Color Easter eggs with silk ties/fabric

[eleny]

It's too early for this. But it turned up in a gourmet blog and looked so easy. It's a Martha Stewart featured craft from one of Martha's employees. One of her family traditions. There's also a video.

http://www.marthastewart.com/portal/site/mslo/menuitem.3a0656639de62ad593598e10d373a0a0/?vgnextoid=955500e62abd0110VgnVCM1000003d370a0aRCRD&autonomy_kw=silk%20tie%20egg&rsc=ns2006_m1

[eridani]

1. Doesn't it depend on what kind of dye is used on the silk?

Maybe I'm not getting this--does the whole fabric stick to the egg under these conditions, or does just the dye transfer? If the former, how good is the bond between cloth and egg?

[eleny]

2. The dye transfers to the egg

It's very much like regular egg dyeing. You wrap an egg in a square of patterned silk fabric with right side of fabric to the egg. Then wrap it in a piece of square cloth, something like a piece of an old white sheet. Twist the fabrics at the top and cinch with a twist tie. Put several wrapped eggs into water with vinegar. Bring to a boil, turn down the flame to simmer for 20 minutes and then cool the eggs.

Unwrapping them reveals that the pattern of the fabric has transferred. They used pieces of silk ties found at tag sales. Regular silk fabric can be used, too.

These are for display only. I imagine because the dyes are unsafe for consumption.

[troubleinwinter]

3. I do a lot of dyeing

of wool fabrics. Silk is similar to wool as it's an animal fiber, not cellulose/vegetable (like cotton).

If I were to do it, I'd very bring up the temp of the water WITHOUT the vinegar, then add it when the water starts to simmer. That vinegar is going to SET the dye. You want to give the dye a bit of opportunity to travel to the shell before setting, otherwise you're just setting the dye into the fabric.

It's a wonderfully clever idea! But the author isn't very familiar with dye processes.

One could wrap the tie-wrapped eggs in panty hose sections instead of cotton "sheet" fabric for the cooking time. One can also use a rubber-band instead of "twist-tie", if that's what you have on hand... I use them alla time in stove-top dyeing.

[eleny]

4. I like the idea of using panty hose instead of cloth

And my twist ties are precious. I only have the ones I get at the grocery for my veggy bags. But rubber bands we have by the bunches.