Fabric Dyeing Questions

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August Questions

Recently, my basement flooded and destroyed two of my vintage jackets and sweaters. The sweater was red, blue and cream. The red and blue dye ran onto the cream base of the sweater. The jacket's colors also ran. Is their anything that can be done about this, additionally, is "spot dyeing" the garments a viable option? If so, will you recommend someone?
Dear Gregory, I am sorry, I think your stuff is ruined. There is no spot dyeing.
Go shopping & cheer yourself up.
best,
Jennifer

Hello...I saw your column on the net and wanted to ask how I can prevent the dyed cushions from bleeding onto people or clothes. The cushions are on the seat of dining room chairs and look great. However, we fear they may bleed onto people's clothes and were looking for some sort of waterproofing or protectant spray that you may be able to reccommend. Thanks for you help . - Melody
Hi Melody,
If the cushion covers can be washed, you can set the color with Retayne, available at www.dharmatrading.com. If you can't wash them, & you have experienced this bleeding or "crocking," I suggest you return them. This should not happen & the retailer needs to know about it.
best,
Jennifer

Is there a way to whiten polyester/cotton (50-50) that has turned yellow?
Try oxyclean first, if that doesn't work, you can use regular chlorine bleach (according to package instructions).
Jennifer

Could you tell me if I can tea dye a white unitard. Its an undergarment and is nylon with some spandex. I want to get it to a nude color. How shall I do that? Thanx for a quick reply.Anita
Hi Anita,
this can be dyed using the acid dyes from www.dharmatrading.com. Start with a little bit of dye & HOT water in your washing matchine. Follow their instructions carefully!
best,
Jennifer

Do you have any information you could share regarding dyeing an entire (80 yard) bolt of bias cut 1" silk ribbon. I hope not to have to unroll the entire bolt in order to color it in some way, before crocheting with it. I would appreciate any little bit of information you have.
Dear Jan,
I guess there are 2 schools of thought on this. I know that at Hanah Ribbons they dye the silk on the roll. They sell the ribbons in all sorts of gorgeous colors, so they probably will not reveal their techniques. However, I have used these ribbons in my work & I surmise that they dip the entire roll in the dye, producing a variegated or mottled effect. Here's one site where you can see them:
http://gallery.bcentral.com/GID5108334DD405156-Handpainted-Yarns/Hanah-Silk.aspx

The other method is to unwind the roll & dye from there. Dharma Trading Co has an article on it:
http://www.dharmatrading.com/html/eng/1687254-AA.shtml. Although it might take you a bit to unroll, it should not be very bulky & will be a quick dyeing project.

keep creating,
Jennifer

I have a black sweater that's a bit faded from being in my car. I wanted to dye it black so that it doesn't look faded anymore. It's 88/12 cotton and nylon. Can I use RIT dye for this? Their website said blends will tint evenly but not achieve full color? Thanks.
Dear Crystal,
Rit is not a very dark, saturated dye, & black is hard to get in any circumstance. You can try overdyeing it in the washer with the reactive dye Black 250 from www.dharmatrading.com. Read & follow instructions carefully.
best,
Jennifer

Hi I want to dye a small part of a favorite shirt that is cotton. I discolored it lighlty with bleach trying to get a nail polish stain off. The nail polish stain is somewhat faded but still there. My shirt is a lite beige and has thin brown lines which also got slightly faded. What dye could I buy and you think this would work? and how would I match the color?
Dear Floresita,
I am sorry, this can't be repaired. Time to go shopping.
Jennifer

I recently threw a rayon dress into the washer by mistake and it bled is there anything I can do to the dress to take out where it bled? any type of detergent that is new on the market? will white vinegar help?
Dear Heidi,
I don't think there's much you can do for this dress. But it really depends on what color it was & how the bleeding occurred. Rit sells a product that is available at Hancock Fabrics that can fix some bleeding mistakes.
good luck,
Jennifer

I have a few questions...My grandmother gave me some pink towels that she no longer wanted but are in great shape. Is it possible to dye them a deep red/marroon color. I also have some dark grey towels that I would like to dye this same color. Is this possible and do you have any suggestions for how to do this? I'm not really concerned about having them all match the same hue but to be in the same color category. I have a duvet cover from Ikea that is a dark olive green, is it possible to dye it a dark brown and not have hints of green in the fabric? Also, would I be able to dye pink sheets the same color of brown? I have never dyed before so the whole idea is scary to me and I don't want to destroy my things. Thank you so much for your information and advice!
Dear Sarah,
Get a copy of the catalog from www.dharmatrading.com & study it carefully. You can dye all the towels (as long as they are all cotton) a shade of dark red using the reactive dyes in chocolate brown (which is really red), fire red chinese red, maroon brown, and/or some combination thereof. Remember you are adding color to an existing color, so the dye lots will differ slightly. I have dyed loads & loads of towels with great results!!

You might be able to get the pink sheets to dark brown, but they will have a pink tint to the brown. I don't know about olive to brown. Do that one last, after you have some experience dyeing. Also, on the slipcover- it needs to fit in your washer with room to spare for even results.

Have fun! You are going to get hooked!!
Jennifer

I am planning a wedding for the fall of this year. My dress is ivory. I would like to use my mom's veil, but it's white. Her veil is a wider weave tulle fabric with lace around the edge. It looks and sounds to me like it is poly…it has a stiffness to the fabric. We were thinking that we could tea dye the garment once at a time to get it to the color we need. Will this work?
Hi Nicole,
Sorry, if this is polyester it won't take tea dye. If it is nylon tulle, you may be able to dye it using the acid dyes available at www.dharmatrading.com, but they require very hot water in order to work, so you have to be willing to put the entire veil into a HOT washer load or simmer on the stove.
blessings to the wedding!!
Jennifer

I have an off-white crinkled cotton peasant-type blouse that one day I left on the floor after undressing. Well, our old lady dog decided she wanted to sleep on it and has left stains on it I can't remove.
I have soaked it in cold coffee and the color is very acceptable. I'm just not sure now how to launder the shirt so I don't lose the color. Thanks for any and all help.
Dear Kay,
I really don't know. Try washing it by hand & see what happens. If you like that color, you can dye it permanently with the reactive dyes at www.dharmatrading.com. Read their instructions carefully.
I have gotten out all dog & cat stains using Stainstick & Oxyclean, fyi.
best,
Jennifer

I have an almost new dark blue denim skirt which I love, but have noticed a few pale blue marks near the hemline. I can only assume that these are bleach splashes.
Would it be possible to dye the skirt in a similar dark blue colour to hopefully cover these marks? If so, could this be done in the washing machine and would the result be an even colour all over, so that the skirt would be back to its new state?
I would appreciate your advice.
Dear Hazel,
I am sorry, bleach stains cannot be repaired. Chlorine bleach does something to the fabric that prevents overdyeing. If you really want to, you can consult with Sherry at www.fabricdyeing.com & see if any of her methods can fix it.
best,
Jennifer

I have a cute sofa that is a soft yellow color. If you have ever seen the sitcom "The Parkers", it is that same exact sofa. I love the pattern, but would love to "stain" it to be more neutral (beige, tan)... I know you can do this with some fabrics/paper with tea bags. Is there a way to treat upholstered fabric so that it matches all of my other furniture? Any info would be greatly appreciated!
Dear Lisa,
I don't recommend any method of dyeing upholstered furniture except Simply Spray spray-on fabric dye, which comes in a limited number of colors. Check out their video on sofa-dyeing at www.simplyspray.com. Keep in mind that all dyeing is an experiment, & that you will be adding color on top of the yellow you have there.
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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