Looking for an alternative to fabric painting? You can ice dye your own fabric with Procion MX dyes.

I thought dyeing fabric was complicated.  (Spoiler: dyeing fabric can be complicated.) I avoided it and tried everything else (except screen printing) first.   

I’ve been dyeing cotton and linen fabric with Procion MX dyes. This type of dyes and the dyeing process that I describe are for cellulose fibers. These types of fibers include linen and cotton.  If you go to your fabric store, head for the solids section and look for woven cotton fabric labeled: PFD. The label PFD is short for “Prepared for Dyeing”.  I have been using Robert Kauffman’s Pimatex fabric. https://www.robertkaufman.com/fabrics/pimatex/   The other fabric that I tend to use is Kona PFD or Essex Linen PFD.  

I’m going to detail the dyeing process.

 The dye and fabric:

To give this type of dyeing a try, you can get a kit from Amazon. (As an Amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.)

Chemistry

The first thing to like about Procion MX dyes is that there is only one chemical reaction to worry about. Second, you don’t have to apply heat to the fabric and dye solution. (Win! I can’t imagine trying to “cook” a dyeing project in my kitchen. Or even outside. It was 100 degrees here yesterday.)

Soda ash is the fixative (mordant) used in this process. Soda ash is a concentrated form baking soda and is sometimes called washing soda.  Soda ash is alkali and changes the pH of the fabric.  The dye then forms a bond with the fabric and is washfast and lightfast.  No matter what color that you use, there is only one type of fixative. If you use natural dyes, these can require a variety of different fixatives.

Protective equipment:

Gloves and an N-95 mask or a respirator.  The soda ash is a base and is a skin irritant. You’ll want to wear gloves to protect your skin from the soda ash and from dye staining.  You’ll also need to wear the respirator when working with the dry dye powder.  Once the dye and the soda ash are in the water then you can remove your mask. You may also want eye protection to protect from splashes. I am not neat, so I wear eye protection during the parts where splashes may occur.

Fabric Prep:

Wash your fabric to remove oils, coatings, and other things.  I use Synthrapol but there are other options.  Dry your fabric. If desired, you can tie your fabric at this point.

Change the pH of the fabric:

Mix 1 gallon warm water and 1 cup soda ash in a large container, like a five gallon bucket. (Wear your mask and gloves. I also wear eye protection.) Soak your fabric for about 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, wring out your fabric and let dry.  (Note: drying is not necessary – you can use damp fabric, I just prefer dry fabric.) Once your soda ash bucket is set up, you can continue using it if you check the pH of the solution.

Fabric Manipulation

Once the fabric is dry, I mask and glove and then prep my fabric. I fold my fabric into Shibori type folds and iron the folds into the fabric. The key is to iron the edges crisply. This will affect how the dye moves through the fabric. You can also tie your fabric using tie dye techniques.

Dye Application:

Place the fabric in a strainer in a dish tub or other container.  Place ice on top of the fabric. Use enough ice to cover the fabric completely. Then place the powdered dye on top of the ice. (Keep wearing that mask!) You can also place the dye directly on the fabric and then cover the dye with ice. Next, I cover my containers with plastic sheeting before I remove my mask. Wait about 24 hours (or at least until the ice has melted).  Batching time is dependent on the temperature.  (Scrunch dyes are shown below.)

Rinse:

Rinse the fabric in cold water until much of the dye has been removed. I then soak the fabric in hot water for at least one hour.  Next, rinse again in cold water.  If you are still seeing immediate colors in your water, repeat.  Now, wash your fabric on hot with Synthrapol to remove an extra dye. I use the cycle with an extra rinse. Next, I wash the fabric on cold with Woolite and some fabric softener.  If you are dyeing frequently, you can get Milsoft or Calgon water softener.  (I have not been able to find these locally, thus the fabric softer.) This can take a long time. I’ve posted a video of the first part of the rinse process.

The Reveal: