I've been asked a number of times how I dye the variegated thread. It's very simple! This has become my favorite thread to stitch with in either variegated or solids. It ends up with a smooth finish and nice sheen.
I use standard, mercerized cotton crochet thread.
I make hanks of about 20 wraps around my hand and elbow:
Then tie each end with a loose wire. If you make it too tight, you'll end up with white spots there:
Soak the thread in soda ash solution about 20 mins. Wring out extra liquid and it's ready to dye in Procion dyes. I first dip the middle third in one color. (Sorry no dye in the pot, but you can imagine it.)
Then I dip each of the ends in a different color. You can see the three colors on this ribbon I dyed using the same method:
As with any dyeing, I put the thread in a plastic container, let it sit overnight, then rinse out excess dye.I've been dyeing old rayon seam binding (who uses that anymore?) using this same method. It looks almost as beautiful as silk ribbon and costs almost nothing at thrift stores!
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