> Hmmm... I was afraid this would happen. It seems "baby blue" is
hard
> to find. x.X
>
> Well then, can you give me any good sites/info on dying? (Is it
hard
> to do yourself?)

*nods* getting a colour you want.... when its different then what is
common is always hard. I wanted silvery blue velvet... to no luck.
ended up buying white and dying it. I also have a BEAUTIFUL rust
silk velvet scarf that was the same situation.

Is it hard.... depends on the equipment/space you have at hand, and
how much fabric you need to dye. Also depends on the kind of fabric
you have. Silk velvet is *thinner/lighter* then the cotton velvet I
did for my silver/blue, but if you need 10 meters, yes, it will be
more difficult then if you need 2. I would suggest doing it in one
batch however, to ensure the colour matches. (For instance if you
cut your fabric in half, and use the same dye, you might exhaust the
dye on the first try.. and the second batch will be lighter/less
intense)

Lets assume you need 3-5 meters.... (not knowing...)

Also - depends on what kind of dye you are going to use/have access
to. Remember to test first..... if you are getting white silk velvet
retail yer probably paying 30$/meter (Canadian) and you don't want to
wreck 5 meters of it by dying it too dark. Remember silk doesn't
like bleach. (online is cheaper if you are in the USA.. I think
velvetfabric.com has it for 17$/m US)

There are a variety of dyes you can use. Rit is probably the most
common, (and the most maligned! LOL). It comes with it's own salt,
so you just need to follow the directions on the package, remembering
that most of the time it will dye lighter then the package would
intend. You can dye too light on the first try, then do a second dye
with more, if it was too light. I use Rit lots of the time because
its easy to get a hold of. (drugstores, walmart, etc) It comes in
cardboard packages, and in some places in liquid form. (we don't get
that here)
There is also Dylon dye, which you can find at a fabric store, or
needlework/knitting/weaving stores. It seems to be more popular, and
comes in little tins about the diameter of a silver dollar, as well
as apparently liquid form. (we don't get that here either). I cant
stand the little tins, but apparently it works much nicer then Rit.
It is also available in more colours. Instructions are included, but
I don't think that Dylon includes salt. I used it once, and found
the bloody tin too much trouble for the result... so never used it
again.
You can also purchase Procion MX fiber-reactive dyes. You can get
them at art supply stores and some specialty needlework stores, as
well as online through a place like Dharma Trading. Since Procion may
or may not come with instructions, I will give you the instructions
for it.... adjust as necessary if you are using something else.

First you need to pre-wash your fabric. Avoid any and all fabric
softeners. I usually pre-wash the fabric with soap, and then after
it's wrung out or whatever, I then soak it in hot water. Pre-washing
removes sizing/finishes, and pre-shrinks your fabric.

While its soaking in hot/warm water, mix your dye with warm water
(wear a mask to avoid inhaling the powder) then pour about 8 liters
warm water into a large basin. This could be something like a
laundry soap container (plastic) lined with a large plastic bag, or a
garbage container lined with a plastic bag, etc... Even a large metal
garbage can (lined) will do too.
Add the dye (now a paste) into the warm water, and stir well. you
can use a long piece of doweling, a ruler, or anything else that is
reasonably disposable, and is long enough to reach to the bottom of
your container.
Add the wet fabric a bit at a time into the dye water, making sure it
doesn't fold up or bunch as it enters. Stir the fabric & dye for at
least 10 minutes, keeping it constantly moving.
Dissolve about 3/4 cup of salt into a cup or two of warm water, and
then add the salt water mix into the dye pot. Salt opens up the
fibers to be receptive to dye.
Next dissolve about 2 tbs soda ash into a cup of warm water, and add
that to the dye pot too. Soda ash is the activator (which is alkali
(erm.. the opposite of acidic.. I cant spell) which helps the
chemical bond with the fiber. You can also use baking soda (sodium
bicarbonate) its the same stuff, just soda ash is "stronger"..
something like that. Stir this for about 5 minutes.
continue to stir the pot for about 30 minutes. Yep.. you counted
right.. yer gonna be at this for a long time!
Next step is to rinse out your fabric. Start with cold water, then
gradually increase the temp to rinse with hot water. rinse the
fabric with mild mild soap (synthrapol - you can get it with the
procion, I think that a mild hand laundry soap like Zero should be ok
too?) until the water runs clear.
Hang to dry or machine dry depending on the fabric and your
preference.

So.. what you needed for all of that.. is dye, salt, soda ash (or
baking soda) several containers for mixing (one lined or disposable)
rubber gloves, a container for the dyeing, a source of hot/warm
water, face mask, soap for rinsing.

I normally dye outside if I have a lot of fabric (and if its summer!)
or in the kitchen if I can... its easier for me, though make sure to
keep some paper towels to wipe up EVERY spot that falls on the
counter.

I hope that helps.. its really not as hard as it might look. The
most important thing for even dying (to avoid splotchiness) is to
keep the fabric moving, and to keep it from bunching or floating on
the surface.

Rit also gives instructions for dying in the washing machine, but if
you do that, run SEVERAL loads with nothing (or stuff that is not
important like old towels or the dog's bed) to clean out your machine
before even thinking of putting your clothing in it. Also often home
washing machines don't get quite hot enough from what I remember
hearing.

I think that's about it.... good luck!!!! I am sure you will be
pleased with the result!

-Dawn