There is something so beautiful about hand-dyed fabrics. There is a richness, and because of the imperfections, a personality to fabrics that are dyed by hand, much like watercolor.
It was important to us that we stay consistent with the "watercolor" look for the Animal Alphabet theme. Therefore, we chose to hand dye the fabric for the pennant garland and the string for the mobile. This also allowed for us to remain consistent with the theme's color palette.
There is a lot of trial and error that goes into mixing fabric dyes to achieve the desired color. I always dye fabrics in small batches so that I have more control over the finished product. This process of mine is by no means efficient, but those who know me well know that efficiency is not my modus operandi (I am a perfectionist to a fault). I wanted the fabric for the pennant flags to have a worn vintage look to them. I was able to accomplish this by submerging the fabric in the dye for only a few seconds at a time, carful not to over dye. I also didn't add salt to the dye mix since I wanted a more subdued look (salt is often advised to use as an additive to help adhere the dye to the fabric for a more vibrant outcome).
