Critique my dyeing / finish technique

[Penden]

I am getting back into leatherworking now that my kids are getting older. I feel like there are some things I've forgotten, and/or I'm unsure that my old methods are acceptable to me now. Attached is a picture of bracelets I'm making.

I am using fiebring dye with those little applicators that come with them and in small packs (a white puff on a little metal rod). I'm thinking that at the very least, they could be a little wider for my wider products, so I'm swiping over the leather one time. I'm reading now that some of you dilute the dye and dip for a better coat, so if you do that, how do you lay it out to dry or hang it without marring the product? I suppose I could apply some sort of resist in the letters? So, after it dries, I'm using Fiebring sheen for the finish, which is a flexible acrylic. I feel like I am wasting/spilling/soaking more of the sheen into the cloth than actually gets on the leather. Does the type of fabric I use make a difference? I also find that it pulls more of the dye off even if I've already rubbed the leather with a wet cloth. Am I doing something wrong? I used to use a spray but I don't remember what it was and I'm not sure I want to use something that might be more toxic and require a mask. What are my options for a good finish?  

PS. I really wish the reds were less pink! It's a beautiful color but it annoys me that I can't get true red
 

Edited June 1, 2018 by Penden

[DJole]

Dye colors can be tricky. . Different hides take dye colors differently,  so testing the dye out on a scrap taken from the same hide as the project is a good idea. 

I have a Fiebing's red dye, but it never ends up purple like this. Maybe Angelus red will work for you--

• Angelus' own website: https://angelusdirect.com/collections/angelus-dye-1
• An alternative source I use for Angelus dyes, through Dharma Trading: https://www.dharmatrading.com/dyes/angelus-leather-dyes.html

On the above websites, I find that the Dharma Trading on-screen color examples are more accurate than Angelus' own website. 

Angelus makes a few shades of red: red, oxblood, winetone, burgundy, rose, light rose, russet, brick, brandy.  Maybe one of these will work for you. 
 

As far as the applicators go, the wool daube r applicators should work fine for large surfaces, as long as you remember the basics: swirl it on with circular overlapping motions, making sure you don't miss any spots. Then let it fully dry before deciding if you need another coat. Is this what you are doing, yet you aren't happy with the results?
I rarely use the daubers-- I just prefer using a variety of paintbrushes (especially since a lot of my work involves multiple colors on tooled designs).
I use a paintbrush to apply resist (Eco-shene, and so on) onto designs (like the letters on your sample photograph.)
 

Here's what I do with my paintbrush:

That's Angelus yellow, Angelus oxblood, and (much to my surprise) Fiebeing's white, which is notoriously unreliable. 

[Penden]

Thank you! I will definitely be trying their red dye next. I have used a paint brush for small areas like blocking in letters, and I've liked the results of that.

[Penden]

Thank you so much. The red is redder and the liquid frisket is amazing! 

 

[DJole]

That's a nice red  on the owl piece -- what was the dye used? Is that 100% strength?