Fabric Dyeing Questions

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July Questions

Hi ! I have a light green silk dupioni bridesmaids dress that I'm looking to dye black. Do you offer a dying service? thanks !
Meredith,
here are two places you can consult with:
www.fabricdyeing.com
www.knitweardoctor.com
Both of these companies offer dyeing of single garments.
best,
Jennifer

I hope you're doing really well. I am getting married this October in a Vintage style wedding, and have a query on dyeing silk that I really hope you can advise me on. I have designed a corset, skirt and jacket to look (hopefully!) classy and elegant, and so I can wear each piece individually after the event (the corset will have layers of peacock feathers on the front panel). I'm so pleased with the design but have a big problem.... My dress maker sourced some shot silk from Thailand (to reduce costs) and although I requested a navy/royal blue, she was unable to find this so bought 10 metres of a very bright turquoise! It is a beautiful colour but if the whole outfit is made of this I will feel a bit like a Christmas bauble! To prevent her having to get more fabric from local sources (which will be far more expensive) is there any way of treating this silk and darkening the colour slightly? I don't mind if it remains greeny/turquoise and not dark blue, but I would really appreciate any advice you can give on how to darken it without ruining the fabric (or staining my body when wearing it!). Any help you could give would be so much appreciated. Many thanks in advance....
Dear Megan,
It's possible to overdye the turquoise into a darker blue-green, but you will lose the existing finish on the fabric & also incur some shrinkage. I am assuming that the project is still in fabric form & not yet constructed into garments. Try washing a bit of the fabric in warm water with warm rinse & see what happens & if you like the effect.
There is only one place in the UK that does small piece dyeing, Panny & Co in London. They do only a limited number of colors, as I understand it. Contact them & see if they are willing to do it.
http://www.studios92.com/guide/garment_dyeing.htm

I love the description of your ensemble!! It sounds wonderful!

best & let me know if you need more info,
Jennifer

I have a sofa and 2 chairs in a pale terracotta colour, all the covers are fully removeable, is it possible to dye them another colour and what would suggest the best way would be to do this? I was hoping to dye them an aubergine colour. I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Dear Lesley,
In theory this is possible, it all depends on the Fiber Content of the fabric. Please read my article on Fabric Dyeing 101 for basic information! Keep in mind you will be adding color to the existing color, so you will need to balance with a complementary color.
Write back if you have more questions!!
Jennifer

Hi Jennifer- I recently bought 20 yards of crushed voile fabric in an eggplant color. I would like to lighten it a little so that it doesn't look so close to black. It is made of 100% polyester. Is there any way of doing this? Thanks Theresa
Theresa,
I am sorry, this can't be lightened.
best,
Jennifer

On a TV show about quilting there was a demonstration of a fabric that was photo-sensitive and you could make images on it by putting objects on it and exposing it to the sun, then dipping it in plain water to bring the image out. I am not talking of dyeing fabric with Setacolor paint. This was a ready-made fabric. It looked grey before treatment and blue after the process. Do you know what it is called and more important, where can I purchase it? Thank you
I am sorry, I don't know about this product or where to find it. I suggest that you search the website of the channel you saw it on. You could also call Dharma Trading Co. (www.dharmatrading.com) & ask them if they know about it.
best,
Jennifer

I made a dumb mistake and washed a couple of my favorite white cotton shirts with a new pair of jeans, and now theyre basically tiedyed blue.. how do i get them back to their original white color? Thanks -kim
Hi Kim,
Rit Color Remover will take care of this. You should be able to get it at Walmart, in the laundry aids section. Here is a link to further info from Rit: http://www.ritdye.com/laundry.asp
best,
Jennifer

Hi, is it possible to change the color of a dark beige nylon umbrella to white?
Leydy,
sorry, this is not possible.
Jennifer

