Have you ever found yourself looking for fabric, felt, yarn, string or wood beads in a very specific color? I recently took on a project that required all of those materials in 3 different colors. Knowing it would be near impossible to purchase all the finished materials in the desired colors, I decided to try dyeing my own. I selected Rit All-Purpose Dyes for the challenge. These dyes have been trending on DIY blogs and Instagram with impressive results. So the great dyeing experiment began!
I’ve had a little experience with natural dyes (see More Info below) so the technique was familiar. The generous guidance provided on the Rit website gave me the confidence to proceed. I started by looking for the desired colors. It is, of course, very difficult to match colors online. But I got a good start by using online samples of my target colors and comparing them to the Rit color recipe samples.
Choosing the dye colors is only one factor to consider. I learned there are several major variables that can impact the final outcome including: the amount of dye used, the length of time in the dyebath and the type of fabric/materials being dyed. There are also minor variables such as water temperature, adding salt and original color of materials. To get a feel for how each major variable would impact my results, I started by dyeing some swatches to set a baseline.
Concentration of Dye Bath
A dyebath is created by mixing dye into hot water (ie 140⁰F). The ratio of dye to water is an important consideration. According to the directions on the Rit liquid dye package: “For every pound of dry fabric (i.e. 2 adult large t-shirts), use ½ bottle (4 ozs.) of dye with 3 gallons of the hottest water safe for fabric.” So the recommended ratio is 4 oz dye:3 gallons water. Since I only needed to dye swatches, I decided to start with a smaller dyebath and a lighter concentration of dye. I used 100% cotton cheesecloth for my first batch of swatches. For the base colors which are used directly from the bottle, I used 1 Tablespoon dye:12 cups water. This is about half the recommended concentration. Then I dusted off my math skills to convert the color formulas for the mixed colors. I jotted down my scaled down recipes and set up the laboratory!
It’s a good idea to test your dyebath with a folded piece of paper towel before immersing your fabric/materials. This provides an opportunity to check that the color is as expected and to adjust if necessary.
Another step that worked well for me was to prepare labels in advance. I simply printed the names of the various colors to be tested on strips of paper. Then I used clothespins to clip the labels to the swatches. This helped me keep track of which color was which as the swatches moved from the dyebaths to the drying rack to the finished pile.
Duration in Dye Bath
When it comes to timing, Rit indicates “Item can remain in dyebath from 10 minutes up to one hour.” I was careful to treat all my swatches in the same way so I could compare the different colors. After putting the swatch in the dyebath, I stirred constantly for 10 minutes and then stirred occasionally for another 20 minutes. Then I removed the swatch and rinsed it in cold water. Here’s how they turned out.
Later I played around with an ombré effect to see how the length of time in the dyebath would impact the results. It’s quite easy to get pretty ombré results—just dip the item into the dyebath, bottom first, and lift it out gradually. The colors at the bottoms of the tassels, shown below, are darker because they were in the dyebath longer.
Type of Materials Being Dyed
I had a lot of fun dyeing different materials. I tried cotton fabric, wool felt, wool/rayon felt blend, polyester felt, wool yarn, cotton tape, cotton string, crochet cotton, lace, driftwood, wooden beads, birch bark and basket reed.
I even tried handmade paper. The trick with dyeing paper is to work fast. It worked best when I just dipped the paper into the dyebath and then laid it flat to dry. Here’s how the dyed paper turned out.
It’s amazing how much the final color can vary between materials. All of the below items were dyed in the same Cockatoo dyebath for the same duration. The color of the cotton materials is noticeably more saturated than the color of the wool materials. But there’s also significant variation between cotton materials such as the cheesecloth and the cotton fabric. The white section at top left, a piece of what turned out to be polyester felt, didn’t accept the dye at all. A different product, Rit DyeMore for Synthetics, should be used for fabrics made of synthetic fibers such as polyester, acrylic, and acetate.
One lesson I learned the hard way is to properly prepare yarn, cord or string for dyeing.
