Name: Marko
Message: Do you know where I can buy those fiber reactive dyes without paying million dollars in shipment? As far as I know, here in Finland there are no actual shops selling them. 

I believe that there are some types of fiber reactive dyes sold in Finland. For example, I have heard of Dylon Washing Machine Dye being purchased in Finland; it contains mostly Drimarene K dyes, which are good fiber reactive dyes. I think that the high-pH dye fixers, either soda ash (Na2CO3) or trisodium phosphate, are already included in the dye mixture. The same is true of Dylon Hand Dye and Dylon Permanent Dye; Dylon Cold Water Dye is mostly made of Procion MX dyes. If you can find a Dylon brand dye but are not sure of the type of dye it contains, you may have found some of their Multi-Purpose Dye, which is a hot water dye, similar to Rit and Tintex all-purpose dyes.

Have you ever seen dyes being sold under the name "Furian"? I have heard that Levafix fiber reactive dyes are available in Finland with this brand name. They can be used at room temperature, but they will work best if you place them in a very warm place to react. In 2002, a DyersLIST mailing list member from Finland posted this, about Furian dyes:
I got mine from Seriväri paying for the Matkahuolto-postage myself. Later I found out that I could have ordered them through a local hobby shop just as well. If you contact Seriväri, I am sure they will let you know if someone sells Furian close to you. Seriväri only have primaries for dyeing, but you can mix them beautifully.

Another person from Finland who wrote to me found that her family's sauna was an ideal place for fiber reactive dyes to react with fabric. I imagine that she wrapped each in plastic bags or plastic food wrap before placing them in there to react.

Olli Niemitalo, who made the Dye Mixer Applet, has ordered Procion MX dye from Quilt & Art in Germany (www.quiltundart.de). Prices are lower at PRO Chemical & Dye in the US, and they do ship internationally; it might actually be more economical to order from there in spite of the greater shipping costs.

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