Biggest Dye I've Made So Far...

[mustdye]

[Stone Cold]

 :mrgreen:WOW
But that was hard to tie!!!

[2D4]

Awesome job!.....Is it a wall hanging?

Jo

[mustdye]

I think it may be a backdrop for a band or perhaps just displayed at campouts.
It was really a chore tying it up in the basement. I'm trying to get up the gumption to ask the local high school if I can borrow the gym.
It's great fun making something so large.
The local sewing store started carrying 109" natural muslin due to the demand of quilters.

[ktaltre]

Hi MustDye...
What are the dimensions of the giant wall hanging. Did you use mx dyes or watered paints? If you used dye, how did you wash out? Did it fit in your washing machine? If you used paint, how did you dry it?
I'm really impressed with your giant art! Tell us more about the process.
k. taltre

[fiberartist219]

Um, is it me, or is that as big as the front porch on the house? That is simply amazing!

[mustdye]

7 feet tall and about 17 feet long.

Margaret and I tied and folded it in the basement. We had to have a do-over 4 times to get it to lay right...
I drew the binding lines and folded it. Margaret held it in place so I could tie it with artificial sinew.
Soaked in soda ash solution and the spun out in the the washer.
I dyed it still damp.
The center "Lotus" was dripped on with standard squeeze bottles so as not to give the fabric more than it could absorb without running.
Outside of the "Lotus" I wasn't as worried about bleeding.
All materials for this were purchased from the big "D"
I used Procion MX dye. Standard mix.
Cooked it overnight in my hothouse (greenhouse in the basement with a heater).
Filled the washer with cold and washed it for about a minute.
Then filled the washer with hot (120 degree)water and 2 tablespoons of Synthrapol and ran it for a full cycle with a cold rinse.
I then ran it through a cold wash with 1 cup of vinegar and dried it in the dryer when done.


Here's a question for y'all...if I made something like this for sale what would I charge ? I paid $35 for the fabric.
I had someone at work ask me how much I wanted for it and I told him it wasn't for sale.

[fiberartist219]

Pricing is so difficult, but keep in mind the amount of time you spent on it, the extra dye it takes, the extra overhead it requires (a lot more space!) and of course profit. You also figure in supply and demand... Ask the person that inquired how much they would expect to pay and see how serious they are.

I would maybe see how much regular sized wall hangings are going for, and maybe triple that amount, because the time and trouble (for two people no less) has got to be worth something. If you decide to continue making those, make sure you tell the story of how it's made to your clients. People want to buy the story along with the actual tie dye. Giving the extra info helps to build their interest and makes the price seem more justified.

[Lelia187]

Why would you wash the tapestry with vinegar in cold water?

[mustdye]

I read or heard somewhere that it helps remove excess dye.

Am I wrong about this ?

[fiberartist219]

I don't think that vinegar removes excess dye. Synthrapol does, but the only benefit I can see of rinsing with vinegar is that it helps to neutralize the soda ash. It might help to make certain fabrics softer, but I'm not too sure on this.

[Sarah]

Mine is not so large - a bed sheet, and not so elaborate, but it does it's job of covering my ugly couch, and it was fun!

[mishoga]

That must look so cool on your couch. Love to see it. Love it Sarah. That's pretty impressive to me. 

[mustdye]

Keep on dyeing and trying new things.
If it turns out ugly you can cut them up to make pillows...

Guitars are fun to do on sheets.
If you know some with a guitar you can trace an outline of 1/2 of the guitar
and then use that shape just like you would to do a heart.

I'm always on the lookout at resale shops and rummage sales.
It's best when you pay $5 or less for them.

[amethistle]

I just love BIG tie-dye!  I haven't done a mural/tapestry quite that big (and it looks great!), but I've now done a big L-shaped IKEA couch slipcover and a couch, loveseat, and chair combo.  Here's a picture to get a taste--I've got the rest at http://www.amethistle.com --Thanks!