The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-08-24
HOMEMADE DYES

It had gone to the laundry a gay
colored blouse Of flaming orange, just
the shade that artists delight in. but
it had returned subdued and almost
somber-dingy, anyway-and the girl
who had made it and enjoyed it so
much was wondering somewhat de-
jectedly what she could do with it
If it were white, she could still wear
it, but that muddy, bedraggled-look-
ing color was quite impossible.
why Ndon't you dye it again your
self" querted the friend who had
come home with her. 'eThat is not
a hopeless case; I have often done
mine over, when the color has been
washed out.
but have nothing to dye it WITH
is such a lot of bother to use dyes.
You have to cook them on a stove,
don't you? I wanted to wear this to-
morrow, too"
''Have you any oraHge-colored it's
sue paper in the house ?" was the next
question. mo, that is not at all ir-
relevant. I have made dye with
that, which I have used to good fad-
vantage. had an orange-colored
silk blouse, too, and it faded and
did not know what to do. It just
happened that at that time was
making costume of crepe paper of
almost that same color, a Hawaiian
costume. took some pieces of the
paper and put them in water, to see
il the color would come out. It did,
and it made beautiful dye. plung-
ed my silk blouse into it, soaked 1t a
little while, kept moving it about SO
that 1t would not get streaked, then
n ~ wary,
well, indeed. OF course. cannot
guarantee that 1t. would always work
but I should not hesitate to try ii
with any color that 1 wished. II
could get any tissue or crepe paper
the right shade or nearly. right. II
does not take much. I used just q
few odds and ends of the orange pa
per which had left.
'sDid you ever try red ink and wa
ter for dye? That works well. too,
have found. I had pale pink crepe
de chine blouse that faded badly.
put a little red ink in g. bowl OF wa
ter and dipped it in. It was not 9
deep enough pink at first. so took
the blouse out, sprinkled in SOME
more and stirred it around thorough.
ly before I dipped it in. 1t was not q
deep enough pink at first, 50 took
oOA-A>
more and stirred it around thorough
ly before dipped 1t again. My blouse
came out the most beautiful shell
pink you could ask.
ST have tried red ink for dyeing
other things. In fact. 1 first heard OF
| 1t when I was visiting my cousir
| down in Florida, in a little place fal
from any town. She was trimming
a hat and wanted a pink feather fol
| it. She had small white Ostrich
plume, which was just right excep
for the color. To my establishment
saw her wash that feather in soaI
| and water and then, when 1t was dry
dip it into a bowl of water, coloree
pink with a few drops of red ink. i
/ came out a most exquisite defeats
pink. When it was dry, she curled i
herself on a dull knife, and the re-
suit was all that anyone could de-
mand. Then I tried my hand at 1t
L wanted some pink roses for hat
My cousin had some white ones which
| she gave me, and I merely tried hel
| scheme, dipped them into water witt
a little red ink stirred into 1t and
before long, had the daintiest blush
pink roses that I could ask, at a SINAI
| expenditure of time and trouble. q
find it quite worth while experiment
ing in such ways as these; 1t is In
teresting, too, and one has the con
ISOLATION of knowing. in the case OF
faded blouse like yours, that she can
not make it any worse. as 1t is un
wearable in it's present state, but sh'
may render it quite presentable one
more, at least for time. OF course
these dyes might prove to be VIVA
chemists call fugitive. A launder
ing would likely impair the colo
again"