Fabric Dyeing Questions

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September/October Questions

Hello Jennifer-
What a great column!
2 questions 1 - best recommendations for dyeing dupioni without wrecking the finish? I Handwashed a blouse once & it lost it's hand, the 'crunch'. Anyway to restore it? I gather it needs the sericin put back in, so i thought of getting some raw silk fiber to wash it with & hopefully put the sericin back. What do you think?
2. Whats the best way to remove color from silk? I bought yarn on ebay, 90%silk 10% cashmere beautiful- but color wasn't as expected, so I'd like to lighten it & overdye. End color does NOT have to be exactly even... Thanks in advance.
-Rosanna
Dear Rosanna,
I don't know of a way to get that crisp hand back to washed dupioni. You can always dry clean if you want it to stay that way. I generally wash dupioni before construction so that it shrinks & ends up the way it will be in the finished garment.

As for your yarn, check with www.dharmatrading.com or www.prochemical.com. Both carry products for removing dyes (discharging). In general, wool is dyed in very hot water on the stove. It's a big & potentially messy job. Maybe you are called on to experiment with a this new color, the one you say you don't like. Stranger things have happened. I went a whole new direction in my creative life when my friend gave me a vintage jacket in a color that I didn't think I liked.

Have fun,
Jennifer

HI DIZZY,
I NEED TO PROVIDE A LINEN/RAMIE HANDFEEL AND DRAPE TO COTTON FLEX FABRICS. ALSO, THEY NEED TO BE CRISP AND WRINKLE RESISTANT.
CAN YOU HELP?
THANX,
RUBY
Dear Ruby,
If you are looking for a linen "hand," then you'd better purchase a linen or linen blend fabric. One of the linen-rayon blends would be good for wrinkle resistance. It is not possible to add linen-like characteristics to other kinds of fibers.
Jennifer

I have an old recliner that nothing is wrong with it….not threadbare or anything….just the wrong color. Can I use fabric paint to paint this recliner?
Also where can I buy fabric paint that is larger than 8ozs. ? Maybe ½ gallon or gallon sizes? Thank you for your help. I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Linda
Dear Linda,
You can try painting your chair. You will need to experiment a bit to see if you like the products. Remember, most fabric paints are a sort of plastic, so they have a plastic-y stiffness & feel.

Dharma Trading Co carries a variety of fabric paints that do their best to avoid that stiffness thing. Most of these have to be heat-set to make them permanent. Heat setting can be done with an iron - I don't think a hair dryer is hot enough. Get a catalogue from www.dharmatrading.com & read through all their fabric dye & paint products.

A quick perusal through the Dharma catalog this morning turned up one kind of fabric paint available in 32 oz jars (this one has to be heat set). There are a few others that don't require heat-set, but they come in smaller containers.

This is going to be a big project. I would suggest slip covers unless you really want to experiment. Remember, there are a lot of chairs in the world & somewhere there is the perfect one for you, perhaps without all this effort.
Have fun,
Jennifer

I have a 100% polyester dry clean only dress that i want to dye black and no dry cleaners in my town will do it. I resolved to do it my self but when I went to buy the dye (Rit) it said not to use on 100% polyester. Is there any way around this?
Khanya
Dear Khanya,
You are right, Rit will not work on polyester fabric. Check out the possibilities at www.sampledyeing.org and www.fabricdyeing.com. These are two places that will at least talk with you about dyeing individual garments. Remember, dyeing is a water-based process, so it must be able to be submerged in liquid in order to be dyed. If the dry clean only dress is of fragile construction, or has a lot of trim, it probably will not withstand the dyeing process.
Good luck,
Jennifer

Hi Jennifer,
I have six hand-sewn chair covers that were created in a Waverly fabric, a lighter blue background with mauve circles. I believe it's a polished cotton.
I would like to dye the covers a brown shade. What color dye should be used? Is RIT a reputable dye? Is there a professional who can dye them in Austin where I live?
Thanks,
Brooke
Dear Brooke,
Well, the answer depends on a few more things. Are you talking about slipcovers or chair seat covers? Is the fabric all cotton or a blend? Is it treated with scotchguard, or with some other kind of coating that makes that polished effect? Is the fabric a print or woven pattern? How dark are the colors?

You cannot dye a mix of blues to a mix of browns. You will get mud. The thing to consider is what brown would look like mixed with the blues that you have there.

Even if you have all cotton fabric that is a good candidate for dyeing, I would not recommend Rit. The reactive dyes available at Silk Road (here in Austin) or from Dharma Trading Company are much more deep & vivid & require a minimum of chemicals. Speaking of Silk Road, you could take one of the covers there & ask Karen what she thinks about dyeing potential. I learned a lot of what I know from her.

If you want to consult a professional, I suggest contacting www.sampledyeing.org or www.fabricdyeing.com.

Have fun!!
Jennifer

My question is I accidently washed a black armani shirt in warm and it looks slightly brown in certain lights. How do I save this shirt and redye it black???
Christine
Dear Christine,
Isn't it amazing that even I continue to learn about doing laundry properly? I recently learned that using Ivory Snow liquid will prevent black from fading. My friend Brenda told me about this & all her black t-shirts look like brand new!!

As for redyeing black - go to www.dharmatrading.com & request a catalog. Dyeing black is a bit tricky, but redyeing is at least the easiest option. Read the catalog carefully & choose either a procion dye or one of the industrial dyes. You can write or call dharma staff for further consultation, too.

Good luck,
Jennifer

I bought an evening gown that is black nylon material. The gown has long see-through sleeves and is a turtle neck. It fits great and I love the dress….there is only one challenge! They glued silver glitter all over it in a lined, squiggly pattern that overtakes the simplicity of the dress! How can I either cover the silver glitter and make it black so it is less noticeable, or how can I remove it all together? The cleaning instructions read: "Dry Clean Only", so sending it to the cleaners, won't assist in removing the glitter. I would love to wear the dress, but I just hate what they did to it. Do you have any suggestions other than getting rid of it?
Thanks,
Carole
Dear Carole,
You have a challenge here. There is no guaranteed way to remove the glitter. If you want to try something - you could start in an inconspicuous place with goo-gone & see what it does to the glitter adhesive. If this works, & you end up treating the entire dress, you will need to soak the dress in Dawn dishwashing liquid, then wash it in Ivory Snow liquid. This will be a BIG project. My suggestion is to get a black chiffon shawl or wrap that tones down the glittery effect.
Good luck!
Jennifer

I am in a bind, I don't have a lot of fund for my boyfriend's senior ball. I have a really pretty dress that I haven't worn at all. The color is a light teal. The fabric is 100% Acetate Taffeta. I wanted a black dress, is there any way to be able to dye my dress black?
Thank you for your time.
Sincerely,
Jessica
Dear Jessica,
I am sorry, you cannot dye acetate. It is beyond humanly possible, except in factory conditions. My best suggestion is to look for an appropriate dress at resale or consignment. You can have fun getting really creative with a put-together outfit that you have found at resale! This is what I wear, no joke.
Have a great time at the dance,
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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