FOE, dyeing it, and ease of use

[elfinbaby]

I am a beginner seamstress starting to sew dipes and covers and when I look at the FOE all I keep thinking about is how had it is to use. Am I right?

My next question is - all of the dyeing directions I've found recommend RIT dye. IME, RIT is crap. I have towels that are still bleeding after many hot washes. I have to wash them by themselves. And some fabric I dyed for curtains is being faded by the sun. This can't be good for dyeing FOE so what is?

I've also read about binding using strips of whatever your making the cover from (PUL) but this sounds harder than the FOE! How hard is this binding stuff?!?

Thanks.

[calmom]

I don't think FOE is that hard, and I'm easily intimidated. The wider the strip, the easier it is to sew on and I've read that using a binder foot helps a lot. For me, the only trouble I ran into was not stretching the FOE as I sewed it over the elastic area, kwim? I had to stretch the FOE as much as I was stretching the areas of the cover I had already sewn elastic into or else it kind of stopped the elastic from bouncing back to form the little ruffle. I hope that makes sense. It's late, I'm tired from working on a nightmare aio and I should be going to bed. Happy sewing.

[LuvMy2Kidz]

We've had much success dyeing my FOE with Kool-aid and even food coloring....but it does take RIT very well too, and doesn't seem to bleed like most fabrics do b/c it's absorbed into a synthetic material(more or less staining it). We just make sure to do a nice long vinegar bath to help set the dye and a long hot wash to get it faded etc.

[rubelin]

A dying guru that I know told me that the only thing RIT is awesome at is dying FOE (which is usually made from nylon). I've done it a lot for sample garments, but we never washed those so I never knew how well it lasted, apparently it lasts great

For sewing it on, it mostly takes practice, and a binding foot helps a lot. If you haven't used it get the widest you can find, once you master that it will be easier to use the skinny stuff.

As for self-binding, you have to cut it wider and turn the raw edges in, so it's really a bit harder than the FOE. A binding foot also helps with this.

Can you tell I really love binding feet??