Using blow pens  

Yes, I thought the same thing and had my daughter do it the first time..but I did it and other than one little spot that is hard to see, I did a good job if I do say so..I wish I could share the picture though, because I am determining whether or not to add bows to the shoes or leave them as they are and so many people here are great when it comes to artistic help..

I should have remembered when you said about washing first when it came to that shirt..The bags are 15% Poly and 85% cotton and hand wash only and I didn't think to wash them because once again, because they didn't do that at thelibrary, I didn't do it either..But the idea of the iron sounds good, the heat will help set it up real nice.. So if I soak it in the vinegar water and then hand wash it, it should be fine? Because I would hate to runed this one and as for the other one, my husband took it, he wants me to tye dye it for him..I am thinking of using natural dye for it, but have to find which friend here had this site for using natural ingredient for dying..
Thanks, I am going to wait for your answer on this one because if it is to risky, I won't wash it..I am just using it for my dance shoes and if it gets stinky, I will just air it out..

Thank you for the best response. Sorry I didn't get back to you sooner, but I spent yesterday in the ER with a broken thumb!! This is another one for "Gee what a stupid accident" book I keep. This one is second only to my breaking my nose from dropping a chair on it. I broke my thumb stuffing teddy bears! Yep, the doctor couldn't believe it either.

Thank you too for the great giggle too! I didn't even realize who I was answering the dying question for. I still giggle about it, and it helped in the ER when the doc was playing gear shift with my thumb.

Since there is so little polyester in the bag there should be little problem with the dye holding in the fibers. The blend is simply so that there isn't a need for ironing the cotton after it's been washed and dried. The borax pre-wash should open those fibers too, although they aren't as happy taking dye as the cotton, they will reluctantly take it if you insist. (Sounds like your forcing food on a person on a diet doesn't it? LOL) One thing I did neglect to say is that when you press the bag after blowing it you should put a piece of cardboard inside (you might want to wrap an old cotton something so that the heat is held against the area that you are ironing. It also will absorb any color that might seep through so that it won't seep back onto the original side that you are pressing.)so there is no possibility of the dye seeping through to the other side. Also, use a paper towel or something when you are pressing each side so that you don't transfer the dye to your iron and then transfer it back onto the piece that you are working on.
Using the hot iron (with the blend of 85/15 you don't need to worry about melting the fabric) should help the dye bond with the fibers, but still give it a good strong vinegar bath after you have ironed it. I would use a stronger ratio of vinegar to water, and would also soak it in a dish pan rather than do it in the washer. I would use two or more cups vinegar in the HOT water bath. (Pickle that sucker good to MAKE it take the dye. LOL)

After you do all that it should hold the dye, and you should be able to wash the bag so that if it gains an odor from your shoes you don't have to just air it out! (I know how things can gain smell...I had a pair of sandals that I loved. I owned them for 7 years and didn't really want to give them up, except that they got to smell so bad that when people were around me they parted like the Red Sea. Also, I had a pair of dogs that loved smelly shoes and happily would chew them up...except this pair of sandals! They got one whiff and tried to bury them! When I tossed them in the garbage they even overpowered the stuff in the dumpster (LOL).
My only question, since I haven't used the blow pens, is are they made for dying fabric? I am fascinated since I don't want to spend the $300 for a air brushing set up right now. If the pens are for dying fabric I'll find someplace that sells them and invest in a set.

You are such a great help, thank you..As for if the pens are for fabric, I don't know because this was a project the library did with the teens over the summer, so I guess it is..The librarian who was in charge did this because someone she knew works with these pens and she said that we could dry it in the dryer in high heat..So I guess that was her way of "setting" it when she should have realized that washing them first was a better idea..I haven't tried it yet, but I did save this post for when I do..

Thanks again, looking forward to more help if I decided to get back into my crafting more this season..:)

Let me know if you would like to have my email, sometimes I don't always get to MyLot, especailly when I am in the middle of finals or mid term projects. I have a large library of craft books that I am constantly adding to and referring to, so of course I love to help people out with their problems.

Take care, I am off to the shower before I go for my MRI this afternoon. I am so thrilled that I have been able to help and that you accepted me as one of your friends!
Toni

I will PM you my e-mail and you can also tell me how you actually broke your thumb stuffing bears..I am getting ready to put the hot iron on this before continuing decorating..

The bag I thought bled through? It didn't so here it is..It isn't finished yet, still going to add bows on the toes and maybe some ribbon, but wanted to make sure it wouldn't bleed out, so I washed it before continuing..

Here is a close up of what it looks like..

The bag is totally awesome! You did a beautiful job1!!! If you decide to do more work like that, I just remembered something...There is a wax resist that you can use around the outline so that the dye won't bleed. It's also a great way to be able to use several colors in different areas of fabric that you are dying. But you sure didn't need it for your bag! The results are soooo great.

An update on the thumb. The doctor took off the cast as I have a tendency to swell when my arm and hands aren't active, so I am in a splint. (I love it because I can take it off when it gets too awful to wear!!) I make sure I wear it at night so that the thumb is supported because I am an active sleeper, plus the dogs aren't too careful about where they lay. When I am doing computer work and working on crafts I do work at being careful with the thumb so that I don't overuse it.

I was thinking, and will give it a try, of using the wax resist and doing a tie dyed bag similar to what you did. It may turn out really great! I'm on a new medication and am getting the urge to dye again. I need to order mohair anyhow, and it would be fun to do a bag too! Whenever I get put on a new pain killer I get the desire to dye stuff for some reason. I'll post what happens from the medications...

Yes, they have machines that do this, no lightheadedness.. They also have those in bakeries too don't they? to decorate cakes? I always wanted one to do cakes, I sometimes make and decorate my own birthday cakes and thought that would be cool..

I have taken cans of canned air and either taped or rubber banded pens to it and air brushed that way. I am surprised that the cake decorating supplies haven't thought of a way to package a kit for people to air brush their own cakes.

I wished they had, I would have gotten one, I love decorating cakes and would have fun using soemthing like that..

Okay, why don't we get going and do a mass email to Wilton and ask them to develop a air brushing kit for doing cakes? I'm going to do it as soon as I finish doing MyLot. Maybe if we start nagging they will get the hint and create one for us.

Great idea loverbear, I will do that too when I am done here..:)