Experimenting with colour via fabric dye

I bought these spray bottles of fabric dye last school holidays for $1 a bottle at Riot Art & Craft. Being the middle of winter back then, and figuring that spray dye really needs to be used outside, I didn't play around with the dyes for a while, other than spraying some rope to sew into bowls as mentioned in a previous post.



Now the weather is not so cold outside, I have had a bit more time to play around with colouring fabric. I had a strip of lovely soft jersey fabric (left over from last year's mega pants sewing day, making white pants for a friend's church concert performance) -°perfect size for making a scarf-



I followed a step by step guide in Mollie makes magazine for shibouri dyeing, twisting the fabric and wrapping it around a long piece of dowelling, before spraying. I had to twist & re- wrap a couple of times, but love the colour and effect. The down side it I used a fair bit of the purple dye!
A google search for more tie dye ideas showed instructions for a fabric necklace, similar to others I have made, but this time the fabric is dyed first, then cut into strips before making into a multistrand necklace -



Love this one! So I have dyed some more fabric pieces ready to cut & make more necklaces - seen here hanging up to dry. Made from the last of the white pants scraps.


I also had just enough white cotton lawn to make a large, bright scarf dyed neon yellow and green. The dye colours differently depending on how wet the fabric is to start with, and also if you move/ reshape/ scrunch the fabric up immediately after spraying on the dye.



I am really enjoying playing around with different colours and effects, but disappointed that I can't buy any more dye ( the latte brown colour in the centre top row of the first pic was basically the last colour left anywhere in Victoria after a phone around to several stores across the state!). Apparently it was a one off special Riot had, and will not be a regular line. Damn! I have found some on ebay but not the same brand - and in a pack, not single colours. Single colours available on Amazon but they won't post to Australia. If I had have only known they were so cool to use ( did I mention it washes off hands etc. in water? So no issue with wearing gloves or having purple hands for a week!) I would have bought a heap more the first time, and looked around for a couple more colours, especially dark blue and black!

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