♦TIP: Secure strands of fiber with figure 8 ties before putting it in the dyebath. This prevents the strands from getting knotted into a tangled mess.
The Rit instructions state “Wet the fabric, squeeze out any excess water and add it to the dyebath.” Hard materials such as driftwood, wooden beads and basket reed require a slightly different approach.
♦ TIP: Pre-soak natural materials, such as driftwood, wooden beads and basket reed, in water. Immerse the items in the dyebath and stir for 10 minutes pushing down any that float to the top. After 10 minutes, I covered the items with a piece of scrap material to keep them submerged in the dyebath.
After studying my swatches, I determined that 2 of the colors I tried, Aquamarine and Spectrum Blue, provided a good match with my target colors. Aquamarine is a Rit base color and Spectrum Blue is made with a Rit formula. None of the greens I tried, however, matched the light spring green I had in mind.
After a few more tests I created a formula that worked. I call it My Spring Glow.
So here’s the winning combination shown with the dye recipes, concentration and duration.
Here’s how the dyed materials looked in the final project. Regular readers may recognize this elaborate flatlay from my last post FanningSparks Turns 3!
More Info
You can learn more about Rit dyes on their website.
You may be interested in these two posts which discuss natural dyes: Natural Dye Making and Sheep to Shawl.
Today’s Takeaways
1. Dyeing your own fabric, or other materials, allows you to create any color you can imagine.
2. There are several variables that impact the dyeing process including the amount of dye used, the length of time in the dyebath and the type of fabric/materials being dyed.
3. Be prepared to experiment when doing your own dyeing.
Stories and photos are published on the blog, at www.FanningSparks.com, every Tuesday. This post marks the 159th time I’ve hit the publish button. Readers sometimes ask if I’m worried about running out of things to post about. Surprisingly, I’m not— I keep a running list of ideas that has far more topics than I could ever address. This endless list of things to see, to learn, to try and to share is what keeps me energized and the blog in motion.
1. 
The FanningSparks presence on 
Statistics and analytics are all well and good but hearing from readers directly is better. FanningSparks got some great exposure this last year.
In today’s post, I share step-by-step instructions to make your own teacup pincushion. The approach and technique used are similar to those from my last DIY tutorial post, 
Colorful felt flowers are the key to this project but buying felt in the desired colors can be a little tricky. The best way, of course, is to shop in person where you can hold the teacup up against the felt. But that’s not possible when shopping online. I’ve found using a photo of the item I’m trying to match is a good way to select colors online. Shoot the photo against a white background in bright, clear, natural light. Then view your photo beside the vendor’s colors. It’s helpful to take snippets of the color samples and drop them directly onto your photo. This method isn’t foolproof but the side-by-side comparison is a good indicator of which colors will work best. And it’s much better than holding a teacup up to your computer monitor! The below photo shows a few color samples from Prairie Point Junction’s wool blend felt (see More Info below).
Supplies Needed 
Gently turn the felt circle inside out through the slit. Push out seam by running finger along the inside of the seam. Press. Stuff pincushion pad with polyester fiberfill or other material. Ensure outside edge is stuffed evenly. Take care not to overstuff—the seams should not be strained. Use matching thread and whipstitch (or stitch of your choice) to close the back slit.
Choose embroidery floss to divide the pincushion pad into petals—the color can match or contrast as you wish. Wrap the 6-strand floss around the pincushion pad 3 times to measure the length needed. Mine was 32” long. Cut and thread the floss onto a long embroidery needle. Insert a pin near the center point on the bottom and wrap the floss tail around this pin to anchor it. Insert the needle at the center point on the bottom of the pad, pull it up through the pad and exit at the center point on the top. Wrap the floss around the outside of the pad and return the needle to the center point on the bottom.
One in particular, a chunky, bejeweled costume jewelry bangle, caught my imagination. With the help of a little felt flower-making research, some colorful felt and a few accents, a pretty little keepsake box emerged. It was a fun process with lots of opportunity to get creative. Today’s post includes detailed step-by-step instructions for transforming any bangle bracelet into a keepsake or trinket box.
