How I Hand Dye my Fabric

I use fiber reactive dyes to dye a variety of fabrics in the studio.

Fiber reactive dyes, when used correctly are colorfast and lightfast. They can be used to dye cellulose fibers as well as protein fibers.

I mix primary colors of fiber reactive dyes to create wonderful hues and palettes. I am in the process of creating a Palettes web page, where you will be able to view all of my palettes and order them by the yard. In the meantime, you can view my available palettes in my ArtFire studio.

For years I have used a mercerized 100 percent cotton for all of my fabrics. Lately, I have expanded my textile choices to include a 100% hemp linen, a hemp/organic cotton blend, and a silk/hemp blend. All of my hemp fabrics are easier to stitch than the mercerized cotton because their thread count is lower. So, if you are looking for a textile for fiber arts, fiber weaving, applique or embroidery applications, you may want to try some of my hemp textiles.

I test every piece of fabric for colorastness in 140 degree hot water. However, I do advise that you wash my fabrics in cold water or warm water and gentle detergent followed by a low heat tumble dry. This will keep the colors vibrant longer.

If you are using my fabrics in a fiber art display (quilt, artwork), keep the fabric out of direct sun. Ultraviolet rays will permanently fade the fabric and will weaken the fibers as well.