Point of Advice on hand dyeds and silks
Posted: Sun Dec 30, 2007 12:26 pm
Hello Stitchers,
Just a point of advice that was hard learned on my part. If you are using hand dyeds or silks make sure that you purchase enough (and add some extra to your estimation) up front and all at the same time, checking carefully that the dye lots match. They aren't like DMC, etc in consistency.
I am currently working on Mirabilia's Christmas Elegance which I converted to Soie d'Alger. I did the calculations for shifting from a 6 strand 8.6 m cotton to a 7 strand 5 m silk, and since they didn't say how much on the pattern we estimated where I needed more than one. First problem is that the silk doesn't go as far as the cotton. I think because the strands are plumper (not really thicker, just plumper) you get less out of the same lenght. Normally not a problem but the difference between dye lots is real bad (enter problem number two). One particular color went from being a nice muted tone of green to almost jewel tone. Luckily I noticed it and by this time someone on another chat forum had just finished their CE and posted the amount of cotton she had used. It took 3 hours of driving round trip but my husband and I drove out to a shop in Pennsylvania that carried the Sd'A. The dye lots were so off that the very nice shop owner and I ended up coming to consensus with switching out one with a blend of two Soie Cristale and substituting another with a thread gatherer that were closer in color than the Sd'A! She explained that the Sd'A that comes out of France is more consistent because of dyeing techniques but the US stuff is real inconsistent.
Once burned, I also had brought a Chatelaine that requires Gloriana. I was able to match up three of those silks but the forth was a hand dyed that was several shades lighter in color than the original. Since it's an overdyed there was no matching it to another brand so I'm just going to have to blend the two together as I stitch.
So Stitchers, lesson is buy more than enough especially if you're using specialty threads. My CE will work out as I'm out of the huge solid sections and now into disconnected smaller sections so any difference shouldn't be glaring under normal light.
This same lesson goes for any piece with cotton that has more than one skein or more than what you've got. Double check the dye lot before you start. I had one pink that came out of my stash that was very different than the new one that I bought. But that is more my fault as what came from the stash was several years old.
Last lesson is if I do this again, I'll buy all the materials very close to the stitching of the project so that I have a better chance of matching. Between companys closing their doors and dye lot issues, it just is better safe than sorry.
Just a point of advice that was hard learned on my part. If you are using hand dyeds or silks make sure that you purchase enough (and add some extra to your estimation) up front and all at the same time, checking carefully that the dye lots match. They aren't like DMC, etc in consistency.
I am currently working on Mirabilia's Christmas Elegance which I converted to Soie d'Alger. I did the calculations for shifting from a 6 strand 8.6 m cotton to a 7 strand 5 m silk, and since they didn't say how much on the pattern we estimated where I needed more than one. First problem is that the silk doesn't go as far as the cotton. I think because the strands are plumper (not really thicker, just plumper) you get less out of the same lenght. Normally not a problem but the difference between dye lots is real bad (enter problem number two). One particular color went from being a nice muted tone of green to almost jewel tone. Luckily I noticed it and by this time someone on another chat forum had just finished their CE and posted the amount of cotton she had used. It took 3 hours of driving round trip but my husband and I drove out to a shop in Pennsylvania that carried the Sd'A. The dye lots were so off that the very nice shop owner and I ended up coming to consensus with switching out one with a blend of two Soie Cristale and substituting another with a thread gatherer that were closer in color than the Sd'A! She explained that the Sd'A that comes out of France is more consistent because of dyeing techniques but the US stuff is real inconsistent.
Once burned, I also had brought a Chatelaine that requires Gloriana. I was able to match up three of those silks but the forth was a hand dyed that was several shades lighter in color than the original. Since it's an overdyed there was no matching it to another brand so I'm just going to have to blend the two together as I stitch.
So Stitchers, lesson is buy more than enough especially if you're using specialty threads. My CE will work out as I'm out of the huge solid sections and now into disconnected smaller sections so any difference shouldn't be glaring under normal light.
This same lesson goes for any piece with cotton that has more than one skein or more than what you've got. Double check the dye lot before you start. I had one pink that came out of my stash that was very different than the new one that I bought. But that is more my fault as what came from the stash was several years old.
Last lesson is if I do this again, I'll buy all the materials very close to the stitching of the project so that I have a better chance of matching. Between companys closing their doors and dye lot issues, it just is better safe than sorry.
