Fabric Dyeing Questions

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January Questions

I bought a wool coat a few months ago against my better judgment. The coat is a winter white/cream color and it is a wool pea coat. I, unfortunately, managed to spill coffee on it one morning on my way to work about two months ago. I took it to the dry cleaner and to my disappointment I got it back a week later with a $17 bill and a "stains not removable" note attached. I was thinking I could take it somewhere to have it died dark brown or even black. The inside of the coat is silk however. What's your suggestion!? Elyse
I don't know if the coat can be successfully dyed. You can consult with the dye houses that do individual garments. Check these out:
www.knitweardoctor.com
www.fabricdyeing.com
www.dyeproservices.com (this last one is in Canada)
All of these services are set up to work with you from a distance.
happy holidays,
Jennifer

Dear Jennifer,
There is a tan corduroy skirt in my size (with room for shrinkage) that is on sale for half price because it has some pinkish stains in the pleats. I thought it would be a fun project to dye or paint it another color or colors. It is 90% cotton, 10% poly.
I usually fabric paint instead of dye things with poly content, but I tried to paint corduroy once before, and the ridges got prickly and stiff, losing their softness. Is there a fabric paint method that works on corduroy or velvet without doing this? Or would dye be better, especially with the low poly content?
I have a lot of RIT dye around, do you think it would work on this or is there something special I should get that would give significantly better results? I don't need it to be a very dark color, I don't even have a particular color in mind yet, I just want to make it a color I like and have the stains not stand out.
Thanks, Sharla
Hi Sharla,
Dharma Trading Co. sells all kinds of fabric paints. Get a copy of their catalog, or else read it online carefully, to research fabric paints and their surface effects.
You might be able to dye this piece, but it really depends on what caused the pink stains. Sometimes stains pick up the dye darker or differently than the rest of the garment. I suggest the reactive dyes from Dharma. The polyester content on this piece is so small that it is negligible. You could have an interesting experiment if you are willing to try it!!
best,
Jennifer

I have just purchased black cotton bath towels & would like to know how to keep them from fading so quickly. Is there something I can do before wshing for the first time to set the color????
Thanks
Cheryl
Hi Cheryl,
Wash black items with ivory snow liquid to retain color.
best,
Jennifer

I was wearing a black jacket that left black dye on my cloth car upholstry.....I was wondering if you knew how I could clean the dye out of the cloth.....I am hoping you can help me as this is a new car and I don't know what to do......
Thankyou....
MaryEllen
Hi Mary Ellen,
take the jacket back to the retailer immediately. I don't care how long ago you purchased it. Have the car seats professionally cleaned. best,
Jennifer

i wonder if you can help me. i accidentally washed a black and white silk crinkled blouse and of course, now lost all the crinkle in the fabric. anyway to restore it?
thanks for you help in this?
cookie
Hi Cookie,
Sorry, I don't know any way to restore your blouse.
best,
Jennifer

Jennifer,
I just got a brand new pair of levis that are a little plain for my taste...they are a normal pair of 501's in the standard "blue" color. Is there a way to dye these to maintain the blue hue while perhaps adding another accent color to the white threads in the jeans, maybe with a redish or brownish tint?
Thnaks in advance,
Jeff
Hi Jeff,
Well, here's what you need to know about denim. It is white or natural colored threads in one direction & blue in the other. So, if you overdye, the white part will take the new dye color, & the blue will have the new color added to it. It's not possible to dye just the stitching threads. But you can make some interesting effects with overdyeing. Remember, all dyeing is an experiment, & if you are willing to experiment, you may get something more spicy than what you have now! I suggest the reactive dyes from www.dharmatrading.com. You will also need soda ash & ordinary table salt.
have fun,
Jennifer

Hi Jennifer, I accidentally dripped bleach on 2 pairs of pants. One is tan, the other is a deep olive green. Can I use Rit dye to "fix" them? I HATE to lose them! Thanks in advance! Elisabeth
Hi Elisabeth,
I am sorry, these can't be easily fixed. If you want to talk to Sherry at www.fabricdyeing.com, she may be able to overdye them for you. It really all depends on the fiber content.
best,
Jennifer

