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My fabric dye job went totally sideways last Thursday

Tried a new reactive dye on some silk and it came out super blotchy, not the smooth ombre I wanted. Anyone know a good fix for uneven dye on delicate fabric, or should I just scrap the piece?
4 comments

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4 Comments
sagecooper
sagecooper2mo ago
Ever think about leaning into the blotches instead of fighting them? You could overdye the whole piece with a darker color to make it look intentional, like a stormy sky effect. Sometimes the best fix is changing the plan completely, not trying to undo what already happened. Silk takes dye in such weird ways, maybe this is just the fabric telling you what it wants to be.
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sean854
sean8542mo ago
That's actually a pretty smart idea from sagecooper, turning a mistake into a design choice. But idk, is it even worth the extra work? Sometimes you just gotta accept it's a practice piece and move on. Maybe it's just me but I get tired of trying to fix every little thing. It's just fabric, not a life or death situation.
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spencer400
spencer4002mo ago
Wait you're working with silk? That stuff costs like 30 bucks a yard, I'd fight to fix it too. I'd be way more willing to let go if it was cheap cotton.
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willowg88
willowg882mo ago
Read about using a color remover first, then redye. Sean854 has a point though, sometimes you just gotta let it go.
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