Has anyone tried making/dyeing their own playsilks?

[birchbark]

I've been wanting to get a nice set of playsilks for the kids but the price is just. . . ow!

 

I was looking at these and wondered about dyeing them myself. I've never tried anything like that before. Well, that's not true. I've used RIT dye a couple times.

 

The savings would add up with a big set. Can anyone give advice on this?

[Paintedlady]

I used to make my own silk playsilks and hand painted silk blankets. I used an 8mm habotai silk, but would buy yardage and cut/sew it myself.

 

The scarves you linked are also an 8mm habotai, so I think those would be nice. Personally I like a more square playsilk, but if you don't mind the shape/size of the scarves, then I think they'd work well, and the prices are reasonable. Dharma has always been a great company to order from as well.

 

I used procrion professional dyes but unless you're in business they're too expensive and you'd need additional chemicals to go along with them. You'd also need a good book/website on dyeing fabrics.

 

They sell other dyes that are easier and cheaper to use but you won't get the depth of color you'd get from professional dyes. Please don't bother with RIT dyes. The silk is wonderful and those cheap dyes would ruin it.

 

I know playsilks are expensive, but really, I think you'd be better off saving up for a nice set and buying them. They'll last forever and are worth the investment. And as you can see above, they're not cheap nor easy to produce.

 

I've been wanting to get a nice set of playsilks for the kids but the price is just. . . ow!

 

I was looking at these and wondered about dyeing them myself. I've never tried anything like that before. Well, that's not true. I've used RIT dye a couple times.

 

The savings would add up with a big set. Can anyone give advice on this?

[weddell]

That's what we did. I went in with friends and we each bought several scarves of different sizes at dharma trading. I have some squares of different sizes and a big rectangle. We dyed them using kool-aid. Google "kool-aid dying" and you'll get lots of instructions. I let DD do a lot of the stirring, etc. and she loved making them herself. No, the colors aren't nearly as vibrant or interesting as professionally dyed ones, but we have lots of different, mostly solid colors that the kids helped make and they play with them all the time. Maybe make some and buy a couple extra fancy ones to round out the collection.

[allie911]

I used Wilton food coloring to dye ours and they turned out nice and bright. I originally found the idea on this blog

http://pieknits.com/blog/2006/02/dyeing_with_wiltons_icing_dye.html

[abbeyej]

Our playsilks were the 44" squares from Dharma that another mother dyed. They were gorgeous and held up against years and years of play. Ours are ... ten or eleven? years old now, and while a couple got lost or torn over the years, the majority are still around and while they're used less now, they still find a use every now and then. :)

 

I think if I were going to dye my own, I'd try to find a handful of other moms that want sets as well and charge them enough to cover all of the materials. They'd still get a great deal over buying silks elsewhere, and I could get mine for "free" after all the work of dying. And it would be more efficient to dye several silks of each color rather than just one. (The mom who made mine also made pastel rainbow silks. They were *gorgeous*, but she said the work was so much greater on those that she'd never do them again.)

 

Oh, and while our 44" square silks were fabulous, there were times when I wished I'd had a couple of smaller ones and maybe one of the really big, long ones (like the 22"x90" one)...

[Paige]

I did it with some friends for Christmas and ordered from Dharma. They turned out great! We mostly used kool aid but we did buy the chemicals to prewash the silks and to set the dye after. I think it helped because my colors have held fast, they don't bleed at all, and they haven't faded despite being in the washing machine a few times. We have some we bought from a company that bleed a lot. I was making them for my niece (baby) and wanted something that wouldn't bleed if she sucked on it. I also got some of Dharma's black dye to make a boy one for my son and it looks great. There's definitely a difference in the colors. My kool aid ones look more translucent. If I were to do it again I'd buy dharma's purple but still do the rest in kool aid.

[Ksol]

I just used the Wilton Food Coloring Gel I already had in the cupboard. Our computer broke, so I dont' have the link anymore to the blog I followed, but I know I used a lot of vinegar also. I didn't buy anything other than the silks themselves. I haven't had any bleeding or fading with mine either, although it's only been since December. My kids LOVE them. I didn't realize, when making them for the three year old, how much my 9 and 12 year old would use them also. We really cannot tell the difference between my daughter's playsilks and her friend's playsilks, that were purchased for at least 5 times as much.

[Punchie]

I buy our silks from Dharma Trading Co and use either kool-aid or food coloring (the kind in the drop bottles at the grocery) to dye them. I soak them in a mixture of hot water/vinegar to get any residue off. Then in a sep container, I put the dye/kool-aid, pour in vinegar, mix, pour in boiling water, and put the silk in it. The bigger the container, the more even the color. I like it when they're mottled, so I use smaller containers. I might do overkill, but after letting it sit for a while, I pop it into the microwave on high for 2-3 min. I do this sev times until the liquid starts to become clear. Then rinse in cold water and hang dry. After that, I rinse in cold water one more time and pop them in the dryer to lock in the color.

[stripe]

I got a borderline rude comment the last time I said this, but my kids play with other fabric items. In our case they are traditional cultural items in regular use, and are printed cotton, and they've been just fine. In my opinion, some interesting, inexpensive cotton cloths would work just as well.

 

I know there is a big belief that the certain colors and the silk are integral to the experience. Fine. I am saying, my kids have had a reasonably good time using something else! They are just items I own. I use them for many things including clothing. I have lots. They are not specifically for the kids, really they are mine and I let anyone else use them.

[In The Great White North]

We dyed ours with plant dyes (gobs of marigolds or dandelions are fun) Indigo really stinks, but is neat because it is green in the pot and turns blue when you take it out in the air.

 

Jacquard is another source of cheap silk.

 

http://www.jacquardproducts.com/

 

I also got silk there for 1st Communion dress and veil.

[birchbark]

Thanks for all the great info! I'm getting excited about this. White North, Jacquard has great prices!

 

Maybe I'll be able to have one of these after all.

[Jennay]

I thought about making my own but knew I would never get around to it so I bought some from A Toy Garden. Prices have gone up a bit since I got them but they are still less expensive than other places.

http://www.atoygarden.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=category.display&category_id=68

[KungFuPanda]

I got a borderline rude comment the last time I said this, but my kids play with other fabric items. In our case they are traditional cultural items in regular use, and are printed cotton, and they've been just fine. In my opinion, some interesting, inexpensive cotton cloths would work just as well.

 

I know there is a big belief that the certain colors and the silk are integral to the experience. Fine. I am saying, my kids have had a reasonably good time using something else! They are just items I own. I use them for many things including clothing. I have lots. They are not specifically for the kids, really they are mine and I let anyone else use them.

 

 

Sacrilege!!! :lol:

 

Actually I clicked on this thread because I'd never HEARD of playsilk and have no idea what you're supposed to do with them if there is a purpose other than creative play.

 

I dance with professionally dyed silk veils. They are sooooo expensive and the price of silk has gone up and up in the last 5-6 years. Nothing moves like silk, but it can have a mind of its own. When I teach children a veil dance, I actually use chiffon because it can be better controlled by the novice dancers. It's also machine washable, lasts forever, comes in every color, and is much cheaper.

[abbeyej]

I certainly don't think it's *wrong* to use other kinds of cloths. :) Other scarves and sheets and sarongs and things have certainly been useful as well. But I've got to say, there's nothing that just *floats* in the air like china silk. :)