Fabric Dyeing Questions

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November/December Questions

I am interested in dyeing 35 yards of cotton duck for slipcovers for a sofa, chairs & ottoman. I plan on using Procion MX dye in the washing machine. I will use a premixed color and use this one color only. Any advice on sizes of pieces; maintaining consistent color if I have to divide up yardage; scouring fabric, anything else??? I've done lots of hand-dyeing with MX dyes, on much smaller yardage. This sounds like an exciting project, but I don't want to make too many mistakes! Thank you. Mary Elmusa
Dear Mary,
This is going to be an interesting project. The best advice I have is to go into it keeping careful notes & having no particular expectations. One method would be to divide the yardage for the different pieces of the slipcovers - enough for a chair, for top of sofa, for back of sofa, etc. Get enough dye for the total job so that you have one dyelot of the color (I suggest 8 oz.).

I have had mixed luck replicating colors exactly. If you put in more fabric or more water, it changes the result. Do your best to keep all that consistent - for example, try to do about 7 yards at a time in a large washer load, or whatever works. Measure your dye & salt carefully.

Wash all fabric with Synthropol before you start. If you want an exact color, I would suggest some 1 yard test swatches, keeping in mind that you'll be doing a whole lot more fabric at a time when you dye the real pieces.

If you are nervous about the washing machine technique in general, do a few test dyeing loads of sheets & pillowcases, or t-shirts, or whatever you are in the mood for. This will help you feel more confident when you start pouring stuff into the washer.

My hints: I use 1 drop of Dawn in the dye solution to keep the powder dissolved evenly. Clean the washer with 409 between each load.

Have fun!
Jennifer

I live in a cold climate and had drapery custom made for all my windows 25 years ago. I have had the drapes relined and they are still in beautiful shape but the gold color is very outdated. I believe the texture in the fabric was called slub and they may be an acetate rayon blend. I would love to have them bleached or dyed but can't find anyone that seems to do such a thing. Can you give me any guidance?
Thank you,
Sandee
Dear Sandee,
Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately, you cannot dye or bleach your window treatments. There are a number of reasons why, including their fiber content and age. My advice would be to get an interior designer to look at them to see if they can be updated simply. If not, you are due for a new look & new colors anyway. You can make this your winter project.
Jennifer

Jennifer
I have a bolt of orange wool that I bought a some costumes and didn't use. I would like to dye it either charcoal gray and a golden brown. How to a remove the color so I can over dye it
Susi
Dear Susi,
This is going to be tough. But, if you are in the mood for a big experiment, you could try it. Wool can by dyed, but it requires very hot water & is usually done on the stove in a big vat. You can probably bet on shrinkage, felting, & generally changing the texture of the fabric. I am not sure about color removal, which is called "discharging," on wool. It's possible that you could overdye the existing orange with a gold or brown in order to get the golden brown you propose. Okay, I suggest that you contact www.dharmatrading.com & ask for their opinion. They sell all the chemicals & dye for discharging & for dyeing wool.
good luck,
Jennifer

I HAVE A BLACK VELVET SECTIONAL COUCH WHICH HAS FADED ALOT. IS THERE ANY WAY THAT IT CAN BE DYED. IT IS TEN INDIVIDUAL PIECES WITH OTTOMANS. I LOVE THE COUCH, IT IS LOW BACKED AND HAS THREE PIECES WITH VERY THIN SIDES TO IT. I WOULD LOVE TO DYE IT AND BE ABLE TO USE IT IN MY NEW HOUSE. ANY SUGGESTIONS WOULD BE APPRECIATED.
THANK YOU
KATHI
Dear Kathi,
You cannot dye your couch. Have it reupholstered. I am sure it will be beautiful in your new house!! Jennifer

Hello,
I've inherited a 10 year old suede leather couch. It's a light brown color that I don't much care for and has faded over time due to sun exposure. I was wondering if there is a leather dye product that I could use to dye the couch a dark brown?
PS, I love your website, full of lots of great info.
Thanks,
Carole
Dear Carole,
For this kind of thing you need to consult a leather expert. Since you live in Calgary, I suggest you go to a saddlery & see what they say. Leather can be dyed, but I am not sure about suede. Keep in mind, also, that you will only be able to go darker than the current color. Good luck & have fun with your project!
Jennifer

Hello: I would like to know if there is a product that will remove acrylic paint from a cotton Tshirt. Thank you for your assistance.
Anne
Dear Anne,
This, I don't know. Go to Michaels, or failing that, to a large hardware & paint store, & ask the experts. You will definitely risk taking the color out of the tshirt as well, if it is a colored shirt. Good luck.
Jennifer

Dear Jennifer,
I recently bought a beautiful white ribbed-Rayon sweater for myself and, of course, stained it, argh!!!! (that's what I get for helping in the toddler Sunday School class w/my grandson!)
Anyway, I've only worn it once and am seeking advice as to how to dye it. CAN I dye it? I've ready Rayon CAN be dyed, but this is a ribbed Rayon.
Any help will be much appreciated. Thanks and MERRY CHRISTMAS:) Susan
Dear Susan,
Since you describe toddler, I was thinking the stain might be grape juice or koolaid. Did you try oxyclean? Make a paste & apply it to the spot on both sides. Leave the thing for a day or so, then wash with more oxyclean & detergent.

