Back on Track

This is my safety equipment, mask, rubber gloves, and tongs. 

Today the sun didn't exactly shine. But there was enough sunlight to take photographs. I photographed six contemporary art quilt tops and ironed ten tshirts, blouses and jackets to go into the yasmintoo shops on etsy and 1000markets. Good week's work.

A ten pound bucket of soda ash for fixing color. I buy the soda ash at a swimming pool supply store. I mix as much as I need for the entire batch of dyeing, before I begin dyeing. The dye equipment is red, so I don't confuse it with kitchen and cooking equipment. 

The fabric for the Fantasy Floral quilts is completed, and the batting soaking as I type. The batting shrinks 3% when washed and even thought these quilts will probably be stretched on stretchers for wall hangings, I still envision someone deciding they need to be cleaned and washing them 10 years from now only to have the batting shrink when the top and back of the quilt don't.

Urea.

The images accompanying this post are a look at the tools and chemicals I use when low water immersion dyeing. The images and captions tell the story.

Whisks come in handy for many tasks. In this photo, urea is being dissolved into warm water. I also use whisks for dissolving dye powder and print mix. The print mix, if I making a large quantity, goes into the blender. Alway keep dye utensils separate from kitchen utensils.

I still have to redesign the 1000markets shop and hem the stoles and shawls to stock the shop.

Low water immersion dye bath. The dye mixed with urea and the fixer of soda ash have been added. This will sit for 24 hours. I'll turn it a few times. 

My friend Barbara in New Jersey is having knee surgery the last of April. I decided today to make the trip to the East Coast and stay for several weeks. So, I need to have the small quilts completed, the tshirts for a huge local street fair dyed and the display built, and I'm going to submit a word quilt to an International Quilting project. So I have plenty to do.

Synthrapol is used to catch left over dye particles after the dyeing is completed. Prevents stain backs on lighter areas of the fabric.