Fabric Dyeing Questions

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July Questions

Hi Jennifer,
Found your info very enlightening on Fabrics.net. I would love your expertise. I have a Vera Wang bridesmaid dress out of 100% accetate Taffeta. It was a great wedding and the dress is covered in Beer stains that the dry cleaner did not get out. I would love to try washing at home to see what I can get out. Any suggestions there. If it doesn't work, I will shoot for Dyeing it and see how that works. I read your Q & A and found a website for dyeing it thanks. It is a great color, a nice light gold, but am scared to pursue further damage without consult a professional. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks,
Kristen
Dear Kristen,
Acetate is quite unstable & can't be washed. Believe me, I have tried. The color will run out & down the drain. It can't be dyed either. You are stuck. At least it was a fun wedding!! Best,
Jennifer

My little one spilled some RIT dye on our carpet, it was a dark magenta, but I scrubbed and blotted and now there is a light pinkish stain that is very noticable, I live in an apartment and want to know, what can I do to get the remaining color out? I was thinking of using Oxyclean, Any suggestions?
Marie
Dear Marie,
I really don't know what to tell you. I am inexperienced with Rit. Check out the Rit website at www.ritdye.com & see if you can confer with them. Oxyclean might help - & it also might make a big pale place on your carpet. Dilute well & start with just a little bit.
good luck,
Jennifer

Dear Jennifer,
I was hoping you might be able to help me, after finding your site on the Internet through a Google search.
I have a beautiful vintage wool coat I found at a yard sale. The only problem: the color. It is an elegant cut, but a bright hunter's orange color. Is it possible to have it dyed black?
Also, can I have suede pieces that are non-descript pale colors dyed darker colors or black?
Thank you for you help. I look forward to hearing your answers.
Sincerely,
Tiffany
Dear Tiffany,
I dont know about your coat, but if anyone does, its Sherry Smilo at www.fabricdyeing.com. See what she says. On the leather pieces, check out www.leathermagic.com.
best,
Jennifer

I am making appliance covers for my kitchen and bought 100% cotton quilted fabric - however, I couldn't find a light beige color so I bought ivory colored fabric. I thought I could dye it with tea and am wondering how much tea do I use. My thought is to make the covers and then do the dye thing. Please help. Jan
Dear Jan,
You are going to have to experiment to find out. If you have scraps of the fabric, you can try various strengths of tea. There is some good information on tea dyeing at http://www.reddawn.net/quilt/teadye.htm.

Keep in mind tea is brown only. No cream, pink, or yellow in it. If you want a different shade or tint, you will need to add a pinch of dye. good luck!
Jennifer

Hi Jennifer,
I need to know if it's possible to dye a 80/20 nylon/spandex bathing suit. It's a light tan color & I'm wanting to go darker. If so, which products are best & will they be colorfast (at least somewhat) after being in the sun & swimming pool?
Thanks in advance!
Alicia
Dear Alicia,
You have caught me at the moment when I am just getting into dyeing nylon. Nylon can be dyed with the acid dyes available at www.dharmatrading.com. They are super-easy to use & require only white vinegar. Caveat: the acid dyes require HOT water which may damage or weaken the spandex in your swimsuit. However, if you are willing to experiment, you could try it. You can easily do the dyeing in your washing machine with no muss or fuss. The color develops after you put in the vinegar.
have fun!
Jennifer

I have bought a pair of shoes, that I love for my wedding. But I actually need them white--it there a way to make them lighter? They are an ivory or possible a little darker color. I dod not need them bright white--just a little lighter, as my dress is white. Thank you for your time.
Hoo, I am sorry, I cannot recommend any action here. Take them to a professional shoe dyeing establishment & see what they say.
Blessed wedding,
Jennifer

Is it possible to dye a dress successfully that is 92% rayon 8% lycra? It's a terrific dress, just needs to be a darker green.
Thanks for your help,
J
Dear Jeannie,
Please read my article on Fabric Dyeing 101 (link at the top of my column) for the first line of answers. It's possible that you can move the dress a darker value of its current color. There are some caveats & things to keep in mind, however.
Write back if you have more questions!
Jennifer

