Fabric Dyeing Questions

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April Questions

Hi Jennifer.
I am hoping you can help me. I bought some fabric at the store hoping that it would match with my daughters comforter. When I got it home, although the colors are right, they are too bright. Is there anyway to lighten the fabric, possibly by bleaching it? I do not know what the fabric is made of but I am sure it is some blend of cotton.
Thanks so much for your assistance.
Cheryll
Dear Cheryl,
Unless you are really desperate & have no other fabric resources in your town, I suggest that you start over. There is no way to get the exact color that you have in mind. Bleach could produce an uneven effect or seriously damage the fabric. You could try it if you are willing to experiment. Start with 1 cup of bleach in a washload of warm water.
good luck,
Jennifer

I use rit dye often to dye t-shirts. I was wondering if there was a way to make t-shirts heathered. Thanks, Dave
Dave,
"Heathered" is a function of yarn-dye - that is, a variegated yarn is knitted into fabric for a tshirt. So it's difficult to create this effect at the point of dyeing the garment. Experiment with special effects such as tying, bunching, soaking, etc to see if you can get a special effect that you like.
have fun,
Jennifer

HI DIZZY,
I BOUGHT SOME BEAUTIFUL STRETCH FABRIC AND IT HAS GLITTER PATTERNS ON IT.. HOWEVER.. THE GLITTER IS ALL OVER THE PLACE, MORE ON EVERYTHING ELSE THAN THE FABRIC..IS THERE ANYWAY TO KEEP THE GLITTER ON THE FABRIC?
THANKS
C SMITH
Sorry,
there is no way to correct this flaw. If possible, take the fabric back. The retailer should know about its imperfections.
Jennifer

hi jennifer,
i have a vintage dress (not very old, early 1980's i would guess). it is 57% cotton and 43% acetate brocade with a 100% acetate lining. the color is currently hot pink however i would like to change that. the dress came with a matching jacket that i did not like so i did some testing on it. i bleached some strips of fabric and was pleased with the results, but im not sure how the dress as a whole would handle the process. at this point i am looking to change the color to pretty much any one but the one it is now. also, if bleaching wouldnt work, would anything else help to change or lighten the color? thank you.
rs
Dear Rachel,
there is no simple answer to your inquiry. If you liked the result you got with bleach, try it on the dress. You have to look at it as an experiment, because the outcome is totally unknown. Just keep in mind the agitation required, possible shrinkage, potential damage to trim, etc. (Read my article on dyeing 101 for more details.)
Have fun,
Jennifer

Hi there Jennifer! I stumbled upon your website while trying to find information about dyeing a petticoat. I am trying to find a pink bridal petticoat to wear under my wedding dress - but can't find anyone anywhere that makes a pink wedding petticoat!
Thus, I had the thought to try and dye a white one to pink. Do you have any advice or thoughts on how i should do this, where I should start- can it even be done?
Thanks so much!
Judy
Judy
Unfortunately it would be quite a big project to dye a tulle petticoat & it would have to be all nylon, no polyester at all.
My suggestion is to get some pink tulle here at fabrics.net & have a dressmaker make the petticoat of your dreams.
You could also search at ebay. I've done a search recently for vintage crinoline & turned up marvelously colored petticoats. I don't know if any would be suitable for your bridal ensemble, but you could check!
I've been looking for the perfect vintage petticoat to show off with my vintage 50s skirts. Finally found one at a garage sale!
have a blessed wedding!
Jennifer

I have old while pillowcases with tatting. I would like to color them to an antique tea look without using tea, since it could be harmful for longevity. I believe they are all cotton.
I can't tell you exactly what to do since I don't know what you have in mind. So I suggest that you get some bleached cotton muslin to experiment with first. Look at the reactive dye colors at www.dharmatrading.com. You could also start with Rit dye, which is easy to use & doesn't require any additional chemicals.
have fun,
Jennifer

Dear Jennifer
I have some undyed finished zippers with 100% polyester tape 7 I want to dye them... The problem that the brass teeth / slider / top & bottom stops are attached... I am afraid if these zippers are dyed, it will affect the brass materials : teeth/slider/stoppers.... Can you please help...
Best Regards
Mourad
sorry, although the brass parts will be fine, the polyester tape will not dye at all.
Jennifer

