dyeing playsilks w/ koolaid??

[lilysmom]

ok- i am totally inexperieced w/ dyeing. But I have heard people talk about dyeing things w/ koolaid. So I just got some playsilks to dye and i was wondering if you can do this w/ koolaid or do you need a special kind of dye?


THANKS

[OTMomma]

koolaid is perfect for playsilks! I do mine in a microwave in a ziplock bag with the packet of Koolaid and a cup of water.

[lilysmom]

Great! Could you give me more detailed instructions or send me somewhere to find some? thanks

can you tie dye w/ koolaid?

[OTMomma]

Sure, I got this recipe off a woman named Meg here at MDC a few years ago:

For each color:
1 envelope unsweetened Koolaid
6 oz water
2 oz white vinegar
1 microwave safe baggie

Soak your silk in warm water about 20 minutes, stirring it to get it really wet.

Put vinegar, water and kool aid in baggie. Wring out silk and add it to baggie. rroll around so silk is covered by liquid. Put in microwave for about 2 minutes (watch for explosions)

It will be HOT when it comes out- use a towel to squish it around in the bag. Squish until the water turns clear or almost clear. You might need to put it back in the microwave for about 1 minute at at a time. Allow to cool in baggie and then rinse with cool water until it runs clear.

I am sure there are a dozen different ways to do it, but I liked this method best of what I've tried.

Good luck!
Laura

[lilysmom]

thanks-

how do I know how many packages of koolaid to use?
is just one good gor most things?

the playsilks I wanted to dye are 35x35, will one package be enough for one silk?

thanks for your help

[insomniamama]

What if I want to mix colors using Kool Aid--are there any recipes out there for that? We've had fun experimenting with this but it's all trial and error--it would be nice to get the deisred color the first time around