Equipment and Tools Needed
B. Next comes the best part, place your felt on your ironing surface and lay the freezer paper pattern on top of the felt with the shiny side down. Use your iron to press the freezer paper pattern into place—a few seconds is all that’s needed. Take care to use the heat setting appropriate for your felt. The amazing thing is the iron melts the plastic just enough to make the paper stick to the felt while you cut out your piece.
C. Cut out the pattern piece (freezer paper and felt) using sharp, short-bladed scissors for precision. Then simply pull the freezer paper off the felt. Surprisingly, it comes off very easily and no residue is left behind. Pattern pieces can be reused so take care when removing them from the felt.
Measure the height of the inside of the bangle using a ruler. Add ¼“ for the seam allowance. This will be the height of the liner wall. Cut a rectangle of white felt with the length and width calculated.
Cut out the circle leaving a small border outside the cutting line. Follow Steps B-C of the Freezer Paper Technique as described above to adhere and cut out a white felt circle. Reuse the freezer paper pattern to cut 3 more white felt circles.
Start by sewing one long edge of the felt rectangle, which will become the liner wall, to one of the felt circles. Use 2-strands of matching embroidery floss with a blanket stitch. Start and finish ½“ from the ends of the rectangle.
Hold the short ends of the rectangle together ensuring the remaining unsewn bottom edges are aligned and fit snuggly against the bottom circle. Trim the short ends if necessary. Pin and stitch the short ends with a blanket stitch. Finish stitching the long edge of the felt rectangle to the bottom circle.
Glue this felt circle to the top of the foam board circle. Insert embellished bottom into the liner. If desired, glue felt liner walls to the inside edge of bangle.
Hold ribbon by loop and gently pull the ends of the ribbon through the hole in the felt circle and then the hole in the cardboard. Push cardboard and felt circle together. Securely fasten the ends of the ribbon together. You can twist the ends if the ribbon is wired. Knot or stitch if the ribbon is unwired. Keep ends as flat as possible under the cardboard. You may wish to glue or tape the ends in place.
Make Apple Blossom Form Round Petal Flower
Make Dogwood Form Pointed Petals Flower
Make the Leaves
Step 6 Embellish Lid Now comes the fun part—embellishing the felt lid! Position the flowers and leaves in a pleasing arrangement.
Voilà! Your new keepsake box is done!
Now it’s time to put your new creation to work—mine holds a pretty little vintage button collection.
Gathered.How, publishers of Mollie Makes and other fine craft magazines, provides helpful instructions in their 
Another item that seems to have grown into a collection is vintage textiles. I have a few displayed on a ladder in the hallway to my studio. The top piece, taking pride of place, is a tablecloth hand-embroidered by my Mom. It’s a beautiful piece! The other pieces were collected from near (US Southeast) and far (Japan and Germany).
Sometimes a vintage or thrift store find can be repurposed for an entirely new role. I shared an example in the post 
But vintage finds need not be limited to the inside of the home. We have a small collection of vintage white French enamelware which we collected while living in Germany. It’s displayed on our porch and reminds us of our time in Europe. Here’s one of those pieces playing an unexpected role as a wren’s nest.
In the same way vintage finds add interest and uniqueness to our home, they can add personality and punch to photos. I’m always on the lookout for vintage or thrift store finds to serve as photo props. The little porcelain figurine of a young girl holding the number 2 was a timely vintage find for the post 
Here’s another example of a thrift store find that needed a little attention. The wicker picnic basket was in good condition but the top covers were missing. The updated basket, complete with new covers, starred in the post 
Vintage pieces are often time-worn but I think that can add to their appeal. This vintage croquet set, which played a key role in the post 
There’s one more reason I like to explore vintage shops—to scout for inspiration. I love to find handmade items from the past. It’s interesting to see what people made—to see what materials and techniques they used. These vintage finds can serve as thought-starters for new projects. The wooden trivet, shown top right in the photo below, inspired the Christmas wreath I shared in the post 
This postcard featuring Rafael Ortega, a famous Spanish bullfighter, is elaborately enhanced with embroidery.
