A couple of weeks ago, I was due to host another crafting session with my growing craft group DCI (Dream Create Inspire!). I had decided that we were going to make aprons, and I had sent out the materials list etc, but when the time came, I had totally forgotten to go out and some fabric for myself! Now I know, I do have boxes and boxes of fabric stashed away, but not large enough bits to make a whole apron out of! Then I remembered under the stairs I had put some old white Ikea curtains that I had already hacked about a bit to re-fashion some curtains......so I took those with me and while I was making it, (pattern to follow shortly) I had a little brain wave to jazz it up a bit. Why not dip dye it!? So that's exactly what I did! Brief "how-to" below the picture.
- First you need to make up the dye as per the instructions on the packet. Use a cold water dye. Ideally in something deep like a bucket.
- Then you need to drench the apron or the product to be dyed in water. It needs to be wet all the way through, then wring it out a bit, but not so its bone dry.
- I dipped the apron in as far as I wanted the Ombre affect to go up the apron, then lifted it out so that just the first 3 or 4 inches or so were still in the dye. Then I suspended the apron from above the bucket, you could use a clothes airer or tape the neck strap to a table with the bucket underneath....
- Its important to keep the apron damp throughout the dying process as the dye gets naturally drawn up the fabric due to osmosis (fancy word!)thats how you get the nice faded out effect rater than a sharp difference between colour and white. To keep it damp, I occasionally poured water from the top of the apron down the front into the bucket.
- I left my apron to sit overnight.
- When you are happy with the dyed effect you need to rinse out the extra dye. BE VERY CAREFUL not to get the dye on parts of the apron you want to keep white! I got blue dye on my waist straps and the neck which was really annoying! Run it under hot and cold water alternately until the water runs clear, then hang it out to dry.
- I then ironed mine to seal the dye in and to get all the creases out. Ta-da!