I made the mistake of trying to remove some tiny rust spots from a top made of cotton/Rayon blend, and wound up with the rust spots AND small lightened spots surrounding them! This is a garment involving several layers of bias-cut material, in a sage green. Can this be dyed successfully to get rid of the light spots, at least? And without completely ruining the garment?
Thank you,
K
Dear Kathleen,
I really don't know, it depends on what you used to try to remove the spots. If you used chlorine bleach, you can't repair the damage with overdyeing. If you used something else, like an authorized detergent, & the garment is marked "wash" or "hand wash," then you could take it back to the store. If you determine you have nothing else to lose, you could try dyeing it a darker value of the same color. Get a catalog from www.dharmatrading.com & study the instructions for the reactive dyes. Write again if you get stuck!
Jennifer

Dear Jennifer:
I want to make a quilt form my daughters wedding using Algodon cotton because of it's softness and sheen. I would like to use Silk Dupioni in some applique on the quilt. Will there be a problem in cleaning the quilt with these two fabrics. What would method would you recommend to clean it?
Mary
If you wash all the fabrics before you start, you will be able to wash the quilt. Silk dupioni will change a bit in texture & it will remain gorgeous, too. If you have any questions about it, then overcast the edges by some easy method & wash a swatch. If you don't wash all the fabrics before you begin, and you wash the finished quilt, then you risk irregular shrinkage of the quilt fabrics. I personally try not to dry clean much of anything, but of course this is an option if you want to skip the washing & testing steps.
sounds lovely!
Jennifer

Dearest Jennifer,
I have a black 50%Viscose, 30% Cotton, 17% Nylon, and 3% Spandex sweater that is now looking a little faded. What dye do you recommend I use to dye it back to black @ home? Also I live in the Los Angeles area do you know of any local Fabric Stores where I can purchase this dye from?
Thank You,
Monica
Dearest Monica,
I would try the industrial dyes from www.dharmatrading.com. This is what I use to overdye black things that have faded. Caveat, you must be willing to put your sweater in the washing machine on hot.
have fun,
Jennifer

Hello, I came across your website while trying to find our about dying my sofa's slip cover.
Would I be able to dye it in my washing machine? If so what type of dye should I use? I would also appreciate any tips.
Thank you, Susan
Dear Susan,
First, please read my article on Dyeing 101. This will give you the basic orientation. Next, get a copy of the catalog from www.dharmatrading.com & read about the reactive dyes. Then, if you can fit it easily in your washing machine, you can probably dye it. have fun,
Jennifer

I know this sounds crazy but I am going to do it! I am going to dye my sleeper sofa cushion covers in my washing machine (6 that all zip off) and then I am going to take my sofa outside and spray the body of it, on fine mist, with the garden sprayer (filled with steaming hot water). Then after I spray for awhile and let it "sit and soak", I will take my garden hose and hook to my washing machine(which is in a washroom outside) and rinse it off with hot water. But maybe I need to use cool water so it doesn't get rid of a lot of the color. Give me any suggestions, even if you think I am completely nuts (which my friend does-she says it won't work so now I really am determined.) I don't want it to fade on someone when they sit down, so what do I need to do. It is a real light print fabric and I am dyeing it Scarlett. I don't care if it looks mottled a little. It goes in my vintage travel trailer. HELP!
Judy
Dear Judy,
Hey, who am I to stand in your way. Just don't point that sprayer my direction.

I really advise that you read my article on Fabric Dyeing 101, which has a link at the top of my column. This will give you the basic principles of color-on-fabric.

Also, keep in mind that Rit is not a very dark or vivid dye. In order to get a saturated color, you will need to use the reactive dyes, which require also salt & soda ash in order to be fixed on fabric.

I really don't think that the rinse water temperature makes much of a difference. It's really hard to adequately rinse such a thing as an upholstered piece of furniture. Even a cotton tshirt will leak dye for a few washings after the dye-&-rinse process.

I hope you live somewhere very hot & dry! Else you are going to have (quickly) a mildewed, stinky sofa on your hands & in your front yard.

Many times I do respond to inquiries saying, you are undertaking a big experiment. I don't know how it will come out & no one else does either. But if you really want to, & you don't care about the outcome, give it a try!!
have fun, & write back & tell me about it!
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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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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