Vintage postcards are fun to collect. They’re small and easy to transport and store. Yet they can be quite fascinating as can be seen in this set of 3 vintage postcards from an antique market in Tongeren, Belgium.
The illustrations are signed by “Girona”. The postcards were printed in Spain. They are incredibly cutesy but special and unique. Here’s a closer look at the little girl and boy winding yarn.
An interesting detail that I didn’t notice before is the girls are knitting with extra-long straight needles positioned under their arms—that’s the way my mother knits too. It’s just another reason to treasure these vintage finds!
Cut 6 lunar panels and 2 end circles for EACH ball. Use a fabric marker or chalk to clearly mark the wrong sides of the cut pieces.
Step 3 Sew Juggling Ball Align a pair of matching lunar panels with RIGHT sides together. Pin. Check that the two pieces are identical especially at the tips. Sew only one side of the lunar panels. Use a single strand of matching sewing thread and a whipstitch/ overcast stitch (or your stitch of choice). Note: I’m using white (instead of blue) thread for visibility in the photo below. Take your time to firmly secure the lunar panels with small, strong, even stitches, spaced close together, catching both edges in each stitch. 
Repeat this process with the other 2 sets of lunar panels. You should have 3 pairs of lunar panels stitched together along one side. Prepare to sew 2 sets of lunar panels together by tucking one set of panels inside the other. Ensure the RIGHT sides are facing. Once again, take care to align the tips. Connect the final set of lunar panels in this same manner.
Sew the final seam connecting the first and sixth lunar panel sides. Stop sewing about 1” before the tip leaving a small opening for turning and filling. At this point, you may want to sew the other 2 balls together. Follow the same process, as outlined in this step, for each set of 6 lunar panels.
Step 4 Fill Juggling Ball Gradually turn the ball right side out. Take care not to stretch the felt at the opening. Insert finger into the turned ball. Run finger along each seam, firmly pressing it smooth and flat. Working over a container or bowl, insert a small funnel into the unsewn opening in the ball. Use a spoon to slowly scoop the millet into the funnel. Carefully tamp down the millet so it runs into the ball. Remove funnel. Spoon small amounts of millet directly into the ball. Use the spoon handle to gently pack the millet into the ball.
Fill the ball as full as possible while ensuring you can still grasp the edges of the opening. Pin the opening. Sew the opening closed with a whipstitch/ overcast stitch. Repeat on the other 2 juggling balls.
Step 6 Cut Pouch Parts Cut TWO 10” x 6 ½ “ rectangles from fabric. 
I chose to add a few felt appliques for a little color and punch on my emoji juggler. I simply cut these pieces, a hat, 3 balls, bowtie and suspenders, from small pieces of felt. Then I hand-stitched them into place with a blanket stitch using 2-strands of matching embroidery floss. Alternatively, you could use fabric glue to attach felt pieces.
Step 8 Sew Pouch Note: Take care not to touch the transferred design with a hot iron as you construct the pouch. 
Pin folds. Make a tiny snip into the seam allowances on the sides just below the folded edge. Sew across the top edge of the front pouch panel. Sew a second seam along the folded edge. Repeat with back pouch panel.
Prepare to sew front and back pouch panels together. Place the pouch panels on your working surface with the right sides together. Align edges and pin. Stitch ¼” seam along the sides and bottom—beginning and ending at the folded edge. Turn the pouch right side out. Push out the seams and corners. Press edges. 
There are a number of free online resources that will teach you how to juggle. I suggest checking out the videos on the International Jugglers Association website (see More Info) or on YouTube. Look for a 3-Ball Cascade—this seems to be the easiest technique for beginners to learn. Here are a few tips I gleaned by comparing several resources: