Faux Paisley Dye Results

I've been a very busy girl today and haven't pulled a loop or done any binding on finished hooked pieces.  Between working on the paisley dye project, working on my grandson's handmade wig and mustache for him to be Einstein at school, AND making homemade vegetable soup there's been no play time for me. 

Please don't get me wrong, I'm having a BLAST helping my grandson with this endeavor and is a story I'll share later....anyway...back to paisley.

Joan Moshimer's instructions wrote that she used Dorr's Mint wool as the base wool since it was a pale grayed-green helping to soften the colors.  At first I'd considered ordering a yard but figured there must be something in my stash that I could use even if it was in pieces.   And pieces it was. 

Also I chose a variety of greens since I wasn't sure exactly what Dorr's looked like in person.  Besides, it might be nice to have different looks since you already saw the various antique paisley colors available that Deb purchased.

Joan chose Cushing dyes of Egyptian Red, Gold and Aquagreen as her dyes.  She used FOUR pieces each 10" x 18" (to fit a large flat pan).  The wool I chose might have been a smidgen longer or smaller in length but wider, but approximated the amount.  And then soaked in water with a little detergent for a while.

After pre-soaking the wool pieces in detergent squeeze them out and put them in a solution of 4 cups warm water mixed with 4 TBS vinegar.  The vinegar will help absorb color quickly.

Then mix:

• A.  1/4" tsp. plus 1/8 tsp. EGYPTIAN RED in 3 cups boiling water.
• B.  1/8 tsp. GOLD in 2 cups boiling water.
• C.  1/16 tsp. AQUAGREEN in 2 cups boiling water.

Since I didn't have a 3 cup utensil used for dyeing decided to use two cups and fill them each with 1 1/2 cups water.

NOTE TO NEWBIES:  You can see a piece of my nose mask on the far right, which I use when my dyes are opened and until they are dissolved ~ better safe than sorry.  AND, a little hint is to put some water into your measuring cup, swirl it around and dump it out before putting your power dye in and it will prevent some of the particles from floating around.

Then into the flat baking pan put a sheet of aluminum foil lightly crumpled.

Next Joan squeezed out the first piece and laid it over the foil. 

Using dye solution A spoon splotches of it all over so only small areas of original mint color remain. It looks white here because of the flash but it is mint green.

Then with dye solution "B" Joan spooned on to cover the remaining mint color here and there even onto the red, using much less of B than A. 

Next, Joan's instructions say that solution C is spooned on here and there using even less than B.  My colors seem to be very limited here I know.  But also in her article it says the bottom wool will be the darkest since all the color will drain down.  Being timid I was a little conservative in my colors and guessed the top would drain down.

This repeats, laying each subsequent layer over the previous.  FINALLY pour over about 4 cups of water/vinegar mixture, cover and bake at 300 degrees for 1 hour. 

And these are the results, this without a flash and can now see that I was a little stingy with my red dye.  BUT, this was my first try. 

And this with a flash.  Think I was scared of this since I was putting red over green fearful of getting a brown.  Ive more mint green so perhaps one day I'll try it again. 

 

But this will be good to use for flowers, part of a sunset, tulips?  Hey, mistakes can always be used for something even if it didn't turn out to be for the project you intended. 

I'm very envious (jealous) of my gal pal who can color by eye.  I'm sure that Lynne is chuckling right now if she is reading my blog and I'll get a response from her by tomorrow for sure. UPDATE: Lynne did write me and said that SHE was envious because she's been wanting to try this recipe but hasn't done so yet.  However, she is planning to experiment one day soon.

Have a great evening everyone and now I've go to go back and stir my homemade vegetable soup.  Have a great weekend and remember to be kind to one another. 

Saundra