Joined
·
89 Posts
I'm going to tie dye about a dozen of my CPFs tomorrow. Anyone have any tips that I need to know? I've never tie dyed dipes.
CPF tie dyeing tips?
1 - 20 of 33 Posts
Joined
·
9,905 Posts
LOL. And will it come out in the wash w/ all the other diapers (on a hot wash) I have to do all mine together... I like simple laundry! :LOL
HEY! Crunchy Christian (LOVE the handle BTW... was gonna use it till I saw it was taken
![]()
) SOwhat dye do you have. where did you get it and can it be used on any diapers? How much was it? (Sory for the 20 questions!)
![]()
: :LOL
HEY! Crunchy Christian (LOVE the handle BTW... was gonna use it till I saw it was taken
A few things I've learned:
Don't use the cheap drugstore dyes (like Rit or similar) because they will fade and will leak to other things. I tried this on just ONE rag, and after four times through the was on its own it stained a bunch of ivory-white bath-towels into a peachy/light-pink color. Not cool.
Use a LOT of dye. If you are folding in some way that makes a lot of fabric not visible, make certain that the dye is reaching the insides. I've got a couple of dipes that came out as splotches of color.
The Rainbow Rock dyes work well
. I like those. It takes quite a good deal of dye to create bright colors on a prefold, though, because they can really soak things up. The Gerber ones are a different story, though - you can easily do 2 dozen with one box of Rainbow Rock dyes.
Don't use the cheap drugstore dyes (like Rit or similar) because they will fade and will leak to other things. I tried this on just ONE rag, and after four times through the was on its own it stained a bunch of ivory-white bath-towels into a peachy/light-pink color. Not cool.
Use a LOT of dye. If you are folding in some way that makes a lot of fabric not visible, make certain that the dye is reaching the insides. I've got a couple of dipes that came out as splotches of color.
The Rainbow Rock dyes work well
. I like those. It takes quite a good deal of dye to create bright colors on a prefold, though, because they can really soak things up. The Gerber ones are a different story, though - you can easily do 2 dozen with one box of Rainbow Rock dyes.:::ahem:::
I am gonna share so listen up, I do not do this very often
![]()
Synthrapol is a must, if it is not n the "kit" you will have bleeding. Use HOT water in your soda ask soak this helps open the fabric up to accept the dye.
I soak mine in a bucket, wear gloves always when handling the soda ash and wringing them out.......shoot just leave them on LOL
After soak......wring out and wrap
Soak the garmet with color. you may think it is saturated, chances are it is not, open it up a liitle and peek, get in the cracks.
I put my finished dyes in plastic storage bags with a twisty (yes I wash and recycle these
![]()
I also recycle my soda water)
I leave them for 24 to 48 hrs. Rinse till water runs clear. Wash on cold with synthrapol, rinse, add soda ash, rinse. Then a HOT wash and another for prefolds!
I wanna see pictures ladies......
I am gonna share so listen up, I do not do this very often
Synthrapol is a must, if it is not n the "kit" you will have bleeding. Use HOT water in your soda ask soak this helps open the fabric up to accept the dye.
I soak mine in a bucket, wear gloves always when handling the soda ash and wringing them out.......shoot just leave them on LOL
After soak......wring out and wrap
Soak the garmet with color. you may think it is saturated, chances are it is not, open it up a liitle and peek, get in the cracks.
I put my finished dyes in plastic storage bags with a twisty (yes I wash and recycle these
I leave them for 24 to 48 hrs. Rinse till water runs clear. Wash on cold with synthrapol, rinse, add soda ash, rinse. Then a HOT wash and another for prefolds!
I wanna see pictures ladies......
Joined
·
1,353 Posts
DD has a smurf butt
![]()
We didn't get the synthrapol tip.
![]()
They bled on my all hemp fleece SOS with sage green serging
![]()
We didn't get the synthrapol tip.
They bled on my all hemp fleece SOS with sage green serging
Ok.........I was afraid of this.
Sandra Dee....I am so sorry. This is why I do not promote the kits at the craft stores. Tye Dying prefolds is not what that "kit" was intended for you to do with the supplies they had picked out for you. They had assumed that people were going to use these "kits" for t-shirts and such. Not something that needed to be Wetfast YKWIM?
