A couple of decades ago at least I read an article in Needlepointers where a special dye was used to create the backgrounds for needlepoint pieces. The dye, Inkodye, is painted onto the canvas and then allowed to dry in direct sunlight or in the dryer. The heat activates the dye, coloring the canvas where it is exposed.
You can cover portions of the canvas to get different designs.
It’s a very cool process and has effective results.
Over the years, Inkodyes have improved and are now available in a wide range of colors.
I recently came across a blog round-up of 11 tutorials for using Inkodyes. While these projects won’t translate directly to needlepoint, they will give you great tips, projects ideas and tutorials for using these intriguing dyes.
If you want to try these yourself, I recommend buying the product from Dharma Trading Company.
About Janet M Perry
Janet Perry is the Internet's leading authority on needlepoint. She designs, teaches and writes, getting raves from her fans for her innovative techniques, extensive knowledge and generous teaching style. A leading writer of stitch guides, she blogs here and lives on an island in the northeast corner of the SF Bay with her family
Stephanie says
Thanks for linking to my round up! I hadn’t thought about dying canvas for needlepoint, what a good idea 🙂
Janet M Perry says
You’re welcome. It’s pretty cool & you don’t have to stitch the background.
Keep Stitching,
Janet