Hello: I have recently been working with a large piece of muslin material using procion dye. I used an antique gold and sprinkled the dye on with a salt shaker. I had wonderful results until I put the fabric in the washing machine to set the dye and get the soda ash out. I started over with same technique, only this time I didn't wash the fabric. I went back to the store where I bought the dye and they told me to steam it. This was a very time consuming process, not to mention that given the size 10'x10', it didn't fit very well in the canner I was using to steam it. All that to ask is there a better way to set the dye without losing my color, and get the soda ash out. I have requests for 10'x21' pieces, and right now only work in the basement, so you can see the dilemma. Thanks for your help. Sincerely, Jeff
Hi Jeff,
I use a variation of this technique, too, both on cotton & silk. I call it confetti dye & have used it in some very large jobs for custom home decor. I love it! Here's my method.
1. Wash muslin with Synthropol & soda ash. This is the scouring step. Use about 1 tsp Synthropol & 4 tablespoons soda ash per load. Run entire washing cycle.
2. Run muslin in washing machine rinse cycle only. Add about 3/4 cup soda ash per load. This leaves soda ash in fabric but spins out extra water.
3. Remove wet fabric & spread out on your work surface.
4. Put salt in salt shaker with your powder dye mix. Sprinkle on fabric & fold up carefully. If the fabric dries out too quickly (as a silk hab will do), you can mist water over the fabric.
5. Put folded up fabric in a plastic bag (in your case, doubtless, a garbage or kitchen size bag). Fasten with a plastic twistie or one of those things that close up a loaf of bread. In other words, no metal twisties.
6. Heat up the bag, in the microwave (start with a short time on half strength, you will figure out what works with your microwave), or on a hot driveway (this works where I live, most of the year), or at a distance with a hair dryer. You want the bag to get quite warm. THIS is the step that sets the dye.
7. After heating, let the bag sit at least an hour, then you can wash (warm wash, also use warm rinse if you have that option) with Synthropol to remove excess dye & soda ash & so forth.
Write back if you have more questions!!
Jennifer

I really have a dilema in that I need some iformation on how I can rejuvinate & restore cloth seats on church pews.The material is a burlap material.It had a warm wine red color.Some pews are faded to a sort of tinge of orangeand other spots are have a few bleach stain. I heard of a product called "simply spray" at hobby stores.What is your opinion? Need help Soon.
If you want to experiment, you could try Simply Spray, but I think it will be quite difficult to get an even effect. For best results, start over. Maybe someone in your congregation can perform the job of constructing new seat covers.
best,
Jennifer

I bought little backpacks as favors for my son's birthday in 2 weeks. They just arrived today and they are 100% polyester. The description said canvas and "design your own", so silly me I assumed at least partially cotton. They are white and I would like them to be orange. I understand RIT Dye can't be used. What can I do? Paint them? Is there anything that will work as long as they aren't ever washed? Also, just out of curiosity, what happens if you use RIT dye?
Thanks,
Jackie
Yes, you are correct, Rit cannot be used. If you try it, you'll find that they remain the same color that they are now. You can use fabric paint of various kinds. Check at a big crafts store & also at www.dharmatrading.com. However, you probably won't be able to totally re-color them. Perhaps you could re-frame your idea as decorating them with orange.
Happy birthday party!
Jennifer

Hi, my names chris and i am about as far from the typical person that you probably address questions from. Im an avid paintball player from Illinois and my question involves dyeing the straps that hold our paintball masks on our face. Although paintball is a great game, half the fun of it is looking cool and having custom equiptment and gear. I have included three pictures of goggle straps and hopefully you can tell me how these people did it. Picture one shows an entire mask and the strap on it is the only important part that i am concerned with. The strap is called a "techno" strap and is black, blue and white. A few people on the paintball forums i use have come up with a way to custom dye this strap, different colors, but they wont share their secrets. The two other pictures i have included are the same exact strap but they have managed to dye specific areas, specific colors. As you can see one of them is pink and green and the other is pink and yellow. I've tried dying plastics and fabrics before but im lost how they have done this. If you could provide any information as to how it can be done, dye to use, and any other instructions or information, i would be so appreciative. Again, i appreciate your time and any information you can give would be so helpful. Sincerely, Chris
Hi Chris,
You have an interesting creative project here. Get a copy of the catalog from www.dharmatrading.com & study it carefully. They carry all kinds of fabric paints, which is what you will need (rather than dyes). You may need to experiment with different products to get the effect that you want. Your straps may end up to be more stylin' than what your friends have!!
have fun,
Jennifer

