Fresh From the Oven

Fresh from the Oven

Dyeing fabric has been one of the most rewarding creative endeavors I attempt in relation to my passion for quilting. Up to the present I have dyed the cellulose fibers of cotton, linen, bamboo and rayon. Now the wool dye bug has bitten. While my first attempt is not what I would call successful, neither is it a failure. Results were a surprise because I based my anticipated results on a comparison with the cellulose formulas I used. I wanted the mottled effect I love so followed the oven method for wool dyeing which required little manipulation. I do love the use of the oven to dye rather than stirring over a hot stove. I did get a mottled effect but the colors were much more intense for the amount of dye used and didn’t rinse out—my first pleasant surprise! (Note to self: use less dye concentrate to get the softer colors I prefer.) My second surprise was just how much, or actually, how little dye was left in the dyebath water so you could tell the dye had been exhausted in bonding with the wool fibers. My third positive was the time factor. I kept the dyebath in the oven for only an hour as opposed to multiple hours for the cellulose. And on the downside, fresh from the oven does not have a pleasant odor. Wet wool does not have quite the same aroma as that loaf of fresh baked bread or cookies but the odor dissipates quickly by running the vent fan—and the results are just as yummy! The photos show the “fresh out of the oven” results and the rinsed and dried finished pieces from simple folding and simply scrunching.

As I continue to master this oven method for my desired results I will continue to share.