Saturday, November 29, 2008

Random Dye Thoughts............


Finally, recovering from a bug and catching up from the holiday, so back to the creative talk..lol.

First, something fun I like to do. When I place an order for Cushings, I like to pick up the dye chart and just pick something I have never used. You know a BLING color, those colors that are rarely used in a recipe. It is fun, and I have found some really great colors this way. For example, I love Bright Green, I love it over dark brown texture's. It is also nice to use Bright Green with any red, it works well as a drabber in a red recipe. Another color I like is Orange, I use it often with brown dyes or over a brown wool. Old Rose is very pretty when used with a brown, great for a primitive floral. Burgundy and Maroon are some other's to try for something different, they are very dark, so beware.

Let's talk gray. You know any Cushings gray will act as a drabber for a wool that has gone a bit bright. Do you need a good gray, say for a background?? Or for an animal in a rug?? Don't have a gray? Make your own by mixing a brown and a blue.

Tan will tone down a shade that is too vivid too. I like my colors prim and muted, but I don't like a nowhere color. I like colors that go easy on the eye's, but not one's that say nothing, a color should sing to you, otherwise put it back in the dye pot and try again.

Even though Cushings has some fabulous green's, sometimes I like to make my own by mixing blue and yellow. This is how I come up with new shades, otherwise I find them looking too much alike. Any yellow/gold, brown, and a touch of red dye will give you a nice new orange too. The fun can be what if??? You choose any brown, yellow, and red, as matter of fact try two different recipes using 6 these colors and compare them.

Bronze Green is great alone to dye a wonderful ruch warm green. Oh how I love green, must be all of the tree's I hook! LOL!

If you click on "All those extra wool strips," The poinsettia rug above is one where I used the re-dyed strips in the background. The directions are in the other post. You can click the photo and get a closer look.

7 comments:

Kathy (woolfind) said...

Cathy,

Great tips and suggestions with the dyes. I like to experiment too.

Anonymous said...

I use Cushings dye most of the time, and agree that they are easy to play with to change colors and reduce "brights". You have a lot of good information in this post. Thanks!

Gayle said...

What great ideas you have! I can't wait to finish my Christmas decorating so I can get out the dye pots and play using some of your suggestions! Thanks for sharing!

Joanne said...

Cathy - great information - thanks so much for sharing what you know - you are so Generous with your time and knowledge! Can't wait to try some more "experiments" out!

joanne

bittersweet said...

Cathy, thanks so much for all your sharing, if i had any to share i would be happy to do that for fellow-dyers, but that color wheel and i will be enemies forever. So you are an inspiration. The colors you achieve are fantastic. Thanks again so much.
Kaye

From Sherry's Heart said...

Cathy THANKS for sharing these tips!!!!! Believe it or not for some darn reason I seem to be intimidated by dyeing wool with Cushings!!!! SOOO I;ve been trying to collect some colors. Now I've used Rit dye often & even marrying colors of wool,both done with great success!!! So WHY don't I just take the plunge & try some of these Cushing colors???? I'll be darned if I know LOL!!!!
Sherry aka:The Queen

Boggy Creek Stitches & Loops said...

Wow this was very interesting!! I'm such a newbie with dyeing ~ I'm soaking in all this great information.