Mixing Colors with Design Dye
Hey everyone, today I wanted to share with you the mixing properties of Design Dye by making a fun little robot with 4 colors. Design Dye is a paper coated with dye you can cut out and with the heat of an iron embed the dye into fabric and other items. Because it's a transparent dye, and not a solid patch like transfers, colors can be mixed!!
How to Mix Colors with Design Dye
1. Sometimes the best way to start is with a sketch to help plan out shapes and color overlays. 2. Here I've started the first color which in this case is the green, what you're seeing here is the back side of the Design Dye. Using a craft knife I've cut out the positive shapes. 3. I'm using a simple white polyester with a tight weave to keep my edges sharp. 4. Here I'm laying down the negative so I can lay the pieces in their correct position.
How to Mix Colors with Design Dye
5. Now we pull the negative away and the positive pieces are in their correct positions. 6. Cover with a sheet of the protective ironing tissue and now we're ready for the iron. 7. The longer that you iron Design Dye, the more dye will transfer to the fabric. Longer ironing times will make colors darker. I've done a few tests and I'm just going to iron for 10 seconds to get more of a pastel green and allow a light enough value to really show the mixing of the other colors.
How to Mix Colors with Design Dye
8,9,10,11. Repeat the steps above with each color. Here you see the yellow, then blue, and finally the orange. The colors mix as you lay them on top of each other. Keep the iron in some areas longer than others to create gradations.
And here we are!! Color mixing works on all types of fabrics for all types of projects. Try it on a pillowcase, a t shirt, an apron, I think I may stretch this over a few stretcher bars and hang this one up! Click here to check out the Design Dye Basic Fabric Kit for everything you need for this project and more.
