One, Two, Three Snow Dyes

Snow Dye One
Beth and I had a snow dye play date.  Hers turned out nice.  My three were horrible.  Too little dye used on the snow and the dye color was too light.  Results = almost nothing.  I didn't even take a picture.

Snow Dye Two
As soon as I got home I set up a snow dye screen and redyed the worst of the three.  I strengthened the dye mixtures and used lots of it on the snow.  Here are my results.

What happened? I forgot the soda ash.  Therefore the dye didn't give a first strike on the fabric that leaves lovely patterns.  Instead the melting snow just kept washing the dye out of the fabric.  I didn't iron the fabric because the little dye left in the fabric was not set and I was afraid some of it would come out on my ironing board.

Snow Dye Three
So at 9 pm I was outside digging through the ice on top of the snow trying to get some snow to try dyeing the SAME fabric for a third time.  Here is what it looked like before I went to bed.

When the ice had melted it looked like mud but I rinsed it and washed it.

Here it is washed out, dried, and ironed.

If it really looked this good in person I would have been excited. Why is it that the camera either doesn't pick up the colors or it enhances them making the fabric look better.  Anyway, it has gone into my re-do pile.