Creating Custom Dye Colors Using Rit Dye on Quilting Arts TV

In this segment from Quilting Arts TV, Judy Coates Perez returns to explain color theory and demonstrates how to make new dye recipes for use in all your creative projects.  This is segment featured in the 1000 Series, Episode 1009.  Judy is an amazing textile artist who created over 500 recipes for the ColoRit Color Formula Guide.  Take a look at the video tutorial here ...

Judy’s first tip is to always take notes when you experiment with color. Write the recipe on the fabric itself with a permanent marker.  For dark fabrics, she recommends writing the recipe on Tyvek® and stapling that to your fabric swatch.

Judy starts with one color, such as Sunshine Orange.  She uses a 12” x 12” test swatch of fabric which weighs about one ounce.  Her basic recipe is 1 teaspoon liquid dye mixed with 1 cup very hot water in a 3-cup container.  Wet the fabric in warm water and then push it into the dye bath; stir gently for 2 minutes.  Then rinse, wash and dry the fabric. 

To develop a range of shades, she varies the amount of dye mixed with 1 cup of hot water.  In the photo, the first 3 Sunshine Orange squares on the left are: ¼ teaspoon, 1 teaspoon and 1 Tablespoon of dye. 

To change a basic recipe, she adds a secondary color.  So she starts with 1 teaspoon of the base color and then adds a ¼ teaspoon of the secondary color, mixed with 1 cup of water.  In the photo, the Sunshine Orange colors that follow have the secondary swatch stapled to them. On the right side, the 4 large Violet swatches show:  ¼ teaspoon, ½ teaspoon, 1 teaspoon and 1Tablespoon of Violet mixed with 1 cup hot water.

When creating custom color recipes, the possibilities are endless!