Fabric Dyeing Questions

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October/November Questions

Hi,
I would like dye chanille. Can you recommend a good dye for this. The original colour is mid grey and i would like to dye it black.
Thanks
Mimi
Dear Mimi,
Most currently available chenille is acrylic, which is very difficult to dye. Of course, they dye this fiber at the factory, but it takes very toxic chemicals & carefully controlled temperatures. Pro Chemical & Dye does carry a dye that is for acrylic, PROsperse Disperse Dye, but their disclaimer says that it will take only in light pastel shades on acrylic.You can check out their info at www.prochemical.com.

If by chance your piece is cotton or rayon chenille, it can be dyed using the reactive dyes. These are available at both at Pro Chemical & at www.dharmatrading.com. One caveat: solid dark black is a very difficult color to obtain. You will get a darker gray, or, if your piece is rayon, a dark purplish color.

Have fun & good luck!
Jennifer

i recently bought a really nice white dress with a lot of detailing on it, but i would like to dye it a different color, please could you tell me where i could have this professionally done ASAP?, as i don't want to ruin it by doing it myself..........HELP
Thank you, look forward to hearing from you,
Natalie
Dear Natalie,
There are two places that will dye a single garment. Check out www.sampledyeing.org and www.fabricdyeing.com. The results will depend on what the dress is made of (polyester, acrylic, or acetate will not dye well) and what you mean by "detailing." If the detailing is stitching in polyester thread, it probably will not take the dye or it will take at a different shade from the rest of the dress. If you are open to experimentation, you could have fun here.
all the best,
Jennifer

I purchased a red unitard which I believe is cotton/lycra. I wanted to know if it would be possible to dye it green?? What shades of green would work best?? Please advise.
Thank you,
Alexandra
Dear Alexandra,
it is possible to dye cotton/lycra, but it's difficult to move from red to green. You will basically be mixing colors. You could try a dark green, like forest green, but you will definitely get a muddy shade of reddish green. Especially if the red is dark, or very bright, like fire engine red - this is going to be difficult to cover. Don't try it with rit. Go to www.dharmatrading.com & get information on the reactive dyes.
Have fun,
Jennifer

I have a wool coat that has faded from the sun, and I would like to dye it another or darker color. I have contact several dry cleaners they don't do dying. What can I do because the coat is in good condition except the faded areas.
Thank you
Doris
Dear Doris,
This is a tough one, & the answer is probably no. 1. Wool, a natural fiber, can be dyed, but it takes very hot water & will probably felt the fabric, shrink it, & pull it out of shape. 2. There is no guarantee about the dye taking evenly. 3. Sun fading distresses the fabric & generally weakens the fibers, further lending it to distorting when dyeing.
Remember, dyeing is a water-based process so you must be able to submerge the fabric, in this case in very hot water. I am sorry your coat is probably a loss. Maybe it's time for a new one. If your closet has windows or a skylight, you could consider muslin garment protectors or one of those opaque clothes storage things from one of the big box housewares stores.
Jennifer

Is there a way to dye a plush-toy made of cotton, that has only faded on one side-? It sat in the sun, and now, one side looks much darker than the other. Also, if I dye it, how do I control how dark the shade of pink becomes?
amanda
Dear Amanda,
There is no simple way to control the dye on something like this. My best recommendation would be to get a catalog from www.dharmatrading.com, read up on the reactive dyes & how to paint with them. Mix up some dye, salt, & soda ash in a small container & paint it on your faux animal. See if you like what you get. If this is really a beloved piece, maybe you want to keep it the way it is & chalk it up to "character."
Good luck,
Jennifer

