Play silks - home made

[MWmom]

There have been several thread about playsilks recently including making them at home. It has peeked my interest and I think I want to try. The Dharma company looked like a good place to start. Even if you didn't go with them I'm still interested in your experience.
1-Has anyone gotten around to doing it recently?
2-Did you use Dharma blanks? What did you think of the quality?
3-What dye did you use? What did you think of the process. Do you like the outcome (color etc)?
4-now that all is said and done... was it worth the effort & money saved? Do you think should have just purchased a set?

Not sure if anyone can help with this too:
I've searched and am having trouble finding some informtion that I know was here. One was a discussion of magic cabin (I think) silks being close to the price of DIY. There was some good information in that one. Also there was one talking about what sizes to try first. Something like 6 small 3 medium and 1 large. I'd like to find the specific sizes.

Thanks!!

[vonfirmath]

The cheapest playsilks I've found are NOT magic Cabin, but a Toy Garden:
http://www.atoygarden.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=category.display&category_id=68

You can buy them individually for $8.50 or in different sizes packages for as little as $6 each if you are buying 24.

The most common size for playsilks I hear of is 35x35

Here is a post about making your own playsilks using Kool-aid and "silk painting":
http://saras-toy-box.blogspot.com/2007/11/making-play-silks.html

And here is one from another favorite blogger, Raising Olives:
http://raisingolives.com/2009/05/make-your-own-playsilks/

One with vinegar for setting the dyes:
http://www.hipmountainmamablog.com/search/label/dying%20play%20silks

(Trying to find a link to using something other than kool-aid! I'm sure I've seen it somewhere)

Here is one using cake Dye: http://www.healthhomehappy.com/2010/04/how-to-dye-silk-with-cake-dye.html

How many?
Currently we have 3 35x35 and 8 22x22 (Custom order from Beneath the Rowan Tree)

The larger ones get more use. But the smaller ones are better for putting in/taking out of things -- such as tissue boxes and such. And they can be tied together for magic "tricks"

[o_mom]

If you are not set on 'silk', I made ours from fabric I got at Joann. They are a 'silk-like' fabric and I just hemmed them in various sizes and colors. They seem to work fine for everything the kids want to do with them - make forts, dress-up, wrapping packages, etc.

[brittone2]

I purchased some yrs ago from a WAHM, and they are still going strong. They are vibrant and i'm sure used procion type dyes.

I have dyed my own from dharma blanks using kool aid, Easter Egg dye kits, and natural dyes. The Kool Aid and egg kit dyes are more pastel, not as vibrant. They are still loved and enjoyed by my kids. My favorite of all of ours was dyed using leftover coffee and curry powder (plus vinegar). It is a beautiful shade of gold. Attractive enough it would be wearable as a fashion scarf I think. That was sheer luck but it really is a gorgeous color. Kool aid is tough to get "purple" with-in the US grape koolaid will give you a browner color (Canadian kool aid in grape is apparently more purple LOL). Some people also use wilton icing dyes (from craft stores) and I think that works well for purple.

I used 35x35s, and I also did a very long scarf/veil for a canopy for playstands. I've also done small hankie sized ones which are fun for dollhouse blankets and different play vs. the big ones.

[katydid1971]

I used the Dharma blanks and I think the quality is great. I bought a yellow, red and blue Wilton cake food coloring from Walmart. I make the rainbow of colors with those but I wasn't happy with the straight red, it really was more pink. The rest of the colors turned out great but I kept having to put them back in it took a long time for the color to get dark enough for me. I did end up redying the red with the red dye food coloring that comes in those little squeeze bottles and it turned out much better but I used ALOT of it, like the whole little bottle, where I only used a few drops of every other color. I enjoyed doing it and would do it again.

[vludmilla]

I used Dharma blanks and dyed some with Kool Aid and some with Wilton icing colors. DD loves them and has continuously used them for three years now. They have held up well.

[brittone2]

A true red is tough to get. Even my professionally dyed set has a red with a pink cast to it. I doubt your child will care :)

If you "overdye" and put a lot of dye in, it may get darker and more intense, but it can also be more prone to bleeding in the future, from what I've been told. If you aren't planning to wash or get them wet regularly, than that probably isn't too big of an issue.

[MWmom]

Thanks everyone! I'm going to take notes & figure out what to order.