Easy-Peasy Red Solo Cup Fabric Hand Dyeing Tutorial

Now as I said in the last couple of posts, I'm no hand dyeing expert.  Nor is it my personality type to sit and meticulously follow hand dyeing instructions to the very letter ( Carol Soderlund I'm not!).  I've tried that - and Guess What??  I got lack luster results that took forever.  So this year, I decided that hand dyeing isn't as complicated as I first thought it was and if I wasn't too worried about keeping consistent results (which I'm not ) - I could just take a laid back approach to the whole process.

Because I got a half dozen emails asking exactly how I got such great results using Red Solo Cups - I thought I would share a tutorial.  Warning:  This is a VERY relaxed approach to this process and your results should be inconsistently beautiful.

Supplies:
I keep all (except for dye, fabric) in a big storage bin - I bought them  all 4 yrs ago and just use them over and over - so you just have the first initial expense

• Procion MX Dyes (Dharma Trading, ProChemical, DickBlick)
• PFD Cotton Mercerized fabric (Testfabrics, Dharma Trading) - fat quarters - half yard pieces
• Soda Ash (Sodium Carbonate) (Walmart in Pool Chemicals)
• Salt (grocery store)
•  Several 8 oz (or so) jars - I used 8 oz mason jars (Walmart)
• Gallon Pitcher, measuring cup, measuring spoons, big plastic spoon (Dollar Store)
• Several Red Solo Cups (Walmart)
• Vinyl tablecloth (Dollar Store)
  
• A couple of old rags
• A good pair of rubber cleaning gloves, painting face mask  (Walmart)
• Plastic dishwashing bins (Dollar Store)
• A bowl of water
• Dawn dish washing soap (grocery) 

The Easy-Peasy Directions - All Measurements are More or Less or Whatever

1. Place Vinyl tablecloth down over working table 
2. Don Gloves and Mask
3.  Mix 1 gallon of hot, hot water, 1/3 c of Salt, 1/3 c of Soda Ash - Stir thoroughly
4. Spoon in 1  rounded teaspoon of dye color into each seperate jar - rinsing spoon in the bowl of water between colors  
5. Add 1 cup of soda ash water to each jar, cover - shake well till dye is all disolve
6. Take off mask
7. Set up a number of solo cups
8. Take fabric - scrunch about a quarter of the fabric in the cup - pore in a bit of the dye (whatever amount - a lot if you feel like a lot of color - a little if you feel like a little)
9. Scrunch in a bit more of the fabric - add another color
10. Scrunch in the remainder of the fabric  - add third color (fabric should be all emerged at this point or scrunch it down into the dye)
11. Repeat for as many pieces and color combos you feel like rinsing out later - use all the dye in the jars because it won't keep (and you won't want to keep it )
12. Let set on table or shelf for  6 hrs (more or less)
    
13. With Gloves on, take all to your sink - rinse fabric and cups in cold water - just do a good initial rinse - will still have dye in the fabric
14. Put fabric  in a plastic bins of cold water - one for the warm colors, one for cold
15. Leave soaking over night
16. Wash two times (Hot/cold cycle) - no detergent - I added a squirt of Dawn for the last
17. Air Dry or Dryer - Iron

Okay so 17 directions seem like a lot - but honestly its super fast and easy (for hand dyeing that is!)   It took me less than 45 min to get out the stuff out of the bin - set them up on my studio table and "batch up" the solo cups.  I tend to do it in the morning - let them set all day - rinse them out  after dinner  - let them soak all night - wash them in the morning. 

You can do the same basic dyeing process with fabric folded tightly and rubber banded - just pour a little of the dye over the folds - soak in a baggie with more dye water.  I usually sit in front of  the TV and fold fabric since I like it in super tight little folds.

Some Tips

• You need 75 degree room temps or higher
• You can dye any cotton fabric  - but you should prewash it in hot water with non additive detergent first 
• Cut up your fabric a head of time 
• Rinse out all your stuff and keep it in one central location
• Dedicate plastic, measuring ware - just for this purpose
• Use a FQ for a rag and get some funky results
•  When choosing colors for each cup - think about color theory and the color wheel for best results
• Do  12-24 pieces of fabric at a time - take into consideration your patience and energy levels
• A Gallon of the Soda Ash water usually lasts me the two dye sessions (it can be saved)
• You could Recycle 8 - 10 oz grocery  jars with lids for mixing the dye powder with chemical water
• You can mix as many or as few colors as you want in a cup - I like 3 - it can get a bit muddy after that
• You can mix the dye powders - be careful with Fuchsia and black - a little goes a very long - long way 
• If you don't like the results the first day - over dye the piece the second
• Feel free to experiment  

Email me with any questions.