Hi Jennifer....HELP!
I have two wonderful suede and cane chairs that are a medium brown (dirty and stained) and I would dearly love to dye them to black. Do I have a chance at this or am I barking up the wrong tree??? It is way too expensive to have them professionally upholstered and I was hoping I might just be able to dye them. What do you think????
Will greatly appreciate your help. Many thanks.
Lynne
Dear Lynne,
Are they really suede or are they ultrasuede? If they are real leather, you have a chance to dye them using leather dye. Go to the biggest, most reputable leather repair place in your city & talk to them about it. If they are ultrasuede, you cannot dye them. If the seat is the only upholstered part, you can redo them yourself rather simply. If they have vast expanses of leather to dye, & the stains are of all kinds (like grease, oil, food, etc.) then the dye will probably come out unevenly. Depending on the chairs themselves, you may have a really big project here. If I were you I would save up to have them redone.
good luck,
Jennifer

Hello Jennifer,
What a relief it is to find an advice column. I am in a bind. I bought a corduroy bodice (reversible blue/burgundy) at a Renfest vendor. It looked nice and seemed like a good place to start for my costume. The problem is that the burgundy dye-transfers onto my chemise in a matter of minutes, no matter which color is facing out (if the burgundy is face out, it still transfers around the sleeve openings). I tried contacting the vendor for advice (they blew me off), I tried washing it (didn't even slow the transfer-rate), and tried washing it in vinegar (still no luck). Is there any product that you can recommend to make it color-fast? I am even open to trying dye-removal. Can you suggest anything to keep this bodice out of the scrap bag? I was wearing it when my fiancé proposed, so I feel sentimental about it.
Sincerely,
Heidi
Dear Heidi,
You are in luck. There is a product that should take care of it. Go to www.dharmatrading.com & look for Retayne. This is for commercially dyed fabric that is not colorfast. I have used it myself with good results. You will need to treat the bodice in the washer on hot water. Use the gentle cycle if you are concerned about too much agitation. Follow the instructions on the bottle.
Renfest is fun, huh? Great gathering for costumes & generally dressing over-the-top. Good luck,
Jennifer

Dear Jennifer:
After much web surfing I found this site and I hope you will be able to help me. I have 4 or five bright colored suits that I purchased a few years ago (don't ask me why, I've asked myself that too many times) and now would like to have them professionally dyed black and or navy. They are high end designer men's super 150s and suits one is wool and mink blend, each costing in excess of $1000.00, so you can see why I want to making them "wearable" again. Do you have any suggestions about places that provide this service. I heard about place in California but can't seem to get anymore information Please help if you can.
AC
Dear AC,
You can contact these two places that will discuss dyeing of individual garments:
www.sampledyeing.org
www.fabricdyeing.com
I have to warn you that it may not be worth the effort. Dyeing stresses & can distort the fabric. Even if the color comes out okay, you may find that the cut of the suit is no longer in style or that it is unsuited (sorry) to being another color.
My alternative suggestion is to save them until they become appropriate for vintage wear or sale. Good luck,

Jennifer

I bought brand new ivory 100% polyester sheer/voile with macrame top curtains. I really wanted white, but have been looking for over a year and haven't seen any white sheer curtains I liked. But, I love these curtains, so I bought them in hopes of making them white. Sounds like from what Katy says below that I'm probably out of luck. But, even if I could lighten them that would be better than nothing.
Any suggestions?
Sharon
Dear Sharon,
It is very difficult to remove color from polyester. There are products that "discharge" the color from natural fibers, but polyester dyeing is a different animal. You could try Katy's method with oxygen bleach - you have nothing to lose! You could also try chlorine bleach, but be sure to do this in the yard in very old clothes, rinsing everything well with the hose.

www.Tapestria.com is a good source for sheers of all kinds. This is a site available only "to the trade." Contact an interior designer for access to this site.

I know it seems like a big pain to locate just what you want at times. I look at it as a great adventure! Everything is out there somewhere, it's just a matter of finding it.
Have fun,
Jennifer

Jennifer,
I am needing to dye a small sofa from a mottled color to black. Do you have any advice or suggestions for appropriate dyes? Thanks so much.
Debbie
Dear Debbie,
Sorry, this is next to impossible. Please see my column from a couple of months ago when I address this issue. Dyeing is a water-based process that must be rinsed repeatedly & is inappropriate for fabric that has been transformed into upholstery. Have the sofa reupholstered or make some slip covers.
Jennifer

I have 100% cotton white curtains in my kitchen that I would love to dye a sunflower yellow. I have never done this before and am not sure how to go about it or what is the best dye to purchase in order to get the type of vibrant yellow I want.
Thanks!
Rebbecca
Dear Rebbecca,
You have a good chance to dye your curtains with pleasing results. Visit www.dharmatrading.com & read up on the use of the reactive dyes. You will need the dye color of your choice, ordinary table salt, soda ash (the latter is available from dharma or from your local pool supply). If you want the curtains to be a solid color, I would suggest dyeing them in your washing machine. Use warm water & a smaller load - either the small or medium water level. Keep in mind that if the curtains are sewn with polyester thread (which they doubtless are) or if they have trim or lace of any kind, the thread & trim will not take the dye. This means the thread will remain white when your curtains are yellow.
You can get some cotton muslin to experiment on if you want. This will enable you to see approximately how the color will come out before you start on your curtains.
Have fun!
Jennifer

hey
i came across your website at random and found that it was a God-sent!
im a student of textiles and have an assigment that requires me to "colour" a fabric in the mos tinnovative way possible, as long as i can find an industry equivalent. now my cloth.......is kinda like net.....its got 8 warps and 5 wefts per inch.... can u give me ANY suggestions???
id realllllly appreciate your help
thank u soo much
looking forward to your response,
Sana
Dear Sana,
Visit these websites:
www.dharmatrading.com
www.prochemical.com
Dharma's print catalog gives lots of information about dyeing products & techniques. They also have a full line of books. Prochemical is another great resource with instruction sheets available on line.
Have fun!
Jennifer

Dear Jennifer,
I have very expensive, custom made and professionally mounted (on wooden boards with pulleys attached) Austrian balloon shades that are too "yellow" for my ivory decor. (I should add this was my fault.. The fabric looked ivory enough prior to the shades being made.... Once the gathering was completed and the shades mounted, the end result was very much different that I had envisioned) In any case, I believe the investment wouldn't be a total waste if I could lighten the fabric. I am prepared to immerse the entire fabric shade, mounting board and all, into a vat, bathtub type of "bath" to assure uniform coloring (or lack thereof, in this case) In know that the fabric must be synthetic as every commercially available product has failed to budge the color.. Can you help? I would really appreciate any info you could offer to lighten the color... (It would save the costly project and my "happy" home>)
Thanks. Pamela
Dear Pamela,
I would not advise trying to bleach or lighten your shades, no matter what fabric they are made of. You will very likely end up with a mess & possibly damaging the construction. Even if you found a product that would discharge the existing color, the biggest risk is that the lightening effect will not take evenly across the fabric. Maybe you want to re-do the room to be more yellow, pick up the tone with some accessories, or even add whiter sheers. (If it is any comfort, some of my best creative projects start out with "accidents" like this.)
Jennifer

Dear Jennifer,
I have a gorgeous pastel pink cashmere cardigan with gold buttons that had two stains on the front. Did not know what the stains were as it had been my mother's sweater. So I tried to was out the stains only to make it worse. I just bought a box of Rit rose pink dye and am about the try it. It's not exactly the pastel pink color of the sweater but at this point what do I have to lose. Any advice before the sweater takes the plunge?
Dolores
Dear Dolores,
I really don't know what will happen using Rit dye. There are dyes for wool & cashmere that generally require hot water - even on top of the stove application. In general, stained spots will take the dye differently from the rest of the garment, so you may not have an even result. But if you have nothing to lose you may as well try it!
good luck,
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.

About Dizzylettuce

Dizzylettuce is a line of unique, creative, beautiful, and luxurious silk accessories - triangles, rectangles, and circles - that can be worn as shawl, wrap, waist and hip wrap, sash, exciting ensemble layer, and suit or coat accessory.

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