering eyes - Behold!  Fabric dye for fifty cents!  I bought an assortment of colors.  Who knows what on earth I was going to dye, but I just might need this some day!

So these packets of dye sat in my craft room for over a year, until one day I decided my off-white throw blanket was just looking dingy.  I should dye it!  But the dye is to be added to the washer, and my washer can hold quite a load... so not wanting to waste any dye...  I went from room to room, looking for thingsthat would look much more stunning as a brilliant blue/'greenj and gathered a big pile.

If you've been hanging around here for long, you know I love any shade of turquoise.  But that was not one of my color choices.  However, I did have royal blue and fluorescent yellow.  I added the whole packet of blue, and not quite half of the packet of yellow to the water, and my cup of salt just like the directions said.  I also went through the agitator cycle three times, just to be safe and let it soak for an hour.  

The results were fabulous!!!  I'm now a huge fan of iDye!!!!  SOOOOO EASY!

I'm glad I read the materials it will dye, however. You have to buy something special if you're coloring polyester or other such fabrics not listed on the package.

I dyed white towels that had turquoise spots on them from my bleeding run, and now I won't be eyeing those new ones on the shelf at Target anymore!  Also had a boring green and white striped scarf that turned out fabulous.

I thought this shirt turned out awesome. 

I got it at Kohl's for a couple dollars because I wasn't sure if I could get some faint yellowish spot out.  

It went in the "dye pile" and I was surprised that the fabric dyed turquoise, but not the white thread, which made such a neat contrast!

This was my only issue.  There must have been a light stain or something on the white part of this shirt and another one I had, because when I pulled them out of the dryer, there was this purple spot.  Now, I didn't see anything before the dye job, so the dye must have enhanced the before-hidden spot.  Rats.  

That was my only complaint though, and I'm still hooked on iDye!

The throw is definitely my favorite.....

But a close second is these off-white cloth napkins that my mom made for me thirteen years ago.  I was rather amazed at how these turned out. The design must have been made with a fabric that didn't take the dye so there is a contrast in it and it is lovely!  Here is a dyed napkin next to an un-dyed one so you can see the difference:

I hate buying napkins - seems such a waste to wipe your mouth on it once and toss it in the garbage -so we pretty much stick to cloth.  Not because I'm "green" but because I'm frugal. :)

These are just a cheap calico fabric with the edges surged.  Thanks, Mom!  We're still using these after thirteen years and now they have been "made new" with a change in color.  I feel like I got a whole load of 'new' things while only spending fifty cents!  Gotta love that.

In case you're curious as to why I put the word "actual" in my blog title, it's because I once did a post on how I dyed some things in my washer with a rug that was having some major dye-bleeding problems.  We're talking major hemorrhaging.  Click HERE to see how that turned out!

What about you?  Love dye?  Want to try it?

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