Honeysuckle Ombré Dyed Curtains

Step 1:

To Ombrè The Curtain Panel:

1) Cover your work surface with plastic and grab some rubber gloves.

2) Presoak curtain panel in warm water and squeeze out excess water.

3) Shake, measure and mix 2 Tbsp of Cherry Red dye and 2 Tbsp of Fuchsia dye in 1½ gallons of very hot 140˚ water. Stir well.

4) Hold the curtain panel from the top with one hand. With the other hand, hold at the center of the curtain panel. A subtle, gradient ombré effect is achieved by a repetitive slow dunking in the dyebath starting at the bottom of the fabric and gradually working higher up the fabric. So, start by slowly dunking just the bottom 12" of the pre-moistened panel into the dyebath. Slowly raise out of the dyebath a bit and lower another 6" or so. Continue this motion until you've reached about half way up the curtain panel. In this way, the bottom of the curtain is a deep shade of pink as it absorbs the most dye and the color fades to a very pale shade at the half way point. This process can take about 5-10 minutes.

Note: You can alter the ombrè effect by just dunking the very bottom or continuing to the very top. Also, if you hold the fabric panel in one place for any length of time, you will get a more distinct dip-dye effect which creates stripes or progressive color blocks. They are all fun effects, so feel free to experiment.

5) Lay aside on plastic keeping flat so the color does not travel to unwanted areas.