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PlushykRecently I tried various ways of dying fabrics, and really loved the outcome 
Now I am moving to the next challenge - I want to dye mohair in two ways:
dye backing without touching the hair
dye tips of hair without dying the backing
I found some great tips here on how to do the first thing, but I am breaking my head now on how to do tipped mohair or alpaca. I thought about a way, somewhat similar to one of the tips given for dying the backing - put dye into a big flat bowl so that I could put in there only the backing - and hair would stay above the liquid, or, in my case, I would put inside only the tips of hair. But the question is - how to hold the fabric and keep its backing away from the dye? Do you have maybe other ideas? I would soo much appreciate some advice!
I have been wanting to do the same thing for a while now. I still haven't though. I was thinking along the same lines as you did: a flat container with the dye in it, the mohair with the hair towards the dye.
Some time ago I saw in the local hardware store something that could really be 'the thing'. I have bought it, and it is in my basement, waiting for the right time. It is a foil container, filled with barbeque coal, and with a metal grid on top. It is sold as a small barbeque unit that you can throw away after use. Well, I though I would simply take the coals away, wash the container, fill it with the dye, put the mohair on the grid, brush it so that the hair comes out of the grid, and put it in place on top of the container.
I don't know if it makes sens to you.
Basically, the idea would be of using a grid that could sustain the fabric, but let the hair tips trough its holes...haven't tried it yet, though!
PlushykHi Francy! Thank you for your tip! I do understand your plan I thought about something like that, but I just could not think of a real thing that can be easily found here. I am afraid that it will be a lot of work - putting all the hair through the wholes... I am now also thinking to go ask for advice some hairdressers - they do the coloring of tips of human hair sometimes, so probably they know something 
Maybe something like this would work - http://lovemyhair.ru/krasim-konchiki-vo … kie-cveta/, what do you think?
BeauT BearsHi, this is the method I remember having seen in a US book on bearmaking. From what I remember it goes like this:
First you will need 2 cups or containers (large and medium), boiling water and fabric dye of your choice, one sponge (I think they used natural sponge but I'm not sure), a small piece of sponge, rubber gloves and rinse bath (water, vinegar and salt). Put on the gloves before you start preparing the fabric dye mixture. In the other container prepare the rinse bath. I haven't got the 'recipy' for the rinse bath but I think that also depends on the make/type of fabric dye you are using.
You should not make the fur wet before you start dyeing the tips, so you should apply the dye on dry fur.
Prepare the dye you want to use in a small container. Use the large sponge to keep the backing of the fabric and part of the fur that is closest to the backing dry (so you place the sponge onto the mohair and you brush or comb the hairs you want to dye over the side of the sponge). Dip the small sponge in the dye and wring it as dry as you can. Then use it to apply the dye on the tips of the mohair. Next dip the small sponge in the rinse bath and wring dry; then blot the tips of the mohair again with the small sponge. Move the large sponge further on and repeat the dyeing / rinsing process. After you've dyed all the tips you want finish by letting the mohair air-dry.
I don't think I have forgotten anything, so I hope you can do something with it. Good luck!
Marianne
Donna's Duin BruinsI have never done it so can't speak from first hand knowledge. I know of an artist who used the same technique like the sponge method but she used a comb and silk dye.
Good Luck and have fun playing. Hope you get some interesting, good results.
Donna
PlushykI plan to try it today, I will share pictures after
Great, I'm eager to see how it works!