I would not or do not reccommend any kit that you can buy. It is kind of like buying gerber prefolds when there are UBCPFs
![]()
To do it right will take lots of practice, the right chemicals, and more than $10.00
If you are doing T-shirts, bandanas, crafts with the kids, yeah get a kit. Have fun.....
For something to remain wet, it must be treated to do so. The synthrapol is the "key" to this.
Sandra Dee....did you watch them when you washed them? Was the water clear? Did you have anything in your kit for colorfasting? grrrrrrr These kits make me so mad. I used every one on the market.
As far as vat dying goes, I do not like the "waste factor" in the vat dying instructions I have read, so I made up my own. Treat the item the same as stated above only do not wrap the design. Get your gloves on (this one gets MESSY) put them item in a platic bag and cover it, turn, coat, turn, coat. Untill uniform color is reached. It wastes no dye and it is ready to sit. Unless you are doing 10 to 20 in the same colors the vat dying instructions are void to me.
And PS forget the ones about "dying in your washer"
![]()
Been there done that
![]()
:
Sandra Dee....I am so sorry. This is why I do not promote the kits at the craft stores. Tye Dying prefolds is not what that "kit" was intended for you to do with the supplies they had picked out for you. They had assumed that people were going to use these "kits" for t-shirts and such. Not something that needed to be Wetfast YKWIM?
I would not or do not reccommend any kit that you can buy. It is kind of like buying gerber prefolds when there are UBCPFs
To do it right will take lots of practice, the right chemicals, and more than $10.00
If you are doing T-shirts, bandanas, crafts with the kids, yeah get a kit. Have fun.....
For something to remain wet, it must be treated to do so. The synthrapol is the "key" to this.
Sandra Dee....did you watch them when you washed them? Was the water clear? Did you have anything in your kit for colorfasting? grrrrrrr These kits make me so mad. I used every one on the market.
As far as vat dying goes, I do not like the "waste factor" in the vat dying instructions I have read, so I made up my own. Treat the item the same as stated above only do not wrap the design. Get your gloves on (this one gets MESSY) put them item in a platic bag and cover it, turn, coat, turn, coat. Untill uniform color is reached. It wastes no dye and it is ready to sit. Unless you are doing 10 to 20 in the same colors the vat dying instructions are void to me.
And PS forget the ones about "dying in your washer"
Joined
·
113 Posts
Yes, when dyeing prefolds synthrapol is a must. You can also add a little soda ash into the wash (basically--wash with synthrapol, do anoither wash throw in some soda ash then another wash tiny bit of synthrapol and hten whatever you need to get all suds out). Try and maybe save some dry soda ash for this if you can. You can get Synthrapol at AC Moore's or Michael's craft stores (they usually carry the Jaquard Procion dyes and then the synthrapol in a little bottle, most likely by the blank tees and stuff).
It is also good to prewash your stuff in a little synthrapol to get rid of residue and stuff from whatever esp if anything is brand new, if your pfs are brand spankin new, it is amazing (especially on UBCPFs!).
You can also use the plastic grocery bags to wrap them in and then just rinse them out to re-use for whatever later on.
I hope i am not too late with some tips to help as well, basically I just backed up everything that kindmomma said, lol! Oh, and also try to keep them in a warmer area, the dye will take much better, you can even set the plastic bags with the tie-dye in them out in the sun to heat them up, procion dyes work best at above 72 F, I sometimes set the oven on Warm and put all my tie dye in there in a big cardboard tray I made out of a box with one tall side (keeps the heat in there) and it works wonderfully, esp since the AC is on in this TX heat and we have a big huge wasp nest outside--yikes!
Okay, enough babbling form me, lol! Sorry
![]()
It is also good to prewash your stuff in a little synthrapol to get rid of residue and stuff from whatever esp if anything is brand new, if your pfs are brand spankin new, it is amazing (especially on UBCPFs!).
You can also use the plastic grocery bags to wrap them in and then just rinse them out to re-use for whatever later on.