Hello,
I am new to dyeing and have a red 50% cotton/50%polyester hoody that I would like to dye brown. I am from Canada and don't know what brand of dyes to choose. I know Ritt is readily available.
Aleasha
Dear Aleasha,
this is going to be hard to do. First, the polyester content of your hoodie will not take the dye at all. Next, you'll be mixing colors, so you'll basically get red-brown. If you like the idea of a mix, you could try it. Rit is not a very intense dye, but it is quite easy to use. If you want to try something else, you could check out the instructions & supplies at www.dharmatrading.com.
good luck,
Jennifer

If I have a 100% black cotton garment -- what can I do to set the black in the fabric so that it won't fade when washed???
Thanks!
Best way to handle this is to wash the garment in ivory snow liquid. It actually keeps black items black.
Jennifer

I prewash all of my material for quilting, and the yardage I just washed has stained the Stainless Steel tub and agitator blue. I have tried removing it with bleach, and then again with white vinegar. Any ideas here?
Thanks
Jennifer
Dear Jenny,
1. Spray down the inside of the tub with 409 & wipe with a damp cloth.
2. Run a wash load of white towels with detergent & bleach.
3. If the stain is still there, don't worry about it, it won't come off on your clothes.
Jennifer

Hi Jennifer,
I recently bought a brown Leather jacket that I found on clearance, unfortunately, there were no Black ones (which is what I really wanted). I am wondering if it is possible for me to dye this jacket black and is this something that I can do myself? If so, is there any particular leather dye that I should use?
Thanks,
Michelle
Dear Michelle,
products for leather dyeing are available at www.leathermagic.com. Keep in mind that you will be adding color, so you probably won't get a true black. It might also be hard to get the new color very even. But you can experiment with an inside piece if you like & see how it comes out!
good luck,
Jennifer

I have pure white long drapes (washable) in my living room and dining room that are too white for the rest of the house. (I have off white/ ivory walls and furniture throughout). I don't know the fabric off hand, but it's probably cotton along with (maybe polyester)? Too hard to go looking now at the tag. Any way, I heard once that if you take white curtains and soak them in water with "tea bags" it will darken them to a linen color. Is this true and if so how many tea bags would I need!!! How do you suggest I do it? And, when I wash them again, will the color wash out? If this wouldn't work, how else can I change the color to a linen, or ivory, anything but pure white!!! My drapes are long to the floor (63-83") with tie backs and ruffles(like sold in Country Curtains catalog) and are old but still look beautiful. They are a heavy cotton type fabric like heavy sheeting. Also, since they've been hanging for so long, there may be uneven fading, which I can't tell because they are a solid white, would dying them show the unevenness if there is any at all?
Evelyn
Dear Evelyn,
I think I know these window treatments, they are indeed cotton & polyester. But please, check to make sure.

Go to www.askjeeves.com & search for tea dyeing. There are some interesting & useful articles there. Keep in mind, tea dyeing is not a solid-color dyeing technique. It's more like a variegated or mottled effect.

You could also vat-dye them in the washing machine using an ivory or ecru reactive dye available at www.dharmatrading.com. Read their instructions carefully, & start with only a little bit of dye.

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

Dear Jennifer,
My daughter has been asked to be a bridesmaid in a relative's wedding several states away. The trouble is, the bride has requested that all her bridesmaids wear any "plain, pink long dress without trim or flowers." A long search for such a dress yielded one plain PEACH long dress. So close!! (Especially close since the bride says "oh any pink will be fine," and I can't tell you how many different pinks there are! Well, we all know that the bride should have what she wants....)

The dress is a Ralph Lauren silk, a very light color peach, the shell is 100% silk, the lining 100% acetate. I'm not sure what the stitching thread is. Is there any way to dye this dress some rosy pink? If so, how can it be done and who should attempt it?

Thank you!
Amy
Dear Amy,
Did you search on ebay? That is definitely the place to find all sorts of obscure things!

Please read my article on dyeing that is on the fabrics.net site. There is a link to it right at the top of my current column. This will give you the basics about dyeing, especially about dyeing dresses. Keep in mind you will be adding color, so you will need to work with what you have there.

