I was looking through my pictures getting ready to write a post today, when I ran across photos I had taken several months ago for a tutorial on dyeing fabric with ink.
I dyed the fabric for The Printed Fabric Bee challenge.
On this post I talked about the stencil I made from a plastic fern, and said I’d blog about dyeing the fabric at a later date.
For this project, I used white fabric with a pattern. I wanted a fast and easy way to color it green so I chose Tsukineko All Purpose inks. If you’re not familiar with them, they are a washable permanent craft ink that won’t change the hand of the fabric.
So let’s get started. Moisten the fabric. I used a spray bottle with water that is always sitting on my table in my studio.
Place the wet fabric in a ziploc bag.
Since I wanted to make the fabric green, I chose blue and yellow inks.
With a pipette, I added one color at a time to the wet fabric.
Once I thought I had enough ink on the fabric, I scrunched it with the goal of making the color somewhat even.
Once I was happy with the color, I took it out of the bag, let it dry, and ironed it.
That’s all there is to it. If you’re looking for a fast way to color you fabric, try ink! Thanks for dropping by.
Nice, Lynda! Never tried ink on fabric, except sharpies & alcohol. Will have to check out inks on some of my white-on-white fabric… thanks!
Judy, Thanks. It worked great.
Very nice! I love this technique and keep forgetting to use it! It is a great way to dye a small piece of fabric, especially when the inks are already sitting on the shelf!
Lisa Chin recently posted..Tie Dyeing
Lisa, Thanks. It is a great technique for small pieces and you want to do it quickly.
Thanks this is just what I wanted to try. It never thought to put it in a baggie.
Maxine Oliver recently posted..Sun printing
Maxine, It just keeps things cleaner and so easy! Would love to see what you do. I’m off to check out your sunprinting post. Thanks for dropping by.
Great tip Lynda. I never thought of using ink. I just love all your ideas you come up with.
Jaime Haney recently posted..I found treasure in my yard!
Jaime, Thanks!
Hey is it permanent? I have Indian ink and I want to dye my boring curtains. Will that be safe in the washing machine or bleed out?
Marie, I wasn’t using india ink and also I was just dyeing a small piece of fabric. I was using Tsukineko All Purpose inks which are permanent, but would not use on a large piece of fabric or your curtains.. If you aren’t a dyer, I’d just use something like Rit. Much easier and is permanent. Thanks for stopping by.
How well does this stick from a wash, I’m doing a bit of research before I begin my project and would like an art piece that I can wear around, throw in the wash, and keep fresh year long. Any feedback would be appreciated, thank you my friend.
June, If you heat set it on the wrong side you shouldn’t have any problems. However, I would recommend using fabric paint instead of ink. It’s more cost effective. Just be sure after it dries that you heat set it on the wrong side. I’d then wash it and iron and you should be good to go. Hope that helps.