Instructions for dyeing macrame cords
Prepare the Jacquard Procion MX colors and the necessary amount of cords you want to dye, the cords must be cotton, ideally 100% cotton (you can find them in our shop). For dyeing, you absolutely need soda ash, without it the colors will not react (I do not recommend any other fabric softeners, etc.)
Prepare the bath according to the number of cords, the ratio is 100g of soda to 1 liter of water, the water can be warm so that the soda dissolves well. Then put the cords in the bath (I recommend tying them somewhere so that you can remove them well and not damage them). Leave it immersed for about 20 min., it is necessary for the solution to reach all the fibers.
In the meantime, prepare the paint (don't forget the rubber gloves!!!) the ideal ratio for fully saturated colors is the whole bottle - i.e. 19 g for 400-500 ml of water (but only prepare the solution that you will use, i.e. proportionally smaller or even larger , the finished solution lasts for a short time - up to a month in the refrigerator, while the unused powder lasts a long time) If you want more tones of one shade, just add more water, i.e. the textile will be colored, but the shade will be lighter. You can experiment :) The water for the solution can be a little warm to dissolve the color well - not hot! Mix the paint with a little water, for example in a PET bottle or other bottle, shake well and then add the rest of the water, let it dissolve for about 30 minutes. Remove after 20 min before the colors dissolve well. cords from the bath, carefully but thoroughly squeeze out the water (not by twisting, rather by squeezing, so as not to damage the cords), DO NOT WASH! leave the solution in the fabric.
Stretch foil is ideal for dyeing (preferably 2 layers), on which you will dye, again wear gloves, it dyes a lot, it will be hard to get it out of your hands :) Color as you want, there are no limits to your imagination, you can apply with a bottle or a spoon , do not add too much liquid, the fibers are already soaked with the solution. After dyeing, wrap the cords in plastic wrap and leave for at least 24 hours at room temperature.
One important tip, if you have one side lighter or no color or you don't want the colors to mix too much, I recommend keeping it on a slightly slanted surface so the color doesn't bleed into places you don't want it to.
After at least 24 hours, we unwrap the stretcher (again, we have gloves) and rinse the cords under running cold/tepid water to wash away the excess colors, it is also a good idea to rinse the cords several times in a water bath until the water is almost clear, then carefully wring them out and leave them free to dry out.
We wish you much success and creative ideas :)
