I really need the sun to come out and dry this freshly dyed reed for tomorrrow's workshop at Dunedin Fine Arts Center!
And this is how I dye basket reed:
Materials:
1 hank reed
Procion MX Dyes
soda ash
iodine free salt
rubber gloves
old clothes and apron,
dust mask plastic bucket,
utensils for mixing that are only used for dying
1. Loosen the ties on the reed
2. Soak reed in in enough water to cover the reed for an hour or so ( use a rock or brick to keep the reed from floating)
3. Dissolve 1 cup of iodine free salt in about 2 cups hot of water add to soaking reed. Mix well
4. Dissolve 2-4 tablespoons of dye powder in a small amount of water. Mix thoroughly, then add to soaking reed. Mix well. (Wear your dust mask during this step!)
5. Let the dye bath soak 2-24 hours, depending on the color intensity desired.
6. To fix the dye, dissolve 9 table spoons of soda ash in to 2 cups of hot water add to the dye bath and mix well. Let the reed soak in the activated dye bath for 24 hours. (the temperature outside should be above 75 F
7. Pour off the dye bath, and and you may rinse now the reed several times until the water runs clear. However, I feel I get better results by also heat setting.
8. To heat set (after completing steps1-6) pour off dye bath and place reed into black plastic bags and place in a sunny spot out doors for a day or two then rinse until the water runs clear. I have found that dyes will eventually stop bleeding when rinsed enough and are very permanent light fast. However, this may take a lot of rinsing since not all of the dye bonds completely with the reed.