I just happened upon your site and have never tried my hand at dye. I have some custom-made rayon/acetate valance/swag curtains that are in a very outdated rose color. I would like them to be darker color like a brown/rust to match more modern decor. Is this possible with good results? How about specifics like where to do the dying (have brand new washing machine that I dont want to ruin!). Thanks for your help, Diane
Dear Diane,
I wouldn't try to dye these. You will be adding color to the rose & will likely come out with a muddy blend. Plus, acetate doesn't take the dye at all, so depending on the fiber content, you may have a very diluted result. Time to go shopping.
best,
Jennifer
P.S. I dye fabrics constantly in the same washing machine that we use for household laundry. Two important products that assist this are Synthropol (a detergent that keeps the dye in suspension), and spray household cleaner, like 409, for cleaning the top & inside of the machine.

Hi, I got a cream coat which is 74% acrylic, 20%wool, 3% nylon, 3% mixed fibres and 100% polyester and I like to have my cream coat dye black. Will dry cleaner's shop dye it black for me? From Kim
I am sorry, this can't be dyed.
Jennifer

I want to dye my pure white dupioni silk to an off white/cream or even better, to a tea/ coffee color. Would it be possible to tea stain-dye this material? I'm only dying a small amount, less than 3 yards, to us as trim for my drapes in the living room, which are dark pewter dupioni silk. Thanks for the advise! Janet
Hi Janet,
you can dye your fabric using either the reactive dyes or the acid dyes from www.dharmatrading.com. Keep in mind that dupioni will lose some of its sheen & stiffness when dyed. Follow the instructions provided at Dharma carefully. You will need soda ash & ordinary table salt or vinegar, depending on which dye you choose. Since you only want a light color value, start with a little bit of dye in the washing machine & add more as needed. You may get hooked!
best,
Jennifer

I had my wedding last year and want to now dye my wedding dress a deep navy so as to wear again. It is silk duppioni, no beading, just plain with some rouching. Is there anyplace in the US who will professionally dye this dress?
I know of places for shoes but not dresses.
Please advise.
Thanks.
Sandy
Dear Dr. Sandy,
you can consult with the experts at www.fabricdyeing.com or www.knitweardoctor.com. Both of these dye houses are in California & have customers all over the world. There is also a place in Canada, www.dyeproservices.com.
best,
Jennifer

Dear Jennifer,
I have two aircraft seats that are covered in fabric with the face of the seat in wool. Attached are two views. What I wish to know, is there a way that I may dye the seats (not the wool!) so they are black? This would entail only the fabric which is NOT being sat upon. I believe the material is pure cotton.
Any help is appreciated...
Jeff
HI Jeff,
can you get the covers off the chairs? If so, & they are really all cotton, you can send them to Sherry at www.fabricdyeing.com & get her to dye them black. If you can't get them off, you can experiment with Simply Spray. I don't know how well it will work, but you could try it! www.simplyspray.com.
best,
Jennifer

Hi Miss Dizzy! I have just bought a red couch for my living room. But when i got it home it actually has more of a pink tint to it. It does not match with the terracotta red couch already in the living room. Is there anyway of darkening the fabric without actually dyeing it? Thanks!
Hi Camille,
Sorry, there's not much you can do. I hope the retailer offered a 30 day tryout guarantee.
best,
Jennifer

I have a pair of jean capris that are a cotton/polyester/lycra blend. After washing them, there is an area about 3 inches x 4 inches on the hip that looks bleached out (I don't ever use bleach in my washer). When I rubbed the area, more dye came off on my hand. Is there a way to totally bleach and re-dye these? Ellen
Hi Ellen,
Take these back to the place you got them from. Retailers should know that they have provided a substandard product.
best,
Jennifer

I am looking to dye an old bridesmaid dress. I already read that this is a "no" but I am still curious. The fabric is acetate. It is currently a pale champagne color dress. There is no trim. No frills to the dress. I am looking to dye it black or probably throw the dress away. Is the only danger I am facing that the dress may come out unevenly?
No, uneven will not be your result. The total destruction of the dress is likely. Acetate doesn't take to water well & it doesn't take reactive dye at all. Make it into a costume, donate it to your favorite little girl who likes to play dress up, or give it to charity.
sorry,
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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