Guest Author - Iris ten Holder
Are you ready? Having selected your fabrics or yarns, depending on your specialty, consider this a good time to ponder further color options. Was your selection inspiring? You could be so lucky, so go right ahead and leave the dying process to a future occasion when you may need it more. Of course if you are still curious, read on.
If you intend to make hooked rugs, you may be looking for a specific tone or shade or perhaps better harmony between the colors.
Because traditional rag rugs were made from used fabrics, the colors tend to be muted and have an older patina. This older patina is certainly appreciated in oriental rugs and so it is in traditional hooked rag rugs. Many rug-hooking artists therefore look to dyes to help them achieve this same effect.
This type of dying is called "over-dying", as one applies the dye over the original color. Since we know that red over yellow produces orange, and that blue over yellow produces green, it is easy to imagine what will happen if we apply this knowledge to fabrics. With some patience and time investment a range of over 30 colors is not hard to achieve. Thos with experience in tie-dying will have a head start and will love the results that can be obtained with other techniques.
Although dyes come with their own instructions, additional knowledge can be gleaned from the 2001 edition of Rug Hooking Magazine, which has preserved "Adventures in Dying" in their online archives. You will find the link at the bottom of this article.
While natural dyes are derived from plants, commercial dyes are derived from chemicals and can be categorized as direct dyes and acid dyes. Best known are Cushing Dyes and Prochem Dyes. For dying one needs formulas, and swatches are also helpful to see what the finished color is going to be. Claire DeRoos and Nancy Maclennan published several booklets in the nineties, which even included color swatches. These booklets are still sought after. Ebay is a good place to watch for such rug hooking finds.
When you are going to start dyeing,
When dying, follow the instructions to the letter, use caution and whenever possible keep it out of your kitchen, A laundry room with a two-pit burner on a sturdy table would provide a good working area. When mealtime comes long, you will still have a clean kitchen. Plan for a time without interference, so you can fully concentrate on the work at hand. Be prepared to make swatches, documenting the original color and the final outcome. Make notes and analyze the results.
As with many things, be organized and keep it simple at first. Make a list of all that is needed, from the dyeing vessel to the measuring spoons. Using the laundry room will prove to be very practical as the fabrics needs to be soaked first, and after dying go through several rinses. Let the dying pan hold all the tools. Store dye and other ingredients out of the reach of children, the highest shelf of your laundry room or cabinet being a good place. Store any liquids at the back of the shelf, or use two baskets, one for liquid- and the other for dry ingredients. Baskets are all the rage right now and are available in many sizes and shapes - a great way to organize. Use an attractive label, so everyone knows what’s in there.
The following caution was published in Rug Hooking Magazine. I could not phrase it any better:
“Please note: Whichever dyeing technique you choose, don't forget to take some precautions: Wear rubber gloves and old clothes to protect yourself from splashes. Don a dust mask to cover your nose and mouth as you measure dry dyes. And never use dye equipment for food preparation”.
