Manon's Latest Sewing Project

What can I say?

Hope you all are staying cool where you are. It's a little better here today, with rain forecast for the evening. No excuses for the Couturier Cat, however. Gotta keep those sweaty little paws busy!

This will be a close-fitting, cap-sleeve blouse with vertical princess darts, eventually. It's my third and final piece of Indian block-print cloth, and probably my favorite. However, I noticed it was getting orange dye on my hands as I worked. Does anyone know a good way to "set" dyes like this? Does white vinegar in the rinse water work?

Comments

[Relatively Retiring]

I don't know about setting dyes, but Manon looks very good in that colour!

[Vivian]

Quilters are quite alert to the problems of bleeding textiles
Here are the two main products, compared, on the website of a mail order source
http://www.prochemicalanddye.com/home.php?cat=323

[Lucy]

I do love Manon's kitschy-kitty little medallion!

I've been trying to find one of those tutorials I saw about dying wool with food colours which describes using vinegar as a fixative, can't find it but there are plenty out there. Still, sounds like Vivian's on it for fabric,as cotton's probably very different from wool anyway.

[Tom]

Hi Manon!

[Hattie]

Being so far north as you are, with those long days and with no real provision for hot weather, I can imagine how hot and uncomfortable it could get.
I do envy you your sewing skills.

[Andrea]

Beth, try using salt. Dissolve about a tablespoon (or more) in a dishpan-sized basin filled with cool or room-temperature water. Soak the cloth for about 20 minutes, then rinse in clear water and hang in the shade to dry. Ideally you'd do it before cutting out the pattern, though. This advice came from a store in Ottawa called Sarah Clothes, which used to sell many beautiful things made from Indian block-print cotton.

[Beth]

Andrea, thanks, I'm going to try that on some un-sewn pieces. And thank you Vivian -- I located a dye supplier in Toronto and ordered two different types of dye-fixative from them. I had some before the move, but I think I threw out all the bottles of liquid rather than pack them. Will report!