Name: Jim

Message: I have read the material on your website that you have written on Low Water Immersion Dyeing and that Joyce White Vance has written on Crackle Dye on Fabric.  I really like the look, and want to ask if there is any retail source through which I could buy material dyed in this way?  I am particularly interested in material (2-3 yards) that is not already made into a shirt or dress or something.  It would be great if I could ever learn to do this, but even if I could, my current apartment in Chicago wouldn't be suitable for working on this.  I've tried to find someone in Chicago that teaches this, but haven't succeeded so far.  So, I'd simply like to find a way to purchase a little of this fabric that has already been tie dyed.  I haven't found any information of this sort on this website, and would appreciate any ideas that you might be able to give me.  Thank you.

There are many hand dyers who will be happy to sell you beautiful low-water-immersion-dyed fabric or tie-dyed fabric. Look at my listing of custom dyers, on this page: "Where can I find someone to dye my clothing for me?". For example, Beth Hartford lists her website there (number 8 on the list) with many different hand-dyed fabrics. Also see the list of other hand dyers on this page: "Links to Other Hand Dyers' web sites"

Try searching on etsy.com or ebay.com with the phrase "hand dyed fabric" or the abbreviation "lwi"; you are likely to find some examples on those sites, as well.

If you chose to join the dye forum on this site (see http://www.pburch.net/forum/ - it's free!), I am sure that you will get some good individual responses if you post about what you want to buy, under the "for sale" topic there.

Sometimes you can find commercially printed fabrics with a similar effect, but I feel that it is better to buy one-of-a-kind hand-dyed fabric from the person who dyed it. You get something that is much more special and beautiful, and you support the art of hand dyeing.


When you feel ready to try dyeing for yourself, you will find that low water immersion is the one form of hand dyeing most suitable for a small apartment. My own technique would work perfectly for you. What I do is cover my kitchen countertop with a thick layer of newspaper. I use a small bucket to place my fabric into, one that is small enough that the fabric is very tightly crammed in. I dissolve salt (which is optional) in hot water and pour it over the fabric first. I mix powdered dyes or liquid dyes (I like using Remazol liquid dye to avoid the trouble of dealing with dye powder) with lukewarm water in a glass measuring cup in my sink, then pour the dye into the bucket. I almost never spill any dye, but if I do, the newspaper is there to make cleanup unnecessary.  Then I mix the dye fixative (usually soda ash) in water and pour it over. I let the dye sit for an hour or more, or overnight, then rinse out the fabric in the sink. I then wash out excess dye with hot water in the washing machine, but you can do this in the sink, too, if you don't have a washer in your apartment. Using a fiber reactive dye such as Procion MX dye (instead of an all-purpose dye) assures that your results will be good.

You don't have to do your own dyeing, though, in order to own this beautiful fabric. By supporting other dyers, you can enjoy a wide range of styles, and concentrate your effort on what you want to do with them.

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