Monday, April 11, 2011

Wool blanket dyeing course in Tauranga

Noooo not a course for dying!! A course for dyeing! Remember the blankets I have been buying at the Opp Shops? Well this is the next installment.
I went with a couple of the ladies I meet for craft on Thursdays, also with us was a friend of one of those ladies, to Tauranga on Saturday. It was an early start and we drove most of the way through thick fog, this cleared once we started to climb the Kaimais and once above it we could look down and see the fog lying over the Waikato.
The course was run by a very clever lady which she held in her garage. In preparation we had had to cut our blankets into approximately a fat quarter size, preferably a bit smaller, so that five pieces could be dyed at a time, anything bigger and they wouldn't have fitted into the large pan. The following photos will take you through the whole process.....

ETA: The blankets used were wool blankets, and the dyes used were specifically for dyeing animal fibres.

Blankets cut and layed out in our individual piles

First they are soaked in a 50/50 solution of white vinegar and water


Table full of the dyes we could choose from

More of the dyes

Next 5 pieces of the blanket were quickly placed into a hot pan of water containing our chosen colour. The pieces needed to be moved around in the pan until the colour had been absorbed.

Once absorbed the pieces were removed, placed in a plastic bowl and then placed in a microwave oven for around 5 minutes.

Once removed from the microwave the pieces were allowed to cool for a short time and then rinsed in cold water. If the colour runs then the whole process needs to be repeated. Other than that they are rinsed to remove some of the vinegar smell.


Hanging the dyed blankets on the line to dry, don't I look all domesticated!!



Here they are all finished and sorted into our individual batches, such awesome colours

And mine, aren't they gorgeous?


The next installment coming soon on a blog near you!

16 comments:

  1. wow wee, they look lovely, cant wait to see what you stitch together. i was in tauranga too, doing a motorbike charity run, if you got held up in traffic with hundreds of bikes that was me.

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  2. Thanks Brendie, they look great eh! :D
    Ya know I can't recall seeing many bikes at all! Traffic was good. :D

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  3. I love the colours Sue.. they are awesome.. umm aren't they bit small for the bed now *ducking* missed seeing you about on here, but it was worth the wait, cant wait to see what happens next.

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  4. Wow Sue they look amazing! Like a rainbow in a basket :)
    Did you pure wool blankets?

    Lovely to have you back, you've been a busy little bee.

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  5. Yes they were wool, I forgot to say that! Will go put it right. :D

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  6. Anonymous3:31 pm

    I am glad you clarified the "dying" and the "dyeing" - I was worried.
    The colors are beautiful.

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  7. Beautiful, love them :)

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  8. They are eh, can't wait to get started on the next stage :D

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  9. Fabulous colours..... what was the dye you used?

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    Replies
    1. Apologies for the late reply, we used the wool & silk dyes from Teri dyes http://teri-dyes.co.nz/

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  10. Beautiful blanket! And I agree that you'll probably use it more than a wool sweater. But now I totally want a wool sweater. And some of that awesome wool you refer to! Wholesale Wool Blankets

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  11. These are awesome beautiful 3. thick wool blanket .i like it.it is very help full for us.

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  12. Oh I do love a good blanket to snuggle under, especially after the awful weather we have been having. wholesale blankets.

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  13. this is beautiful!

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