I have a lace tablecloth, sort of a heavy crotcheted type. Would I be able to tea stain it using GREEN tea to get a greenish hue? Thank you, Kathy
Hi Kathy,
Green tea does not make a green tint. I haven't tried it myself, but my understanding is that green tea makes brown, just like most teas. The green part refers to the time in which the tea is harvested.
Please read my article on Fabric Dyeing 101 for more information you need as you consider dyeing your tablecloth.
best,
Jennifer

Jennifer-
I have a black dress that i want to wear it to my graduation. The dress is a little too bold and un-spring-like and i was wonderingif it is possible to go to a tailor and get it bleached completely white without ruining it.
Thanks! Nora
Hi Nora,
Sorry, this is not possible. Time to go shopping.
Happy graduation,
Jennifer

What is the most effective way to dye a blue denim jacket white....I've tried using Rit Color Remover and even washing the jacket in bleach....the jacket has only faded and it's not completely white....do you have any suggestions or is this impossible Thanks
Since you have tried color remover, you have probably gotten the jacket as white as it is going to get. There is no white dye & actually nothing turns fabric totally white that was once dyed.
Sorry,
Jennifer

After searching through websites, I found one that was easy to understand and therefore can you please help me. I have a three and two seater settee in red (Linda Barker line) and I am looking to purchase a red leather dye to make this nice and shiny again. Can you help me.
Hi Kathleen,
Leather is not really my things, but I can refer you to www.leathermagic.com. See what they recommend.
best,
Jennifer

Hi Jen - I purchased 2 identical white cotton dresses for the renewing of my vows on the beach in Jamaica in a couple of weeks.
I wanted to dye my dress an ivory color and my daughter's dress a royal blue color.
These colors will match the colors of the "Hawaiian" shirts that I purchased for my husband and son.
Is dying these dresses this something I can do easily on my own (I've never done before) or should I have a professional do it?
Hi Betsy,
In fact, no dry cleaning establishments provide dyeing services, & there are only a couple of places in the country that do it. Check out these two:
www.fabricdyeing.com
www.knitweardoctor.com
Before doing anything, please read my article on Fabric Dyeing 101 (http://www.fabrics.net/DizzyLettuceArticle.asp). Dyeing is a warm water process, so the dresses must be able to take warm water & agitation. In addition, the thread & any trim, like zippers, will not dye at all.
many blessings to your renewal!!
Jennifer

I have a silk wedding dress that comes with a sash. I want to see if I can get the sash dyed light blue. Is there anywhere I can go to get this done? I live in San Mateo, CA but am willing to travel around the Bay Area to get it done. Any information you can give me on this would be appreciated. Thank you. Leslie
HI Leslie,
Does the sash come off? If so you might be able to do it yourself using Rit or the reactive dyes from www.dharmatrading.com. Alternatively you can contact Sherry at www.fabricdyeing.com & see what she says. She is located in the Santa Cruz area & has clients from all over the world. If the sash doesn't come off, you cannot dye it.
best & happy wedding,
Jennifer

I would like to dye a pair of Levis back to a darker color. I have often dyed denim, but I want the Levis label in the back (with the size) to remain unchanged, as well as the red tag on the rear pocket. I was wondering if I could paint them with paraffin to prevent the dye from working on those areas. Do you think this has any hope of working? Thank you!
Dear Shana,
you could try it. In general, tags are made of polyester which will not take dye. I don't know about the size tag, it might stain slightly. Dharma Trading Co sells products made to contain or resist dyes, called "resists." You could check those out too!
best,
Jennifer

Hi, I have a tencel blouse that I wore one time, and got something on it. Is is possible for me to dye this a darker color then it is? Any special recommendations? I have dyed fabric before, but not tencel.
Thanks
HI Lori,
Tencel is similar to rayon, so it can be dyed. I don't suggest Rit, however. Get a copy of the catalog from www.dharmatrading.com & study the instructions for the reactive dyes. If you want to have someone do it, you can contact the following dyehouses that will do individual garments:
www.fabricdyeing.com
www.knitweardoctor.com
best,
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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