Dyeing Tutorial Step Two

Dye fibers in a foam paper plate. This prevents the dye from seeping into a paper plate.

I dye a variety of fibers using one combination of dyes. Supplies - water,  foam paper plates, pipettes, brushes, paper towels and an ice cub tray for mixing dyes. In this photo, approximately 30 yards of silk cord is dampened and placed onto a foam plate. Wet the fiber and wring out all the water. The more water left in the fibers, the more pastel the ribbon. I keep a paper towel beneath the plate and use the paper towel as a palette, to test the color before applying to the fiber. If you are new to dyeing, keep a small notebook, notating the drops or teaspoons of dyes combined with other colors. Once the dyeing process is finished, tape a swatch of the ribbon or fiber to the page to note the outcome. All of this information is in my book "The New Ribbon Embroidery". An entire chapter was dedicated to dyeing. The book is no longer in print but copies do come up time-to-time on Amazon.