General Chat

Does anyone have experience with dying things?

I've dyed small items, like Tshirts, but one at a time, I've got a big old battered saucepan I keep for jobs like this.

I have eight seat covers, for outside chairs, they've got horrible over winter, stains of all sorts, including bird poo. I soaked them overnight then washed them, but they still look awful.

Getting new ones would be expensive, so I thought I'd change the colour.

They're off-white (well, they used to be).

Any help will be appreciated :-D

"Does anyone have experience with dying things?"

Yes, my plants! l still can't get the hang of looking after them so they live!
My Peace Lily hasn't flowered for almost ten months!

Just read your post about you leaving, LadyS.

I REALLY do hope you will reconsider.

Too many nice folks leaving GR.
(Soon there may be no GR if we keep getting the dreaded 'error' message.

As David Horton said in the show to the Vicar of Dibley ...

"Stay"

Hi Barry

Look at my "leaving" thread again. A lovely man sent me a message with a code, he paid my subscription! I'm overwhelmed and astonished! <3

I've just had a rant on the Error Message thread! Fed up seeing that thing :-P

Where is your peace lily? They like a bit of light, but not full sun. Also... don't overwater it, they don't like getting their feet wet. Do you feed it? If so, cut the amount of fertiliser in half. I'm gonna make you mad....... we've got loads in the garden :-D

Well, that was different.

I didn't get an Error Message when I clicked Submit.

I got a frozen screen. The blue line just sat there. I had to click on the x to get out.

I blew two raspberries :-P :-P obviously I came back.

Wonder what will happen this time..........

Edit: Surprise Surprise........... An Error Message!!

:-P :-P :-P :-P :-P :-P :-P

Super news you are staying, LadyS. Good on yer!

My PL is in the same place for 17 months where it did flower! Strange!
I do mix a feed with the water. Schultz liquid plant food.
I have been told to water regularly - which I do and the leaves are healthy.
If I forget water, the leaves droop, but perk quickly if I water.
Strange so long without the white pencil-like flower / seed.

It's in a lightish area of the room but never exposed directly to the sun.
I did accidently one time and the leaves opened up - flattened - completely!
Soon pulled up after moved out of the sun.

Thanks, but don't send any PL over to me!

Ciao.

This might sound weird......... for lots of our flowering plants I feed them orchid food! Again, half what the recommended dose is.... if they are fed too much, the growth goes into the greenery, not the blooms. Don't feed them when they are in bud or flower.

Have you tried misting the leaves?

If I remember right, you're in Victoria? I'd send you some PLs, but it's against the law! lol

I haven't dyed anything for years so can't help you I am afraid. I am sure it won't be a problem altho having to do them one at a time? might result in some variation on the shade. You would need a big pan to do the lot, I am thinking.

So glad you are staying, how kind that someone's paid your membership.


Lizx

I was thinking of going all "hippie" and tie-dying them! It won't matter if they are all slightly different colours, especially with the tied circles.

I'm not buying dye either, I plan to use plants from the garden and.... don't laugh.... gravy browning!

The pot is a battered old stock pot, aluminium, which I haven't used for cooking anything for years. I'll have to be very careful transferring the dyed items, I don't want a splotchy coloured floor.

:-D

Last things I dyed were Tshirts. Where I worked a couple of years ago, a sales rep gave us a pile of white Tshirts with his company logo....... one of our customers asked if they came in "girly" colours, so I dyed some bright pink. She got one, and I dared some of the guys to wear them..... the macho ones did! I also gave one to the sales rep.

My sister dyes her outside cushion covers in her washing machine .....

I think she pours in salt - as well


Soooo glad you are staying ......


x

Have dyed many jackets, jeans etc in the washing machine.

Far more successful than dying in a saucepan. There are special dyes for using in the machine and as Renes says they usually take a pound of salt

Kay

That sounds much easier than slopping around in the kitchen :-D

What about the washing machine? Do I have to wash it out afterwards?

Maybe I'll save up lots of "gardening" clothes & wash them after the dye job :-D

I'll have to get a bag of salt......... we've had the same teeny salt container for years.

Well I dyed a whole load of whites a beautiful blue ....easy peasy .....OH's Blue sun hat was in with the whites a nice very hot wash and hey presto you have it...
Lady Scozz that is great news you are staying so pleased and what a nice person to pay for you ...Some lovely people on here :-D

There's an idea...........

If I wash the seat covers with a pair of OH's golf socks, after he's been walking in mud......... I won't need to buy any dye

:-D

What more do you want ...natural colour :-D :-D

I will PM you Scozz :-D

As I recall, you have to use a colour remover first so you get all the spotty and uneven bits out before you start..

That might even be all you need for your cushion covers.

LadyS - you are brave - brings back so many memories. You would have to use your washing machine if it has the 90degree heating facility or a large bath type galvanised pot. You need loads of salt as well so the dye doesn't wash out.

The receptacle has to be large enough so the covers can be moved about otherwise they will come out streaked - they also have to done all at once so the colour density is uniform.

My only fear is that the dye will colour anything it comes in contact with like the rubber/plastic bits of a washer - needs a steady hand.

What you could do it to tie up small bits of the covers - the same place on each back and front so that when you dye them you will get a tie dye effect which will disguise any dye patches that may happen during the process.
:-)

I don't care if they turn out streaky, as I said earlier, I'm going to tie-dye them.

Eight of them went into the washing machine with no problem, so there shouldn't be any problem getting them dyed. It's a big machine, top loader, with a metal tub.

The first wash after the dye job will not be whites!

I must remember to wear rubber gloves when I take them out of the machine, I don't want streaky hands.

:-D

WHO REPORTED MY DUPLICATE THREAD?????????

Why not just ask me ~ politely ~ to remove it!!!!!!!!!

:-P :-P :-P


Edit: The "reported" post has been reinstated. Obviously GR didn't have a problem with it.

Repeat posts seem to be caused by the Error Message. I have emailed GR about this and they are "looking into it".

I will now REMOVE the duplicate post.

To whom it may concern ~ PLEASE do NOT report any duplicate posts of mine. I will remove them eventually!! I'm too old for a nanny.

LadyS - good on you - let us know how they turn out ;-)