10" of Fresh Snow = Snow Dyeing Fun!

Finally we got a dumping of snow! It's already late January and I thought this snowfall would never get here... but it came and I'm all smiles! The studio is now geared up to dye as much as possible while the snow lasts... the meteorologist say rain tomorrow. 

Check out these easy steps for your own snow dyeing experiments!

If you live in snow country you just have to try this!

First soak your fabric in a mixture of soda ash and water. This will allow the fabric to really grab onto the dye for a strong color. Next organize your fabric for dyeing. The beauty of snow is that you can use all kinds of 3-Dimensional items to create an interesting effect. 

Put a layer of snow across the surface of your fabric. If you have lumpy items under the fabric do your best to cover everything with snow. When sprinkling dye you MUST wear a respirator - your lungs are important so don't mess with them! 

Here is where you need patience. Wait for the snow to melt and set before rinsing and washing. I find it hard to wait so the easiest routine for me is to layer the snow in the afternoon and let it set all night. When I jump out of bed in the morning the fabric is ready for rinsing!

This piece was folded and clamped.

This snow burst effect is from placing recycled containers under the fabric! 

Here is another piece folded and clamped.

These snow bursts were created using whiffle balls tied into the fabric.

This final piece was made by slipping old hotel keys into the folds of the fabric and clamped. 

Let me know how your snow experiments come out... what did you learn... what will you try again... what won't you try again!