Fabric Dyeing Questions

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February Questions

Hi Jennifer... could you tell me if it is possible to dye a white satin wedding gown purple? I wanted to use this dress as a costume. Also, if so , what kind of dye do you recommend and how to do it at home.
Thank you
Cheryl
Dear Cheryl,
I have tried dyeing old wedding gowns several times without much luck. They are mostly polyester taffeta or satin which will not take the dye. IF the dress is silk, you have a chance of success, keeping in mind that the thread with which the dress is sewn will remain white. It's really too bad that this will not work, as you are right, they would create great costumes.
Sorry,
Jennifer

Is it possible to dye a white fingertip bridal veil ivory?
Dear Kim,
Yes, it is possible, but may not be worth the trouble. It will work ONLY if the veil is nylon. You will need to use an acid dye from www.dharmatrading.com. The process is easy but must be done in very hot water on the stove. Get a copy of dharma's catalog & read the instructions carefully.

Bridal illusion is really pretty inexpensive, it might be less trouble overall to get or construct another one. I also suggest that you consult with Ann at http://www.glamgal.com. She recently wrote to me about dyeing a veil for a customer of hers.
good luck
Jennifer

Hi,
I was wondering how to bleach a beige dress into white and I was afraid to bleach it too long that it will damage the fabric so I was wondering what tips I can use to dye the dress white from beige?
Thanks
Gloria
Dear Gloria,
It really depends on the fabric that the dress is made of - that is, the fiber content. If it is cotton, rayon, linen, or silk, you have a chance of bleaching or "discharging" the dye. You could try chlorox bleach or a discharge product that is available at www.dharmatrading.com. IF the dress is cotton & does not have too much embellishment or trim, a trip through the washer with bleach could do it. I would only try this if you are willing to experiment & are not attached to the outcome. Otherwise go shopping for a white dress.
good luck,
Jennifer

Hello Jennifer,
I have a black, silk, tightly knit, light weight, sweater that has faded a bit after 3 hand washings. Can it be redyed? What do you recommend?
Thanks, Karen
Dear Karen,
This can be redyed, but you will need to feel confident about using warm to very warm water. I would suggest the reactive dye black 250 from www.Dharmatrading.com, or black industrial dye (also from dharma). The industrial dyes go in the washer so the sweater would need to be able to sustain agitation, at least on the delicate cycle, & warm water. Get a paper catalog from dharma & read all about dyeing black.

I recommend washing black stuff in ivory snow liquid for non-fading results.
Have fun,
Jennifer

I'm expecting a baby girl in March. Is there anyway I can dye the blue crib items (sheets, etc), I have to pink or yellow? They are all 100% cotton fabric.
Thank you in advance for your help!
Lori
Dear Lori,
Sorry, you cannot move baby-blue to baby-pink or yellow. Think about mixing tempera paints. You could even get a set of inexpensive paints or watercolors at Walgreens & mix them to see what happens. This will approximate the results that you will get.

You MIGHT be able to move the blue ones to dark fuchsia (not a very baby color).

Sell the sheets on ebay & get some new ones, or else drop a broad hint before your baby shower.

One more note: My sister-in-law, the one with the most perfect taste, once said, "in the middle of the night, you don't care about the color of the nursery sheets. You just want them to be dry."
Congrats on your little girl!!
Jennifer

Jennifer, My daughter would like to make a rainbow organza prom dress. I am having trouble finding the fabric she wants. Is there a way of dying organza with different colors creating a rainbow effect? Thanks Becky
Dear Becky,
Now this is a tough one. At the same time, the effect that she proposes would be unique & beautiful, & if you are up for an adventure, it will be fun. It is possible to dye silk organza (don't try it with polyester). Since the prom is not next week, you could learn to do the special effect dyeing that this would require. You can look through the books available at www.dharmatrading.com & see if any offer the technique for the effect you want. Get enough fabric to experiment on before you start on the dress fabric itself. Dharma carries all the supplies that you will need. You can get undyed silk organza from them too, and I also suggest that you post a note at fabrics.net to check on other suppliers.
Have fun & write back to report!
Jennifer

is it possible to dye a leather couch, it is presently burgundy and a very soft leather, i was hoping to dye it a drk brown, is this a good idea, any input would be appreciated
Dear Burgderb,
I am not a leather expert, so you really need to consult a leather repair shop or saddlery for info on this question. Leather can be dyed with a sort of liquid stain - think about dyeing a pair of shoes or a handbag. However, a large piece of leather furniture is a whole other story. It's possible it could be professionally done, if you want to go to the trouble & expense. Check it out.
Jennifer

Dear Jennifer,
I have a satin bridesmaid's dress that was professionally dyed a light sage green. Would it be possible to have the color removed either by myself or professionally with even results? I would like to wear this dress again but need it to be an off -white ,even lighter shade of green, or maybe pink. If it doesn't remove the color evenly or if it doesn't work I really won't be out much since I can probably never use this dress again so what would you recommend using if I do this myself? I know local stores sell Rit dye remover but if I need to buy a different brand where could I possibly purchase this? Thank you so much!
Sincerely,
Lisa
Dear Lisa,
Sorry, you cannot remove the dye from your dress. It is possible to discharge or remove dye from fabric in some cases, but only if the fabric is cotton, silk, or rayon, has no embellishments or trim, & can withstand a vigorous water process.

