Velvet Scarf, Dyed Four Ways

Using colors from Vogue Patterns’s Fall/Winter Color and Fabric Trend Report, Judy Coates Perez, a mixed media textile artist, teacher and author, created a velvet and silk dupioni hand-dyed scarf that captures the essence of fall.

The scarf is made using Vogue pattern 8551.  Before sewing, Judy dyed rectangles of fabric using four different dye techniques – solid color, low water immersion, Shibori and Ombré.  Her colors, Jadelite and Peacock, were selected from the Vogue Antiquarian palette.  To match the Rit dye colors to the Vogue colors, Judy used the COLORit Color Formula Guide. Jadelite is Rit Color Formula #207 and Peacock is Rit Color Formula #217.

 Vogue Patterns magazine has given us permission to reproduce this article from their August/September 2010 issue.

Velvet Scarf, Dyed Four Ways

by Judy Coates Perez

Color plays a key role in fashion with each season bringing a fresh palette to tempt us and inspire us to rejuvenate our wardrobes. For many of us, the search for fabric in the perfect shade of purple or blue or green can sometimes take on epic proportions. When the quest for the elusive color seems to be hitting the wall, have you ever thought about coloring your own fabric?

Inspired by the Antiquarian color palette from Vogue’s Fall/Winter Color & Fabric Trend Report, I dyed fabric to make a unique scarf using V8551. Made from six rectangles of fabric that are stitched in a continuous loop, the scarf can have a variety of looks depending on which fabric sections are pulled to the outside. Knowing that fabrics dyed in the same color will appear in lighter or darker shades, depending upon the fiber content, I was able to take advantage of this outcome and get a greater range of shades from the same dye formula. I also chose fabrics with different textures, and used different dying techniques in order to add more dimension to the finished project.

Supplies

• Rit Dyes, liquid or powder   
• Large dishpan or bucket (3 gallon capacity)
• Several small plastic containers (2-3 cup capacity)
• Plastic bowl
• Large and small shallow tray
• PVC pipe, 6" diameter, 12"-24" length (available at your local hardware store in the plumbing section)
• Ball of Twine
• Rubber bands
• Measuring cup & measuring spoons
• Large spoon
• Foam brush
• Plastic table cover
• Plastic wrap

Getting Started

Before dyeing fabric, pre-wash it in warm water with a mild detergent. For the scarves I cut six fabric rectangles 18" x 25" for dyeing (finished cut pattern piece is 16" x 22-3/4"). I cut three from the silk dupioni and three from the velvet.

The Techniques

I used four different dyeing techniques to create my scarf: Solid Color, Low Water Immersion, Shibori, and Ombré. You can use any or all of them, or create your own techniques.

Solid Color

When dyeing solid colors, it is important to have enough water in the container for the fabric to move freely and to keep the fabric moving in the dye solution to encourage even dye distribution.

1. Fill a two-gallon container with enough hot water for fabric to move freely.

2. Mix 2 cups dye solution in a small plastic container using hot water; stir well. Add to water in larger bucket; stir well.

NOTE: Water should be very hot (140° F). If tap water is not hot enough, heat water in the microwave or in a tea kettle. All recipes are for liquid dyes. Liquid dyes are more concentrated. For powder dyes, double the amount of dye.

3. Wet the fabric in hot water, uncrumple and add to the dye bath.

4. Stir constantly (back and forth, up and down) for 10 to 30 minutes.

5. Remove the fabric from the dye and rinse in cool water until the water runs clear. Wash fabric in warm water with mild detergent, rinse thoroughly in cool water and line (air) or machine dry.

Low-Water Immersion

When using low-water immersion dyeing, less water is needed than when using standard dyeing methods. The dyeing is typically done in small plastic disposable containers or plastic bags. The fabric is scrunched into a container that is too small for the fabric to move freely. This causes the dyes to penetrate unevenly, thus creating a mottled appearance. The exposed fabric surface absorbs most of the dye, creating more saturated color. The fabric hidden in the folds absorbs a less concentrated solution and will dye lighter, maybe even having some white areas. This method also makes it easy to combine two or three dye colors at the same time, creating an abundance of color as the different colors of dye poured over the fabric combine and overlap, producing visual depth and interest.

