Color and amount of dye

[kberii]

Hi all.  I am a newbie, and finally did my first batch.  I followed the directions from Tom and Martine's dvd.  They said to mix TABLESPOONS of dye into 1 cup. At first I thought they said teaspoons, but they did not.  Now I went back to Pro Chem's guide and they are saying so much less! 
Does it matter? 
I so wanted this to work, I have been waiting  (impatiently!!!) to get all my stuff AND actually find the time to do it.  Now that I did I hope I didnt screw it up.
Thanks

[tiedyejudy]

It's been awhile since I watched Tom & Martine's video.  If I remember correctly, they mix concentrate first, then they mix with water to create 3 levels of color intensity: dark, medium, light.  Most of the time for most colors, I mix 2 teaspoons of dye to one cup of water.  Exceptions would be Turquoise(use 4 teaspoons per cup) and fuschia (1 teaspoon per cup).  Any dye with turquoise as part of the mix should be doubled.  That's a good starting point, but I know that others use their own variations.  Bottom line, experiment and take notes.  You will find what works best for you, and then as you grow, you will change your methods!  It's a really neat craft, and although I have been at it for almost 9 years, it has not grown old yet! Just keep having fun...

Judy   

[kberii]

Thank you for the input, I will try it different next time.  I feel like it was such a waste of dye. 
I finished the first 3 that I did...  and boy to see the results just puts a smile on my face.  It was so much fun to do and then the wait (and I am impatient) but then to see the end product is so exciting -- no wonder you havent gotten board yet!
As for measuring the medium and light colors that I get from the concentrate, do you first measure it with a tablespoon and then put into bottle and measure water?  Or, I just had an aha moment, measure the amount and mark on the bottles?
Sorry but I have one more question ... Should the concentrate not be used directly -- b/c it is made so strong?
Thank you so much for your help!!!!!

[tiedyejudy]

My method of mixing lighteror darker intensity is to adjust my dye powder measurement.  In other words, let's say that for normal intensity, I use 2 teaspoons dye powder per cup of water.  If I want a lighter intensity, I reduce the dye powder per cup, ex: 1 teaspoon dye powder per cup of water.  Conversely, to deepen the intensity, I would increase the dye powder per water ratio.  Using Cerulean blue as an example, 1 tsp dye to 1 cup of water yeilds light cerulean; 2 tsp yields medium, 3 tsp yields dark.  That is my ratio, not a standard by any means.  I'm sure if Paula jumps in, she will recommend using larger quantities of dye powder.  The trick is to experiment a little until you find the colors in the intensity you want, then stick with that ratio. 
As for using the concentrate directly, you answered the question yourself... wasted dye.  A long time ago, I had a book about painting with dye, and I forget the author's name... but she recommended pre-mixing the dye concentrates in a very small amount of water, then storing in a refrigerator to keep the dyes from reacting.  Then when she was ready to use them, she mixed them with 'chemical water', which was water, urea, and thickener mixed together.  This is another way to handle it.  I just prefer to get the mixing out of the way as close to dyeing time as I can, to keep the dye fresh.  I do refrigerate leftovers if I think I will be able to use them in a timely manner.  But that's another subject....

Judy   

[Sarah]

Thank you for the input, I will try it different next time.  I feel like it was such a waste of dye.

kberii (or anyone  ) - I was wondering if you tried using teaspoons vs. tablespoons and your result.  I too was following the tablespoon directions from Tom & Martines DVD(2 tbsp for yellow and fucshia, 3.5 for turquoise), and I have had good results with very vibrant colors.  I am a little hesitant (afraid) I will not have the vibrant colors if I use less dye, but I certainly would like to be using less since the dye isn't cheap!

[ktaltre]

Tom and Martine mix dye concentrates. They do explain this in their dvd - then they mix/dilute their colors with, I think, urea water in other bottles for specific hues.
The book mentioned is "Color by Accident" by Ann Johnston (http://www.annjohnston.net/). This is the bible of low water immersion dyeing using dye concentrates. I highly recommend this book to any dyer.
k. taltre