Dying Silks and Decorating

I had so much fun with this, I can hardly stand it. Seriously! Thanks to The Sewing Dork for her instructions. I think for the size of silks I was dying (21"x21"), I needed bigger jars/containers for them to float around in... I ended up with a tie-dyed look that I wasn't going for. It is subtle, but I'd still like to figure out a way to dye that size scarf without having bits that don't take the dye. I was thinking of using a bigger Pyrex bowl, but then I was worried that I would break it if I boiled it in a pot of water. Scaredy cat. Yeah.

I went ahead and dyed them a second time to make the color brighter and to try to get rid of some of the tie-dyed effect.

So, as The Sewing Dork illustrates, these silks are great for creative play--my daughter has a couple of red ones that I bought before I knew I could make them myself! Now we have a whole mess of green ones to use, too, for about a third of the cost of buying them in a store.

They are also great for decorating the tables at your in-laws' 40th anniversary party, which is why I attempted this craft in the first place. My sister-in-law found the squash and other candle ideas in Better Homes and Gardens last month. Good stuff.