Name: Kas
Message: I want to dye a tapestry canvas to have a sunset-type appearance. I would like the colours to fade from dark blue to orange and I'm not sure how to achieve this.

If the tapestry canvas is made of polyester, it is extraordinarily difficult to dye by immersion, but it can be dyed quite well with an iron-on drawing made with a special kind of fabric crayon that is made with Disperse Dye. See ''Dyeing Polyester with Disperse Dye."

If the tapestry canvas is made of cotton, and is not treated with some sort of water-repellant finish to make it stiff, you can dye it by applying dye with a paintbrush, using the same methods and materials as tie-dyeing cotton. Wetting the fabric first - for example by applying the soda ash as a presoak and leaving it damp - will help the dye to run together. See "How to Dye - basic recipe for Procion MX dyes on cotton or silk" . Alternatively, you could paint with a transparent fabric paint, such as Setacolor fabric paint.

Note that blue and orange will combine to make a muddy color where they meet, if both are wet, whether you use fabric dye or fabric paint. You will probably want a pale yellow zone in between, and a light touch with the dye or paint.