In answer to your question, the sweater can be dyed. However, the thread is most probably polyester, & will not take the dye, so you will want to go with a lighter color. If you want to try it yourself, check out the resources at www.dharmatrading.com. If you want to consult the professionals, contact Sherry at www.fabricdyeing.com.

good luck,
Jennifer

I read your response to someone who wanted to dye their wool coat and it wasn't optimistic.....is that absolutely positively true all the time (I say with hope)? I have a kelly green wool coat that I hesitate giving away because it's so warm, however I hate the color....I would love to dye it brown or black and wear it.....I read in your response it might shrink....will it shrink a little or a lot and is it just absolutely not worth it at all? Thanks, Kathy
Dear Kathy,
It may shrink, it may felt, it may twist out of shape. It will do some of these & possibly all, it depends on the weave & kind of the wool. Plus, remember the coat was probably carefully constructed with interfacing, possibly interlining & lining. All these may twist, etc. too. On top of that, if the lining is synthetic, which is doubtless is, it will not take the dye. Look for a new coat at resale. (I paid $16 for my favorite dress coat at vintage.) There are many, many warm coats in the world. Get yourself a new one for winter holiday.
all the best,
Jennifer

I have a lovely, little worn couch, that I want to use. It was bought in the 70's but was never used. I can not use it in the color that it is now and I don't have the money to have a perfectly good couch recovered.
Can you tell me a way that I can dye it? Thank you , donna
Dear Donna,
Sorry, you cannot dye your sofa. Consider slipcovers or look for a new one at furniture consignment. Please see my comments on this matter from the July 2003 column.
Good luck,
Jennifer

I have just bought myself a new home. I would like to dye the rubber backed curtains which are already in place to match my decor. One set of curtains are a beige colour, while the other set are a very pale pink colour. I am hoping to dye them a dark blue colour.
As my budget is very limited, I was hoping there might be a way I can do this myself.
I hope you can offer some assistance
Cheers
Julie
Dear Julie,
The answer is, "probably not." But you can investigate the possibilities further. The main consideration is the fiber content of the curtains themselves. Rayon, linen, cotton, & silk will take a dye, but synthetic will not. Also, depending on the age & condition of the fabric, the dye may take unevenly. Dyeing is a water-based process, & therefore the finish may be affected, and you may also have shinkage & distortion to deal with. Anothter thing: remember, you will be mixing colors, so consider what will happen when you put dark blue on top of beige & pink. If you want to consider undertaking the process yourself, get a catalog from www.dharmatrading.com, & carefully read their instructions on the reactive dyes.
good luck,
Jennifer

I have a several yard length of linen, and one of ramie, that are ivory/beige right now. I would like to dye them both darker colors - but linen is traditionally one of the more difficult natural fibers to dye, and I don't know anything about dying ramie at all, except that it is "similar" to flax. I've used Dharma Trading's reactive dyes on silk before with fair success, but I was wondering if you had any specific recommendations for dealing with these particular types of fabric? (The lengths have already been washed and dried once; I'm not worried about them shrinking.)
Thanks!
Kara
Dear Kara,
These will dye beautifully using the reactive dyes. Since you have a beige already, and desire a darker color, you will get a rich version of the color you choose. I would suggest doing it in the washer. Here's how I do it: set the washer for a small load on warm. Add 4 cups of salt plus the dye. Agitate 5 minutes. See what you have there. If you want slightly darker, agitate another 5 minutes or longer. If you want really darker, add more dye. When you have approximately the color you want, add 1/3 cup soda ash disolved in hot water. Agitate 10-15 minutes, then let the cycle finish. Wash one more time all the way through using synthropol or your favorite laundry detergent. Wash your finished item separately or with similar colors at least the next 4-5 times.
Have fun!
Jennifer

I have been trying to dye a jean jacket black, but it turned to navy blue. I followed the instructions carefully, even did it twice. The brand that I am using is 'Tintex'. I don't want to bleach the jacket before dyeing it, because I'm afraid it will ruin the fabric. Do you have any suggestions/tips on how to dye denim.
Thanks Luisa
Dear Luisa,
It is very difficult to dye anything a really deep black. Especially denim, which by definition is white/unbleached & indigo blue. I am unfamiliar with tintex dye & its process & characteristics.

My suggestion is to visit www.dharmatrading.com, request a printed catalog, & look it over carefully. After you read everything they say about dyeing cotton black, either call them or email them & ask for their suggestion for your jacket. The reactive dyes have several black colors - a red black, a blue black, a green black, etc. Another thought: I have had good luck with the very simple-to-use industrial dyes (also from dharma), using them to overdye black. You probably won't get deep, saturated black with these, but you will move closer to the color you desire.

Maybe you should look on ebay for a black denim jacket?
have fun,
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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