My suggestion is to look for an appropriate color dress at vintage or resale.
Jennifer

Would you know how to lighten up a yellow polo shirt?
I tried using clorox bleach diluted in water but that didn't do anything, even a little. What about Rit Color Remover?
Thanks for your help.
Cherie
Dear Cherie,
I don't have any experience with Rit color remover, but you could try it. Read the directions carefully. You will be experimenting, so don't be too attached to the outcome. The shirt will need to be 100% cotton for best results. If it is cotton/polyester, the color remover will probably still work, but you will need more of it.
good luck,
Jennifer

I am an artist working in SanDiego, CA. I discovered and tried some silk dies at a fine art printmaking coop of which I am a member . I tried some of the dies and liked the way the die colors replaced each other in the staining process and seldom got muddy like regular watercolors might. I am developing some work using the dyes available on Japanese paper and would very much like to explore the process on silk. Could you direct me to information on the process of dyeing silk and suggest materials that would best suit their presentation as wall art.
Thank You
Daniel
Hi Daniel,
It really is fun, huh. The best resource for textile artists is www.dharmatrading.com. They sell everything & have a lot of books as well. Get a copy of their printed catalog & have a ball.

Go to a big newstand or large crafts store & look at some fiber arts publications, too. Send me some photos of your work!
Jennifer

hello, i am looking to buy a heavy denim fabric like the denim in blue jeans you buy from the mall. all the fabric store i have been to seem to have lightweight and rather cheap looking denim. i am doing a fashion show in may and i need this by the end of march to start production but i will not be needing a whole lot maybe 10 yards. My question is can i treat a denim fabric myself to give it a stressed worn look and if so how would i go about doign that? IF not do you have any suggestions of where i could find denim like i have described? thanks
Arielle
Dear Arielle,
1. Put up a notice on fabrics.net about the denim you are seeking.

2. Do an internet search for wholesale fabrics & see what you get. The numbers by which the weight of fabrics are measured represent the number of ounces per yard. So the bigger number, the heavier the fabric.

3. I noticed that Rit has a distress-denim project on their website at www.ritdye.com.

4. Another option for distressing denim is to wash the fabric in the washer with rock salt. (I think I learned this exact tip from Queer Eye for the Straight Guy. Those guys are excellent on fabrics.) If you want to then overdye the distressed part, I personally would use one of the industrial dyes available from www.dharmatrading.com. These are the very easiest dyes to use. They come in a dissolving plastic packet that you toss in a wash load of hot water.

5. Have fun ! You are going to be quite the expert by the time you finish up this project.

Jennifer

Hi: Recently I washed quilt that had red fabric in it. I thought that I had initially prewashed out all the excess dye but it ran anyway. Is there any way that I can get the pink color out of the white fabric.. Thanks. Grammie
Dear Gram,
Try this. Treat bleed areas with Stain Stick. Wash with Synthapol (available from www.dharmatrading.com). Treat with Retayne (also from dharma). This should set the dye, especially if it was commercially prepared. If you dyed it yourself, all you need to do is wash the piece in Synthrapol each time. Use only a very little bit, this stuff is concentrated.
Jennifer

"antiquing" new ivory-colored silk infants' shoes to match a vintage, age-yellowed christening gown.
Dear Saber,
1. Check out the rit dye colors. See if you can find one or two that mixed together will create the yellow you want. Mix up a very weak solution.

2. Paint on an inconspicuous part of the shoe with a small brush in order to test. Adjust dye as necessary. Remember the silk will dry lighter than it appears when wet. Start with a very dilute dye & add coats as desired.

3. If you don't like the Rit idea, you could try the procion reactive dyes at www.dharmatrading.com. They are in powder form, & come in very many colors. Mix the dye with water & a little soda ash (also available at dharma).

Many blessings to you & your baby on christening day!!
Jennifer

I know this is hard to answer without actually seeing the color I need or the one I am starting with, but I am trying to get as close as I can to a medium olive green, and the color sheet I am starting out could probably be described as med. yellow green..I got this color by dying a white sheet with dark green and golden yellow....Do you have any suggestions on what color I could use to try and get to the olive green? This is not a major problem, but I would like to stay with the bedspread I am trying to match, and any shade of olive green will work....Thank you for any help you can give me...Debbie
Dear Deb,
If you are using Rit dye, I can't help you much. I am unfamiliar with their colors. If you are using the reactive dyes, they have one which is called olive green & should be close to what you are looking for. Another factor is the fiber content of your sheet. If it is half polyester, it will take the dye at about half strength.

Here's how I do it when I want a particular color. Stare hard at the color & try to figure out how much blue, how much green, how much black, & how much yellow you want there. (Sometimes you have to look for red too, but olive doesn't have much if any red in it.) In my experience, olive has a lot of gray in it. You could try redyeing the sheet with the same green you used plus some charcoal gray.

The very worst scenario would be that you create a color you hate. Then you can get another sheet, reactive dye in olive, some soda ash & salt, & learn more about dyeing.
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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