Ice Dyeing: My Safer Way

Everyone who knows me knows that I am a stickler for extreme caution when using powdered Procion MX dye and other dye powders. So when I saw Quilting Arts' ice dyeing article this month I liked the idea, but decided to give it my "safety first" twist.

I had some concentrated dyes already made up for low-water immersion dyeing (2 tbsp. dye powder + 2 tbsp. urea + 1 cup of water). I keep these dyes in dish detergent bottles with flip-up tops; they have never leaked because they're made to hold liquid.

Safety tips: ***We do not mix dye powders without a small particle mask, gloves, and safety glasses, and we mix them in an enclosed box that has been sprayed with water to catch loose particles. We also, after carefully spooning dye into the container with a funnel, immediately dip the spoon & funnel into water and cover the dye container and dye bottle and dunk them into the water to clean off any loose dye. Be sure to find directions for all of this online or in a class.

I know... I'm a safety nerd.

To prepare to ice dye, I poured different colors of concentrated dye into tiny spray bottles (found at Sally's Beauty Supply in Georgia) and hair color bottles with tiny pointed tops...


For the rest of the ice dyeing directions, please refer to the August/September issue of Quilting Arts Magazine. I followed their directions, but instead of using loose dye powder (YIPES!!!), I sprayed and dribbled my dye concentrate onto the ice while wearing a mask (because of the fine mist of the spray). Here are a few photos of dyeing in progress:





The ice on this piece has melted and it will set until tomorrow. We'll see tomorrow how these dyed fabrics compared to the "powdered dye" fabrics.

Continued...