I hope i am not too late with some tips to help as well, basically I just backed up everything that kindmomma said, lol! Oh, and also try to keep them in a warmer area, the dye will take much better, you can even set the plastic bags with the tie-dye in them out in the sun to heat them up, procion dyes work best at above 72 F, I sometimes set the oven on Warm and put all my tie dye in there in a big cardboard tray I made out of a box with one tall side (keeps the heat in there) and it works wonderfully, esp since the AC is on in this TX heat and we have a big huge wasp nest outside--yikes!
Okay, enough babbling form me, lol! Sorry
I put mine on the dryer.....then dry away. They look like they have lived in a greenhouse and they are warm, warm, warm.
They do work better warm, I forgot to add where I set them. Thanks Carrieanne
![]()
I think between the 2 of us we covered it all.
Sandra Dee I feel so sorry for you about your SOS. I know how nice the hemp ones are. I have one and I treat it like the queen of the diapers
![]()
But as I state with new tye dye care...care for these like you would care for a new red T-shirt. They should not bleed, but you know what it is like to wind up with pink socks.
I wash my tye dyes seperate. I keep my tye dye prefolds in a seperate wet bag, just in case. I have never ever had bleeding, because I would like to think I do a good job colorfating them. But I am not willing to stick the "queen" with the "commoners" KWIM???
Ok I am also ranting, off to work!
![]()
They do work better warm, I forgot to add where I set them. Thanks Carrieanne
I think between the 2 of us we covered it all.
Sandra Dee I feel so sorry for you about your SOS. I know how nice the hemp ones are. I have one and I treat it like the queen of the diapers
But as I state with new tye dye care...care for these like you would care for a new red T-shirt. They should not bleed, but you know what it is like to wind up with pink socks.
I wash my tye dyes seperate. I keep my tye dye prefolds in a seperate wet bag, just in case. I have never ever had bleeding, because I would like to think I do a good job colorfating them. But I am not willing to stick the "queen" with the "commoners" KWIM???
Ok I am also ranting, off to work!
Joined
·
1,353 Posts
I've used Dharma dyes and the kits and I think they're equal, personally - the only thing aside is the "missing" synthrapol - which isn't missing since, like you said, they are not intending the dyed fabrics for prefold use.
![]()
However, I know my upscale fabric store sells synthrapol and I will definitely use that in my next wash.
I dyed my new cpfs and they are GORGEOUS - the colors are quite vibrant - and the only color I have transferring is the blue - which is the darkest - so I think maybe I just did a blue dye overload and it needed to be washed a couple more times - to make sure all of the excess dye is out.
However, I know my upscale fabric store sells synthrapol and I will definitely use that in my next wash.
I dyed my new cpfs and they are GORGEOUS - the colors are quite vibrant - and the only color I have transferring is the blue - which is the darkest - so I think maybe I just did a blue dye overload and it needed to be washed a couple more times - to make sure all of the excess dye is out.
Joined
·
113 Posts
Quote:
Yes, blue seems to be a major bleeding culprit. Twice I have had problems with other peoples pf's bleeding even though I did everything "right", it was blue both times. I have found that adding some of the soda ash to a wash after an initial synthrapol wash really really helps and makes them not bleed. They may transfer onto something else sitting in a pail together or even if you don't take them out of the washer right away but when that happens, it almost always comes out in a regular wash. Good idea to keep them seperate, at least for a while. I have not had this problem with the pf's I dyed for my son but at this point they are about 8 mos old and are pretty well worn and have been washed MANY times, lol! But in the beginning, if I had had any precious sweet dipes like I do now, they would have been done seperately just in case.
And yes, Scarlet has a great suggestion. Everything I dye is hand rinsed in cold water then gradually warmer til it's hot then it gets put in the washer with hot water and synthrapol. It helps a lot as well.
| I dyed my new cpfs and they are GORGEOUS - the colors are quite vibrant - and the only color I have transferring is the blue - which is the darkest - so I think maybe I just did a blue dye overload and it needed to be washed a couple more times - to make sure all of the excess dye is out. |
And yes, Scarlet has a great suggestion. Everything I dye is hand rinsed in cold water then gradually warmer til it's hot then it gets put in the washer with hot water and synthrapol. It helps a lot as well.