1. Wet the fabric and crumple it into a plastic container where it is scrunched into one layer across the bottom of the container; plastic take out trays work great for this.

2. Mix 1 cup dye solution for silk dupioni or 2 cups dye solution for velvet.

3. Pour the dye over fabric, making sure to cover all of the fabric, push any undyed exposed fabric down into the dye without agitating the fabric in the container.

4. Remove the fabric from the dye after a minimum of ten minutes, and rinse in cool water until water runs clear. Wash fabric in warm water with mild detergent, rinse thoroughly in cool water and line (air) or machine dry.

Shibori

Shibori is the Japanese art of shaped and secured resist dyeing. The fabric is compressed by using wrapping, stitching, twisting or folding techniques which create areas of the fabric that will resist the dye. The result is soft patterns and striations that look more complicated than they really are to make.

1. Wrap a length of fabric around a 6" diameter PVC pipe cut to a 12"-24" length. Secure the ends with rubber bands. NOTE: Fabric can be wrapped diagonally around the pipe to create a different effect.

2. Tie a piece of twine around one end of fabric wrapped pipe. Then wrap the twine around the fabric, spacing the wraps about 1/2" apart along the length of the pipe. Continue wrapping and pushing down the fabric until it is all scrunched down as needed to fit all the fabric on the pipe. Push the fabric tightly down to the end of the pipe; secure the end of the twine with a knot. The tighter the fabric is compressed, the less dye will penetrate the fabric, leaving more white fabric undyed.

3. Mix 1 cup of dye solution for silk dupioni or 2 cups of dye solution for velvet.

4. Place fabric-wrapped pipe in a large shallow tray. Use a foam brush to paint dye over the entire surface of the wrapped fabric.

5. Let set for 20 minutes.

6. Rinse fabric while still on pipe, under cool running water in the sink for several minutes. Cut twine and unwrap the fabric from the pipe under running water; rinse until water runs clear. Wash fabric in warm water with mild detergent, rinse thoroughly in cool water and line (air) or machine dry.

Ombré

Ombré is a dyeing technique that creates a gradation of color, either from light to dark or from one color to another.

One-Color Gradation

1. Cover large tray or work surface with plastic wrap so that it is a clean, protected surface.

2. Place a shallow bowl or container that can hold 2-3 cups liquid on one side of the tray or work surface with enough room for fabric to spread across the plastic wrap.

3. Mix 2 cups dye solution and pour into the shallow bowl.

4. Wet the fabric in warm water and dip one end into the dye solution, immersing it several inches. Then partially pull it out and drape fabric over edge of bowl across plastic wrapped surface.

5. The dye will slowly travel across the open area of undyed fabric. To encourage more dye migration, spoon warm water along the edge of dye as it fades to the white area.

6. Leave fabric in dye 20-30 minutes until desired migration has been attained.

7. Carefully remove fabric from dye, laying it on the plastic wrap and removing the container of dye. Wrap in plastic wrap, place in clean tray to transport it to the sink. Rinse in cool water until water runs clear. Wash fabric in warm water with mild detergent, rinse thoroughly in cool water and line (air) or machine dry.

Two-Color Gradation

1. Follow steps 1 through 4 of One-Color Gradation.

2. Mix a second 2 cups dye solution and pour into another shallow bowl.

3. Place the bowl just far enough away from first bowl so ends of fabric can rest in each bowl.

4. Dip the opposite end of the fabric several inches into the second dye solution and partially pull it out, draping fabric over the edge of the bowl.

5. Leave both ends of fabric immersed in the dye solutions. Encourage the dye migration to the center of the fabric by spooning warm water along the edge of the dye as it moves toward the center. This may take up to 20 minutes for dye to reach center of fabric.

6. Continue steps 5 thought 7 of One-Color Gradation. After fabric rectangles have been dyed, construct the scarf according to pattern instructions.

Judy Coates Perez is a mixed media textile artist, teacher and author currently living in Chicago, IL. Visit www.judyperez.blogspot.com to learn more about her.