Valkyrie – Butterick 4827 – Dyeing and Finishing
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Dying the dress was a long process, but easy. I started by dying some scraps, experimenting with different fade times and combinations. I settled on 10 seconds per inch for the first 8 inches, then 1 minute per inch thereafter.
To keep the bottom half of the dress out of the way I rolled it up and tacked it to the hanger. I also tacked the sleeves to the sides of the dress, so that they would get the fade effect as well. The dye is RIT powder dye in Denim. I added salt (because the dress is linen) and a mild detergent to the dye bath.
I marked one inch increments with pins all down the section that I wanted to dye. I set my timer, dunked the dress up to the top pin, and then slowly lifted it out, pulling out the pins as I went, so I wouldn’t lose track of which pin should be at water level. Once the whole dress was out, I hung it up above the dyebath and used the garden hose to rinse it.
The grommets went in easily and the lacing system works perfectly well, despite looking odd. I used a piece of black leather cording for the lacing.
I wore the whole outfit to Fall Escondido Renaissance Faire 2017, and had no trouble with the train during the day. After dark was a different matter: it was stood on by several people and a dog. But since it was ok during the day, I will refrain from chopping off the train. For now.
Read about sewing the dress and making the wings.
