Advice/Help Silk hand-dye

[Rose]

So I am very close to the finish of the Swirley heart and I would like to know from anyone that has worked with Carries Creations Hand-dyed silk floss. How can I set the dye in the thread when I go to wash the finished project??????. I did not think to rinse it before using it. I actually had not intended to have it take this long so thought I could.....for this one project...... not wash it. Well, even though I have been super careful and stored it in a clean bag when not stitching, I saw last night there are 2 areas that have smudges. They are close to some stitches so even being careful I am afraid that they may(the stitches) may get wet and possible run.

I read Needle and Forks suggestion about the hand-dyed fabric and I wonder if I did the same thing with this finished project would it work?????? I think I have some of the Shout sheets left. If not I will pick up more. Of course with this one I will hand wash so I will see right away if it runs. Is this the best way to wash it or do any of you brilliant ladies have a better way??????

[cairee]

I've never used that brand, and Ive never gotten to the point of washing anything hand dyed so nothing from experience here
I did find this page that has useful information on washing non colorfast threads.

[Rose]

Thank you cairee that gave me some very helpful information.

[NeedleAndFork]

Before getting too concerned, have you tried testing the floss on it's own to make sure it isn't color fast? If it is, then problem solved. IF it does run, I'd see about trying to spot clean the bits of the fabric that got dirty - a qtip with a bit of warm water with a drop of detergent in it maybe?

If that doesn't work and the floss does run, there are two possible outcomes. Silk is a bit of an unusual fiber in that it works with both acid dyes (used to dye protien based fibers like wool) and procion dyes (used on cellulose fibers like cotton and linen). If the silk is dyed with procion dyes, it will definately leave a stain on the fabric if it runs when you wash it. However if it was dyed with acid dyes, there's chance you might be able to rinse it well enough to get all the dye out of the fabric with the help of a shout color catcher and a chemical called synthropol.

If you want to test what kind of dye was used on the floss put a small amount of the floss that bleeds into a bowl with some warm water so that the dye runs into the water. Then, add a bit of wool (make sure it's actual wook and not acrylic) to the water and a splash of something acidic - white vinegar is an easy item that most people have in their home already. If it is acid dye, the combination of the heat and acid will cause the wool to 'suck' up the dye out of the water so that you're left with clear water and dyed wool. It's really quite amazing to watch, it's the reverse effect of starting with white water and adding drops of color and seeing them swirl and blend with the water. If it doesn't do that, nuke the wool soaking in the dye bath for a few seconds at a time to see if that activates it. Of course, whether you get completely clear water or not will depend on the amount of wool and the amount of dye in the water, but a 10 inch length of wool yarn (or a scrap piece of wool fabric) should be able to pick up any dye released by a 5 inch length of floss. But if it is acid dye, you will definately see that the wool is absorbing the dye particles and leaving the water clear. If that's the case, careful washing in cool water with the help of something called Synthropol might help you keep the fabric safe. Synthropol is a liquid that helps loose dye particles that aren't bonded to anything release into the water - so that excess dye can be rinsed away. It will help prevent the free dye in the water from settling onto your fabric, since the fabric is made of a plant fiber and does not bond with acid dyes.

If it turns out that the dye is a procion dye - something we can guess by process of elimination since I don't know a positive test for that unfortunately as most of my experience is with acid dyes and wool/silk - then I'm not sure what the best method would be. Worse case scenario, since the swirly heart is pretty dark is if it stains the fabric, you can try to get an even stain over the entire piece of fabric, thus tinting it slightly so that the fabric ends up a wash that's lighter shade of color than the heart. To do that, use the largest container/bowl/bucket you can find and use lots and lots of water so that the dye in the water is evenly distributed and there aren't any folds in the fabric that will result in uneven dyeing. Then go through the same process I described in my other post of using vinegar/salt to help set the colors if needed, though if you're going to frame it, I wouldn't worry too much about that. If you're finishing the heart as part of an item like a bag or cushion or something that might need washing in the future, you would want to go ahead and set it as best as possible though.