What is the best fabric to use to tie-dye a tapestry?
I’d like to tie-dye a few tapestries and I don’t know what fabric to use. I’ve read that people use tablecloths and bedsheets but I’m not sure what materials they need to be (100% cotton, or will synthetic fiber blends work?). Also, sheets and tablecloths have different weights and thread counts, are there any that work particularly well and can be found cheaply at a local store?
I will be using Procion dye and pretreating with soda ash
We seem to be having some differences in concepts here. To me, a tapestry is a heavy woven fabric, made by hand (or now by machine) without use of a shuttle. Typically scenic or floral, used for decorative hangings or heavy draperies or sometimes upholstery. What are you trying to make?
Procion MX will dye cellulosics like cotton, rayon, linen; they will also dye silk, wool and nylon, but with color shifts. See the information here: http://www.dharmatrading.com/html/eng/3796-AA.shtml?lnav=dyes.html
If you try to dye, say, a cotton-poly blend fabric, you’ll get a lighter color than intended, a marled color, warp or weft of white, and the other dyed, or some other mixture. The way the fibers were blended to make the fabric will determine it.
If you’re not using greige goods (PFD, prepared for dyeing), you will need to scour the fabric beforehand, not simply treat with soda ash.
As to sheets, tablecloths, etc, I can’t begin to advise you what would be appropriate for your project, because I don’t understand what it is. Can you please explain more?
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