This week, I needed a quick fix of color. But I didn't have the energy for a dyeing session. So I did these pillow cases, in roughly half an hour, using some dye that had been sitting around in my studio for almost too long (anything over six weeks starts to show its age).
These pillowcases start life as a nice, undyed charmeuse silk (you can buy them here). I dyed them using a quick version of the method outlined in more detail here to get a faux tie-dye effect. I soaked the pillowcases in hot water with a bit of vinegar so the dye would strike immediately. I made a weak solution of a base color and swished the cases around for it to take. Then, after squeezing out the excess water, I scrunched them (as the linked article details) and poured the dye onto them. Instead of a more traditional steamed dye bath, I nuked them in a microwave reserved just for dyeing for two minutes, let them cool, and repeated for two and one-half minutes. The liquid ran clear after that, and I let them cool and gently laundered them. You could also do them solid or in a much more muted crackle dye, but we needed a little bit of color around here, so I went bright.
This is the perfect easy pick me up or a great idea for a quick DIY holiday present.