fabric dyeing experiment

Some of you know that I've been thinking of trying some fabric dyeing - let me tell you about last week's experiment ...



1. Buy 2 new shirts on the pre-Christmas sales. 1 x white, because white goes with everything, and 1 x deep green, because a bit of colour is a good thing.

2. Take them on holidays.

3. THIS IS THE IMPORTANT PART - find a washing machine without any words on it, in any language, and try to decipher the symbols on the panel. What on earth do a leaf, a cloud, and what looks like an upside-down plumber's plunger, have to do with washing cycles? Find the on/off button.

4. After a very long time, take the washing out and realise that you've run a very hot wash (something you'd never do at home - always cold water) and seem to have dyed and heat-set the white shirt, a delicate shade of blue/green.

5. Complete the heat-setting process by drying the wash in the tropical/sauna-like breeze on the balcony.

6. Ignore your husband's comments about the colour of his new underwear - it's a holiday, so he's lucky you washed for him.

7. Wear your newly dyed shirt with your blue 3/4 length pants - nice match.



Why do we spend so much time worrying about setting dyes, when they seem able to do it for themselves???