Fabric Dyeing Questions

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December Questions

Dear Jennifer-
I am here in Austin, Texas, like you, and am wondering if it is possible to dye a cream colored daybed set (comforter, bedskirt, and 2 king size shams) to a lilac or light purple color. I bought a box of rit dye, but am not sure about taking that step into the world of dyeing it myself! Would I need a commercial size washing machine for this? And how do you determine how much dye and if the laundry facility doesn't mind you using their machines? Thanks for any advice you can give!
Diana Erhart
Hi Diana,
Before you start, please read my article at http://www.fabrics.net/dizzylettuceArticle.asp. Here I tell the basics about fabric dyeing. Look this over & let me know if you need more detailed answers!
Jennifer

I have a knit pullover made of 100% Rayon. The last time I had it dry cleaned it can back with yellow stains on it. (The dry cleaner did make restitution for their error) I would like to remove all the color from this, but am unsure of how to go about it. The care instructions read Dry Clean only. What do you suggest for removing all the color? I do not intent to put any color back into the fabric. Thank you for you help.
Tricia
Dear Tricia,
I wouldn't suggest doing this yourself. Who knows what kind of chemical the dry cleaners got on there. There are two resources for having this done: www.fabricdyeing.com and www.dyeproservices.com. Check out their services!
Jennifer

Hi Jennifer
We're from the UK.
We found your website browsing on the net and I am wondering if you can help us.
We have a Mamas and Papas (Peg Pegerro in US) pram in excellent condition apart from the hood which is badly sunfaded. The original colour is a very dark, probably charcoal grey.
We don't want to wash it in a washing machine as this will destroy the trim pattern, we were hoping instead to kind of hand spray or paint it with a dye. The exact colour would be ideal, but failing this just being able to darken it and remove the brown shades would be better than nothing.
Hope you can offer good advice
Regards
Scott and Debz
Dear Debz,
I really don't know what will happen with your pram cover, but you could try using the spray-on textile dyes at www.simplyspray.com. Check it out & see if they have a color that pleases you. Pram fabrics are usually nylon coated cordura - or it could be a cotton canvas treated with some kind of waterproofing. I don't have any idea if the simplyspray dyes will stick to what you have there.

Another alternative is to paint on or dip the cover in an airbrush ink. This stuff has to be heat-set, either with an iron, a really hot hair dryer, or in the tumble dryer. You can get the supplies for this at www.dharmatrading.com. Again, it might stick, it might not.

Check out these alternatives & see if you can come up with something that you think is worth the experiment!
Jennifer

Good morning Jennifer,
I am in need of your advice. I am trying to find an appropriate brand of dye for fabric that is 90 %Rayon/8% Nylon/2% Spandex. I leaned up against a counter at work where someone had previously used some kind of bleaching agent, and my favorite navy sweater now has a small bleached streak on the front. I’m thinking it may be best to apply the dye to the affected area only with a brush or cotton ball. Please let me know what to use and how to best proceed. Thank you!
Dear Kathryn,
I am sorry, you can't fix this yourself. If you want to consult the professionals, here are two resources:
www.fabricdyeing.com
www.dyeproservices.com.
You will need to send your sweater to them. Check it out & see if it's worth it to you.

This happened to me with a suit skirt one time. The only thing I could figure out was that the copier servicer had come that day. Who knows what I got into. Oh well, it's a lesson that clothing is finite! And that there is an abundance of favorite clothes in the world.
Jennifer

Hi Jennifer,
I recenlty splattered a few drops of bleach on one of my favorite pair of black levi's (515 bootcut). Since it is so difficult for me to find jeans that I love, I want to try to just re-dye the bleached areas. They are not large, but rather small little splotches up the left leg, so I don't think it would be terribly obvious if I redyed the splotches individually; however, I was wondering if you could possibly give me some hints as to what kind of dye to use. The fabric is 76% cotton/24% polyester and a very deep black. Any advice?
Laura
Hi Laura,
I am sorry, you can't do this yourself, & I'm not sure if it's worth having someone do it for you. Contact Sherry at www.fabricdyeing.com & see what she says.

Bleach changes the fibers so that they don't take the dye in the same way - on top of that, the polyester content won't take any water-based dye. It's my understanding that in order to fix things like this, the garment has to be totally discharged (all the current black dye removed) & then re-dyed. But talk to Sherry & see what she says.

Other than that you could consider applying a trim or making the jeans into a creative project!
Happy Holidays,
Jennifer

Dear Jennifer,
I loved reading your "Dyeing 101"! How much dye do I need to dye two king size sheets? I've searched on the Dharma website for some kind of chart telling me how much dye to purchase, but I can't seem to find any guidance.
Thanks for your time and consideration!
Warmest regards,
Sam
Dear Sam,
Here is the link to the Dharma webpage with the info:
http://www.dharmatrading.com/info/vat_dye.html

Okay now apart from that, I think the smallest size of dye (2oz) will do for what you want, unless you are going for a color that Dharma specifies as requiring twice as much as usual. If you can get the two sheets in your washer easily, with at least some room to spare, then you can dye them in one load. If not, then measure the amount of dye (starting with 1 tablespoon per load, add dye as necessary) that you use in the first load so you can come close with the 2nd.

Write back if you have questions!!

Jennifer

 

You can ask Jennifer questions at dizzylettuce@Fabrics.net.

Jennifer Thompson Miller: I love my work in beautiful textiles, color, trim, and design! I am a devoted student of fashion history and love vintage and vintage-inspired looks. For many years, my main focus was fashion sewing, using natural fibers in beautiful colors. In recent years, much to my delight, I have learned color mixing and silk dyeing. This has added a vibrant, versatile dimension to my fashion design.

I learned design and needlework from my mother and grandmother, and I am very grateful for their inspiration and instruction. Some of my earliest memories are spending time in the fabric store, while my mother designed and picked out fabrics for glamorous outfits. From the age of ten, my mother and other fashion-conscious ladies would ask my opinions on fabrics that they were combining.

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