If you are a customer of Dharma Trading, you will see from time-to-time muck dyes for sale. Muck dyes are dyes that they make in limited quantities and can’t be reproduced. They are CHEAP! For these I paid between $4.50 and $5 for 8 oz. Usually these fiber reactive dyes run, depending on color, between $2.95 and $5.95 for 2 oz! The down side is if you fall in love with a color, what you bought is all you get! And they sell out fast. I ordered one of the other ones and even though it was not sold out online, by the time they filled my order, it was gone. They also give them funny names.
Here are four I bought this past week: clockwise: Just Yolking, Mint to Be, We Blue it, and Covfefe. I added 2 grams of dye to 100 ml of water for each fat quarter. This is a great way to see the colors before I do some serious dyeing.
Here are the results from that dyeing. Because I’ve scrunched them and left them alone, they are not solid colors. If you want solid colors you need to keep manipulating them during the batching time or vat dye them. I love the results!
Here are two I bought awhile back: Life’s a Peach and Iced Berry.
And the results after dyeing.
I wanted to see how the four new muck dyes would ice dye. This first piece is We Blue it, and Covfefe fan folded. Since reds hit faster and like to take up a lot of space on the fabric, they have overpowered the blue. This would be a good case for adding the blue first and waiting a bit before adding the red.
The next two fat quarters are ice dyed using all four muck dyes. The first is fan folded.
The second is scrunched.
I think I need to dye a shirt or two with the four muck dyes!! I love experimenting with new dyes. So much fun!
Lots of gardening going on here and my thoughts go back to the years I posted all of my lovely irises on this blog. Most of them I gave away, but still have a few and I still love them. Here are three irises that have shown up so far this season.
As mentioned, lots of gardening happening here, but I do plan on squeezing in some more dyeing and sewing. Check out what other creative stuff is happening at Off The Wall Friday.
Hope you have a creative day, and thanks for dropping by.
I’m going to watch for those muck dyes to be offered. Looks like a fun way to just enjoy the process without over thinking the future possibilities,,, something that’s very difficult for me. LOL
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Luann, Yes! No expectations, just play. And who knows what will come of it. I do love the four ice dyed together.
Love the ice dyed muck dyes, Lynda! I haven’t experimented with the one you gifted me yet… but I definitely will now! And your irises are so beautiful… mine are just starting to form buds. Sorry you have lost some… mine just keep growing. I should divide them, but have never tried that. Maybe this fall…
Judy, That muck dye I gave you is suppose to be peach but as you see in the picture it’s more of a red orange. I gave so many of my irises away when I got rid of a large area and put it back into grass. Just too much work. But it’s nice I still have some to enjoy. It seems like my growing season is just a bit ahead of yours. As long as your’s are doing fine, don’t worry about dividing them.
Thanks, Lynda! I just ordered and managed to get 3 of the mucks, the rest were sold out. They look great – cant wait to try. I had seen them offered but was afraid to try, didnt want mucky colors – these are far from it
Tammi, Glad you got some! Yes, they aren’t mucky. Not sure why they call them that. Have fun!
Your dyed fabric is as beautiful as your flowers!
Do you use PFD fabric or prep your own? And if you use PFD do you recommend a certain brand?
Hoping to try this soon, but hoping to flower pound some pansy this weekend.
Sherrie, Thanks!
Hi Ally, I use Test Fabric 419 or 400 (which I order online), but you can use any PFD fabric. When I started I used unbleached muslin from the local Joann’s store and used a variety of PFD fabric over the years. Even if you buy PFD fabric (which is a good choice) you still have to prep it (soak in soda ash water). Enjoy the flower pounding. I’ve not done that in quite some time! I think I need to get my pounding board out soon! Works great on pounding leaves too. Thanks for dropping by.
I never knew about the muck dyes since I usually get my dyes from ProChem. Your results are beautiful and so are your irises.
Norma, Thank you!
Gorgeous fabric! I’ve always wondered what Dharma meant by muck dyes – I thought they were mucky colors – thanks for enlightening me!!!
Cathy, Thanks! You are so welcome. Not sure why they would call such beautiful colors as muck!!