Antron Question!!?

[wes]

What would be better: Dye the fleece as a whole or cut the patterns then sew them to gether and then dye. what should i do??

The reason I ask is when i made my first antron puppet i dyed the whole lot yard or 2 and some spots were lighter and some darker?

HELP!!

 

[dkmontgomery]

dye

I think cutting the pattern out of the fleece first would be helpful. You would have less to dye. Then saw the pattern together.

 

[Phantom]

I've always dyed it as one large sheet or cut into rectangular smaller sheets that provide plenty of room for the pattern to fit (but not pattern shape per se). I've never had a noticable variation in color.

Pre-wet, unfolded, and slight agitation all seem necessary for consistent color. I know temperature also makes a difference. I'm sure some of the "heavy hitters" around here will weigh in on the topic.

Good Luck.

 

[ravagefrackle]

What would be better: Dye the fleece as a whole or cut the patterns then sew them to gether and then dye. what should i do??

The reason I ask is when i made my first antron puppet i dyed the whole lot yard or 2 and some spots were lighter and some darker?

HELP!!

Dye the yardage you need, do not just cut out the pattern, whats happens if you need to fix something?or change your pattern?


as for the spottyness, like everything if you havent done much dying you need to work at it to improve your resluts,if you do not have a big enough pot you will have a harder time getting even distrubution of color and water in the dye pot.

 

[mrhogg]

I do the "dye a slightly larger area than you need" thing. I tried dyeing an exact pattern cut, but it seemed to shrink slightly during the dyeing process.

 

[gastage]

It's most important to dye your fleece in a container that leaves enough room for the fabric to move easily around. This way the fabric isn't staying bunched together where the dye can't reach. Also, make sure your dye has completely dissolved so you don't get a speckled effect.

 

[BorkBork]

I dye in my bathtub, so i dye just enough that fits in there. It´s usually enough for a puppet.

 

[Super Scooter]

... I use my washing machine. You can send it through a light wash cycle, and that seems to get it evenly dyed.

 

[thedoogles]

washing machine

Just a question re: washing machine? doesn't the fabric dye leave stains in the washing machine? I find that some dyes do leave marks so be careful! My mum was not happy!

 

[wes]

I think I use a small Bucket for the fabric I used, I'll use a bigger one.

Thanks everyone of the help, thanks even more to ravagefrackle Our Local Pro Muppet Builder!! Thanks Everyone

PS: My antron is going to be here today or tommorow,(thanks gastage{Kathy}) I live Georgia so I think it will be here today I 'm so Excited, everyone cross your fingers!!