Fabric Dyeing Questions

printer friendly version

June/July

Hi there!
I just bought some lovely mesh/lace in white and would like to change the color to a soft gold or antinque-like. I thought of staining it with tea. Any thoughts?
Thank you so much for your time.
Stella
Dear Stella,

well, it really depends on what your lace is made of. Part or all cotton lace will take tea stain or dye nicely. Polyester or nylon may stain with tea - you'll just have to try it to find out. In general, tea will dye fabric brown. If you want more of a gold or yellow, you can supplement with rit dye or a reactive dye.

There are some good stories & resources at www.askjeeves.com. Go to this website & search for tea dyeing. Have fun!!
Jennifer

Hi,
I have a very servicable sofa, light gray that has become soiled. I remember seeing a product that was dye in a aerasol can, but this was a while back. Do you know of any such product that is on the market now.
Thanks Lois
Dear Lois,
I am unaware of any product like this. It is possible to spray on fabric dye, but with upholstery you run into the problem of not being able to easily rinse out excess dye. I have seen upholstery spray painted on Trading Spaces, & I believe that they use ordinary latex paint. You can also brush paint onto fabric. Go to Home Depot & consult with them about paint on fabric. The Trading Spaces website has some interesting stuff on painting canvas which can then be used for slipcovers. Since slipcovers are so much in style right now, this might be the easiest & most elegant solution to your gray sofa. If you want to get really creative, you can dye or paint the slipcover fabric. Have fun!!
Jennifer

My in-laws have a overstuffed sectional hide-a-bed sofa that is a southwest with pink streaks in it. They bought new and no longer want the sec tional...we do but not pink! Can it be dyed? Without any color rubbing off on us later?
Hi Linda,
Sorry, you cannot dye the sofa. You can spray paint it with fabric paint (available at Michaels or Hobby Lobby), but it will take a LOT of spray paint & the results are unpredictable. Dyeing is a water-based process which must be rinsed repeatedly, very hard to do on a piece of furniture. Consider recovering or slipcovers.
Jennifer

We have recently put an addition on our home. My mother-in-law has given me a gorgeous wing back chair, but the fabric doesn't work anywhere in the house. I know I could make a slip cover, but I like the texture of the existing fabric. is it possible to dye the chair as is or will I ruin the piece?
Dear Stephanie,
Dyeing is not an option here. You could try spray-on fabric paint (available at crafts stores) if you really want to experiment. The easiest & best thing would be to look for a new fabric that pleases you. Have the chair recovered or make slip covers.
Jennifer
Dyeing Columnist

Dear Friends,

I have received a number of questions lately about dyeing upholstered furniture, & I have to tell you all that this is not a good option unless you really want to make a big science experiment. Fabric dye is a water-based process which must be rinsed repeatedly, else you will have dye rubbing off on the clothes & skin of everyone who sits on the furniture. You can try spray-on fabric paint on a smaller project, such as chair cushions, if you really want to. This stuff is available at crafts stores in the fabric paint/t-shirt embellishment department. Follow directions carefully.

I know, I know, I saw them spray paint that chair on Trading Spaces too. As far as I can determine, the chair was vinyl or naugahyde & took some kind of paint from an industrial sprayer. I have not been able to find any details on this process. If anyone knows the specifics on what they did on the show, please let me know!! (Also, remember, the chair's owner was not particularly pleased with the result.)

It is much, much easier & overall more satisfactory to recover your existing furniture, to make slipcovers, or to get new pieces than to take on a fabric color change project. Save dyeing for t-shirts, tablecloths, sheets, towels, sewing fabric, etc.

Jennifer

Can I dye sheer curtains? I would like to find some silver ones to layer with white ones and I am having no luck, so I thought maybe I could dye them. What do you think?
Thanks
Laura
Dear Laura,

Custom dyeing window treatments is one of my specialities. Sheers are especially easy both to dye & to hang & make look good. The thing to keep in mind is that your fabric must be a natural fiber: cotton, rayon, silk, or linen. I have created a lot of beautiful windows with cotton bubble gauze. It takes the dye beautifully, has an interesting texture, and is very inexpensive so you can use a lot of it.

I have not done a lot of grayish-silver in cotton. It is a hard color to get in rayon or silk - it comes out sort of muddy purple. Buy some extra fabric to experiment with. I suggest Dharma Trading Co's reactive dye in pewter. (You can get the bubble gauze from Dharma, too.)

Another resource which might be sooo much easier is www.tapestria.com. This is a source for decorative fabrics that is available to the trade. They have sheers in every color & lots of textures. You must have a tax id number in order to get things from them. Check around among your friends to see if anyone is set up to assist you with this.

Have fun decorating! I like the idea of your layered colors.
Jennifer

Jennifer,
I have a slipcover that I purchased from IKEA last year to use with a Klippan sofa. The slipcover is 100% cotton and it's color is a shade of green (not dark, but not light almost an avocado green). The sofa itself is white. My question is, do you think I can dye the slipcover black? If dyeing is possible what type of dye should I purchase to do this project? And one more question, by dyeing the slipcover black would it ever bleed into the white sofa if liquid spilled on it?
Thanks for your time.
Jodi
Dear Jodi,

It is possible to dye your slipcover but the results are unpredictable. To me, almost the most unpredictable element is the evenness with which the slipcover would take the dye, & here's why. If it is very large, making a tight fit in your washer, it's likely that it will not take evenly. Bucket dyeing is out, too, you would have a really big mess in your front yard with again, uneven results possible. Another factor contributing to the uneven results is the condition of the slipcover. Has it been used for a while in its current green state? It's likely that it could have some unseen spots that might be greasy or otherwise repell the dye. Final matter: black is the hardest color to obtain &, in my experience, would probably come out dark green or dark greenish-charcoal.

Now if you decide you have nothing to lose & want to try anyway, I suggest that you get a copy of the Dharma Trading Company catalog & read carefully how to vat dye something using the reactive dyes. You can get the general idea at www.dharmatrading.com, however, I also suggest getting a paper copy of their catalog for complete perusal. After you read through their vat dyeing instructions, talk to them or write back to me about what dyes they suggest. You will need a minimum of chemicals, including ordinary table salt & soda ash, which is available at pool supply stores.

If you are able to easily dye the thing in your washer you will be able to adequately rinse out the excess dye by washing it a couple of times with Synthropol (also available from Dharma).

Do a little research & let me know if you have more questions!!
Jennifer

Dear Jennifer,
I've often seen descriptions of fabric in clothing catalogues, as 'modal'. but what is modal?
We, my wife my daughter and me, just like to know what we might be getting and what to expect of it.
Your help is appreciated, sincerely, George
Dear George,
Here is what The Big Expert at Fabrics.net, Judith, reports about modal: It is a British generic term for cellulose fiber with the strength of "high wet modulus". In other words, it is a rayon.
Hope this helps!
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.

Take a look at the latest Dizzylettuce styles & colors at www.dizzylettuce.com.

You can contact me at 512 837 4063 or here at dizzylettuce@fabrics.net.

If you love beautiful colors, luxurious textures, rich and interesting trim accents, the creation of a unique fashion look, and beautiful clothes - you will love Dizzylettuce!

If you are looking for fabrics, the fastest route is to fill out a request form at http://www.fabrics.net/swatch/

The "dizzylettuce" Column is an opinion Column and may or may not reflect the views of Fabrics.net.