Actually Sandi.......all tye dye kits "should" have synthrapol. I think you missunderstood what I meant. I am not too good at making a point in these posts. LOL
Like carrieanne said.......you should do a prewash with it before you even begin the process. And then they should be washed in it after dying. I typically wash my dyes till the water is clear and no suds, kinda like dipes ykwim. Sometimes this may take a few washes. With prefolds I wash them, rinse good, dry them and wash again. Just to ensure no Blue bootys.
But the soda ash in the rinse is great for colorfasting.
Like I said before treat your new prefolds like a new red shirt...respect the color and the possibility it may bleed.
Like carrieanne said.......you should do a prewash with it before you even begin the process. And then they should be washed in it after dying. I typically wash my dyes till the water is clear and no suds, kinda like dipes ykwim. Sometimes this may take a few washes. With prefolds I wash them, rinse good, dry them and wash again. Just to ensure no Blue bootys.
But the soda ash in the rinse is great for colorfasting.
Like I said before treat your new prefolds like a new red shirt...respect the color and the possibility it may bleed.
will be the death of me LOL
I have such issues with it. It takes forever to rinse, it always seems to leak on me..........all in all it is my nemisis!
I have never liked it, therefore I do not use it much. I had trouble with turquiose too so I made my own blue.
![]()
I second the hot wash and rinse. I also agree with the soda ash in the rinse. Good luck ladies....
Sandi.......got some pics you wanna share?
I wanna see
![]()
I have such issues with it. It takes forever to rinse, it always seems to leak on me..........all in all it is my nemisis!
I have never liked it, therefore I do not use it much. I had trouble with turquiose too so I made my own blue.
I second the hot wash and rinse. I also agree with the soda ash in the rinse. Good luck ladies....
Sandi.......got some pics you wanna share?
I wanna see
I've never had a problem with my diapers bleeding. I put the mordant in after the dye, not before, but then I'm doing a low immersion blotchy dye in a plastic bag lined coffee can, not a tye dye.
I found if I didn't do the cold rinses before the hot wash it bled a lot more.
I found if I didn't do the cold rinses before the hot wash it bled a lot more.
oh and you didn't ask me, but here are some pictures of mine
http://home.san.rr.com/bethan/auction/redyellow.jpg
http://home.san.rr.com/bethan/auction/medipes.jpg
(the second ones were majorly more vibrant than the picture shows.... as bright as the red yellow ones... turquoise and bright green.)
http://home.san.rr.com/bethan/auction/redyellow.jpg
http://home.san.rr.com/bethan/auction/medipes.jpg
(the second ones were majorly more vibrant than the picture shows.... as bright as the red yellow ones... turquoise and bright green.)
Joined
·
1,353 Posts
http://www.boomspeed.com/momschooling/prefold.jpg
That's my prefold - this is not the one that bleeds, the one that is bleeding is blue - all blue crackle.
(disregard the pills - it is a new diape)
![]()
And, I had to smoosh it in to get it on the scanner since I don't have a digital camera.
That's my prefold - this is not the one that bleeds, the one that is bleeding is blue - all blue crackle.
(disregard the pills - it is a new diape)
Joined
·
8,274 Posts
I dont know about doing it myself but I just ordered some cute ones at http://www.vibrantbaby.com I ordered a matching embroidered onesie too.
![]()
Now I am totally worried!!!!!
I just tie dyed all of my UBCPFs and a bunch of onsies using a Dharma kit over this last weekend. The kit did contain soda ash and the synthrapol. I did one warm wash with synthrapol and have dried them so far. I plan to do a hot wash with synthrapol. How many washes should I do like this? They will be going in the same pail and wash with other diapers and I do not want to have bleeding. Should I wash until the wash water looks clear? Do I need to dry between washes?
Yooper
I just tie dyed all of my UBCPFs and a bunch of onsies using a Dharma kit over this last weekend. The kit did contain soda ash and the synthrapol. I did one warm wash with synthrapol and have dried them so far. I plan to do a hot wash with synthrapol. How many washes should I do like this? They will be going in the same pail and wash with other diapers and I do not want to have bleeding. Should I wash until the wash water looks clear? Do I need to dry between washes?
Yooper
1 - 20 of 33 Posts
