Introducing 2011 Color Of The Year: Honeysuckle!

The Pantone Institute has forecasted Honeysuckle to be the color of the year for 2011. Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute, says “In times of stress, we need something to lift our spirits. Honeysuckle is a captivating stimulating color that gets the adrenaline going – perfect to ward off the blues. Described as a festive reddish pink, Honeysuckle is alluring and engaging. It produces a healthy glow when worn by both men and women.”

Here at Rit we wanted to make it easy for you to add Honeysuckle to your wardrobe and your home accessories. Whether you choose to “recycle” or start with something new and white, we have the dye recipe for you. We started with Cherry Red, a strong, vibrant hue, and mixed it with an equal part of Fuchsia.  We dyed a white Ann Taylor Loft T-shirt to show how easy it is to create a custom-color recipe.  This simple guide applies to whatever you are dyeing. 

SUPPLIES:

• Rit Liquid Dyes: Cherry Red & Fuchsia

• White 100% Cotton T-Shirt

• 2-Cup Measuring Cup & Measuring Spoons

• Spoon for stirring dye

• Dishpan or bucket

• Paper Towels

• Knit fabric for testing dye color

• Salt

• Rubber Gloves

• Plastic Table Cover

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Prewash T-shirt to remove any finishes that may interfere with dye absorption.

2. Weigh the dry T-shirt or item to be dyed using a food scale. The T-shirt weighed 4.5 ounces. As a guideline, ½ cup (half bottle) of liquid dye will color up to 16 ounces of dry weight fabric.

3. As a starting point, we checked the Rit ColorFormula Guide and determined that Honeysuckle was between Color #122 (Warm Red) and #123 (Cool Red.) After doing some testing, we created a new dye/water ration based on the weight of the T-shirt. If you are dyeing a larger item, you will need more dye and more water.

3. Dye Preparation: Wearing rubber gloves, measure 2 teaspoons Cherry Red and 2 teaspoons Fuchsia with ½ cup salt; add 2 cups very hot water and stir well. Test dye color.

4. Fill dishpan or bucket with 2 gallons very hot tap water (140ºF). Note: If water is not hot enough, heat some water in a tea kettle or in the microwave.

5. Pour dye solution into hot water and stir. Test dye color again to be sure you are satisfied. Note: If color is too light, add more dye. If color is too dark, add more water.

6. Wet shirt in warm water and squeeze out excess water.

7. Immerse T-shirt in dye bath and stir continuously for 10 – 15 minutes until desired shade is achieved. The longer the item remains in the dye bath, the darker the color will be. (Color will appear lighter when dry.) Stirring helps to ensure an even color.

8. Remove shirt from dye bath and squeeze out excess dye. Rinse under cold running water until water runs clear. Then wash shirt in warm water with mild detergent, rinse, dry and iron.