No wonder I’m exhausted. Yesterday Debbie and I dyed 143 pair of underpants — from bikinis to boxers with every brand, style, shape, and size represented!
Yes, indeed! The sun shone, the temperature was warm enough, and I might just humbly say, the colors are spectacular! It was the best dye job to date!
With all the dipping, dunking, slathering, and wringing I feel every bone in my body this morning. Oh, and let’s not forget the bending and stretching!
Note to self: The tree is growing. I’m not. Get a ladder next year.
Yes, I “tree dye.” After the panties are imbued with dye (sounds sexier than “slopped with”) I wring them, shake them, admire them, and we hang them on the branches of the blue spruce to cure in the sunlight.
Bright sun = richer colors. More wrinkles as they hang = more tonal variety. Forgetting I already hung one on that particular branch = an extra kiss of color, hopefully in an “OK” place. Hey, you were warned. Inconsistencies are part of the charm. No two pair alike. Fate and all that.
With a 40% increase in participation in the Yo-Yo Sisterhood of the Traveling Panties this year over last, I ran out of tree. I had to use the spindly pine on the other side of the yard, the fence (Hello, neighbors!) and part of Jennie’s old swing set.
Had the neighbors glanced over the fence here’s just some of the colors they would have seen…
I didn’t finish dying until 7pm. Predictably, as the sun set, not all the panties were sufficiently dried. I learned my lesson last year. It’s NOT a good idea to put freshly-dyed, still-wet panties in the dryer. The heat which sets the color on the panties also makes it semi-permanent on the enamel inside the dryer. Trying to exert enough elbow grease to remove the baked-on dye from the inside of the dryer actually requires one to crawl in it, or at the very least insert head, arms, and a shoulder or two. That doesn’t leave much room for scrubbing. And the drum moves.
This year I just hung the damp panties around the house. Your unmentionables hung overnight on chair backs, door knobs, cupboard doors, picture frames, the odd lamp shade, and the chandelier in the dining room. It looked like a clown car exploded.
With the Dying of the Panties, spring has officially arrived. I can’t tell you what a kick it is to imagine all your behinds blooming with bright colors just like mine. Congratulations to us!
If you missed this year’s event, or you just want to keep other people from wearing your underpants, I’ve put the order button back on the web page. As I do my “regular” dying this summer, I’ll fit your panties in as I go. Please note the time-table.
Order here.
Read a very interesting article about getting stuck in a clothes dryer here. (Thanks, Helen!)
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Through The Eyes Of A Quilter 
They look brightly gorgeous. My pantie drawer does not know what is on the way. Thank you.
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Didn’t know about the panties program, but I enjoyed all the gorgeous colors!
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Chicken.
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Can’t wait to wear them!They look like a roll of Life Savors :) Any way, you can do your tree on a t shirt, wirte Sisterhood with Color, and then, a portion could go to Alzheimers? Just love the picture of the tree, great job Ami, and buds, Thank You very much, and yes, I’ll be giggling every time I wear my clorful undies!
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Can’t wait to see the clown colors that greet me when they arrive back home! the colors look LOVELY!
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How pretty!! And thank you for offering to continue dyeing over the summer. I missed the April 15 deadline, but soooo wanted to join in. Look for my little whities soon!
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I want to get in on it too. I don’t know how I could have let the deadline slip by the way I did. Could be I’ve got my head too filled with quilting, quilting, and more quilting. I MUST stop that!
Thanks for extending the deadline. Now I’ve got to run out and get some cotton panties.
Bev
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Wow Debbie and Ami, I had no idea that you guys dyed-so cool, you should put your pix on fb. Both of you are welcome to my house in san diego any time-
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I can’t wait for mine to come home! And boy, oh, boy, I can’t to see my buddy’s reaction to his when he gets them for his birthday next month!
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I certainly hope the police are not called to your house/tree as I’m not sure that they would believe your story. I guess we could all chip in and bail you out lol
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Loved mine last year and had so much fun showing them off! Will enjoy the new ones just as much. Great colors!!
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Are we aske Mary Ann how and where she was showing her newly dyed panties off? LOL!
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The song “Tradition” started playing in my head when I saw all the colorful “hangups.” There are all kinds of traditions and this one surely welcomes Spring!
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OH!!! How exciting to see the panties on the tree! I’m bouncing with anticipation to see what lovely colors mine turn out to be – and my teen daughter is rolling her eyes. hee hee hee!!
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You quack me up!
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LOVE the picture of the wonderful blooming panty tree!! Spring has sprung!
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I still enjoy my colorful undies that you did for me last year. Every time I get them out of the drawer I have a giggle and then I think of you. Hmmmmm…. not sure what that means!!
I’ll probably do it again next year.
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Received mine back April 30th. Can’t wait till Show and Tell
at the next meeting. Hope no men are around at that meeting.
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Can’t wait till Tuesday to show the quilt group my panties! (We meet at the nutritional center, which is like a senior center.) The group is working on a quilt that is in the frame right now.
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I received your newsletter on April first and sent it out to some friends as I wasn’t sure if it was real or not, but I had a good laugh and thought if it were true how interesting and funny at the same time. You sure had your hands on a lot of panties. LOL
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