After reading the article, if you think the dress is a candidate for dyeing, write back & I will tell you a few more instructions.

good luck & happy wedding celebration!
Jennifer

Hello, and love your site...I have a pair of jeans in light wash, they are 97% cotton and 3% spandex...would love to have them in darker denim color...will the spandex take the dye?
Thanks
Donna
Donna,
spandex will not dye, but you have such a small percentage there that you don't need to be concerned about it. Look at the Rit site for their denim info. www.ritdye.com.
have fun!
Jennifer

Good Morning Jennifer,
I saw your webpage where you answered fabric dying questions and I was hoping you could help me out. I have been looking for instructions on how to dye with a fading effect, so the top of the fabric is a dark colour and gradually fades to a light colour at the bottom. I know this technique to be called oberon dyeing, but I haven't been able to find any resources with that term.
I am sure I could experiment to find how to do this, but I would appreciate some suggestions.
Kindest Thanks,
Karen
Karen,
this technique is called ombre dyeing. Search for it on google or www.askjeeves.com. It's possible to do but definitely an advanced technique.
Have fun!
Jennifer

I have a Black and White ranch mink coat. Even though its been cleaned and stored each summer, the white portion of the coat is turning yellow. Can mink be dyed? Thanking you in advance
Francine
Dear Francine,
I really don't know about this. I would search for fur dyeing or leather dyeing for more information. You can start by contacting Coronet Leather in Denver. They tackle tricky jobs of all kinds.
www.coronetleather.com.
good luck,
Jennifer

I have a few pairs of dark blue jeans. I don't care for the dark look and wonder if there is a safe way to fade these. I'm not talking about an acid wash look- I think that's that combination of light and dark blue with an almost white mixed in. I think maybe what I want is called stonewashed blue. I have tried 3-4 bottles of hydrogen peroxide with no discernible effect. I have also,disastrously, used Rit color remover. It, of course, took all the color. I re- washed them,without rinsing, and all the color was deposited back onto the fabric. Now the jeans have an awful, completely even and flat look. There is none of the tiny light and dark striped look of a normal blue jean. Anyway, I hope you can help me do this right with other jeans.
Thanks very much,
Stefi
Dear Stefi,
Here is a method to try. Please receive the caveat that I don't know exactly what will happen. Wash one pair with 1 cup of chlorine bleach & 2 cups of rock salt. See how you like the effect. You can vary this by decreasing the amount of bleach (don't increase) or omitting the rock salt next time.

Denim is white or natural in one direction of the weave, & indigo in the other. You deposited the color back onto both directions of threads. This is why you have a flat blue pair of jeans now. Maybe you are starting a new trend.

good luck!
Jennifer

Jennifer,
I love the look of the new 3D flower brooches that are in the machine embroidery craze right now. I have quite a bit of 100% silk organza that I can use but it's all white. Is there a simple way to dye the febric without a lot of mess. Also, can the dye solution be saved for a period of time? (between projects)
Thanks,
Lynne
Dear Lynne,
I dye silk organza regularly & love the effect. It takes the dye very vividly & with a lot of saturation. However, the smooth finish on the fabric departs somewhat. I like the crushed or washed effect, which can be ironed for a more tailored effect.

Get a copy of the catalog from www.dharmatrading.com & study the reactive dyes. YOu can bucket dye small pieces or do bigger ones in the washer. Dharma provides all the details about how the dyes work.

I personally find washing machine dyeing to be the least mess. Bucket dyeing is easy in the front yard, but admittedly is a bit more messy. Get some rubber gloves, an old wooden spoon, & a couple of plastic buckets.

have fun! you are giving me some inspiration on the flower thing.
Jennifer

Dear Jennifer,
I have a beautifully "preserved" wool sweater that was my grandmother's - no stains, no holes, etc. I'd like to change the color since it looks a bit blah. Right now it's a natural wool (probably undyed?). Can I do this myself? Can it be done? thanks, Sue
Dear Sue,
I wouldn't chance this, since wool will shrink & felt with the warm-water process of dyeing. Liven it up with a scarf, a flower, or a brooch.
sorry,
Jennifer

Dear Jennifer-
I stumbled upon your web site and I am hoping you may know what I am talking about and even have an answer. My employers just bought some cotton scarves in Mexico and they said they have that treatment "seizing or siezing". do you know what they are talking about? And how can you remove it? Please let me know if you have any ideas or maybe where to point.
thanks for your time-Dana
Dana,
Could this be "sizing" you are talking about? If so, sizing is a surface treatment which keeps new items from crushing & makes them look smooth & new in the store. It comes out with washing. Be aware, cotton from Mexico may be unstable in color & leak dye everywhere. You may also have significant shrinkage. 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.

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