"The thread becomes progressively thinner depending on how much dye is absorbed by the fibers."
Jeri, this just doesn't make sense to me. Procion dyes and vat dyes which are routinely used in dyeing cottons adhere to the fiber via chemical bonds, and while I know the mercerization process (caustic soda bath is one version) reduces the grist of the fiber, the difference produced by the dye process, though small, would increase the diameter of fiber, not reduce it. The dye process is additive, not subtractive. Where am I amiss in this? The textile conservation questions are the ones I don't miss from my vendor days but I envy your classes at Costume Con. I recently bought a Featherweight sewing machine and inside the case was fluffy white actively growing mold (the machine came from deep in Texas and had a flood water line - may have been a Katrina refugee??) This event has really put my skills, or lack of them, to the test, as the case is fabric covered and has to be disassembled, debugged, and conserved. Cheers, Alison Addicks In Rice, where la Nina has not yet departed! - To unsubscribe send email to [email protected] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [email protected]. For help, write to [email protected]. Photo site: http://community.webshots.com/user/arachne2003
