When our surface design group met last week, we did some ice dyeing. I dyed 6 pieces of 5mm silk gauze that I am going to use in nuno felting. I did a quick tutorial on how to do ice dyeing several years ago on The Felting and Fiber Studio. Louise had us all set up outside to do the ice dyeing so we worked pretty quickly in the cold. I did one jar with more purple dyes and the other with reds and oranges.
It’s simple to do, just layers of ice, fabric and dye powder. Then you let it melt and rinse it out.
Here are the 5 pieces that were white to start with and then ice dyed. It was interesting that several of these had bands of color on them as I just wadded the silk up and stuck it in.
This piece was already dyed with eco printing to start. It was pretty sad to start and I was hoping to improve it but it didn’t take up much more color.
Here’s is a close up of one of the scarves. They all have some very nice patterning and mix of colors. Now to get the right color merino to go with each one and start some nuno felting!
Ruth Lane Art 
The colours are sumptuous and will make good nuno felted scarves!
Thanks Lyn!
Ice dyeing is fun, but I haven’t done it outside. Kudos to you for braving the cold. Nice colors. Perhaps you can add more color to the last one before you felt it by using squirt bottles or a paintbrush. I look forward to seeing the finished scarves.
Thanks Marilyn, I am not sure that it will take any more color at this point no matter how it is applied.
They are lovely!
Thanks Vicki!
Some very nice effects there Ruth. Ice dyeing is such fun. 🙂
Thanks Judith, I like the spontaneous results.
What powder dye did you use?
I love the effects
Thanks Sylvia, we used Procion Fiber Reactive Dyes.
You achieved some lovely colours Ruth. Do you have any idea why the eco dyed piece resisted dyeing? Did you use a mordant on it?
Thanks Teri, I can’t remember what mordant I used. Perhaps alum. But the silk has been rinsed and washed. I think at a point, there is no room for more dye to adhere.
What lovely effects and colour combinations. Actually I love the colour of the ecoprinted piece -it’s a lovely shimmering gold. You could do some itajime shibori with it – fold it and clamp it with resists – and dip it in indigo to get a green and gold combination.
Thanks Kim, that’s a good idea about the indigo.