Color Mixing:

Start by putting a little water in a container, then add dye using pipettes. Pipettes will help you both measure and prevent spillage. The standard ratio is 3 parts water to 1 part dye. More water will make the colors lighter, and more dye will make it darker. Add more water or dye until you have the desired color. We always recommend testing the color on a scrap piece of fabric when mixing colors. Please note: blue looks purple in the bottle but, once it is brought out of the water, air makes it turn blue.

Colors: You can easily mix the dyes together to create numerous shades.
Rose + Yellow = Orange
Yellow + Blue = Green
Blue + Rose = Violet
Rose + Green + Yellow = Brown
Black can be added to any of the resulting colors to make the color darker.

Project Ideas:

Bubble Pack or Dry Cleaning Bags
This is a fantastic technique that picks up the pattern of the plastic.

1. Lay the plastic down bubble side up. If using dry cleaning bags, slit it open, then wrinkle.
2. Lay your silk right side down on the plastic.
3. With a large foam brush, brush the fabric with water. This merges the plastic and silk together, and the pre-wetting prevents streaking.
4. Mix colorhue, typically 3 parts water to 1 part dye, and stir.
5. Using a foam brush, brush on the dye.
6. Let dry for at least one hour before removing from the plastic.
7. Dry, then press.

Pleating
Because this dye is sets so fast, you can brush on several colors and there will be very little merging of colors.

1. At the ironing board, pleat your fabric into 1" pleats.
2. Using rubber bands, wrap the fabric. Wherever the bands are, the fabric will remain white.
3. Using foam brushes, push the dye into the areas between the rubber bands. Using 3 colors usually works best, more gets too busy.

Marbles

1. Lay out plastic over your table.
2. Place marbles in fabric, and tie in place with rubber bands.
3. Brush on the dye using foam brushes.

Solid Color Dyeing

1. Prepare fabric by pre-wetting. Simply place in a large container of water, and stir. Take it out of the water, placing in an empty container.
2. Pour dye into the container of water.
3. Place the wet silk back into the dye and water. Stir until all dye is absorbed. The silk absorbs the dye, leaving the water clear. Hang to dry.

Scrunch Dyeing

1. Scrunch your silk, and tie with rubber bands or clothespins. Dip in dye or place in a ziplock bag. Squeeze out dye, dry and repeat for a second color.

Spritz It
Cover your work area with plastic. Dilute the dye with water and pour into a spray bottle. Scrunch up your fabric, for an uneven color pattern, and spray! Repeat with multiple colors if desired.

Batik Effects
Apply hot wax with either brushes or stamps. Once the wax has cooled, simply dilute the dyes to the value you want and brush on. You can apply layers of color by brushing wax on again, once the dye has dried, and then dying with another color.

Effects such as cracking are acheived by brushing the wax on, letting it dry, then crunching the fabric to crack the wax. Next, smooth it out and remove loose particles of wax. Brush on the dye. Finally, remove all the wax.