Dyeing Fabric
| So You Want To Dye Your Fabric? Here I wanted to write a little bit about my experience with dyeing fabric. And a little bit it will be! This is because I have just started to learn how to dye fabric, and I have very little experience with it. But I think it is worth starting a page up, and as I learn more (learning more= I screwed something up and learned a lesson! Or I took a chance and it came out right!) I will add to this page. The next time you find that "perfect!" fabric, which is the wrong shade, you can change it on your own (within reason of course). I'm not here to teach you how to dye fabric, if you want to know about what to buy when preparing to dye, and what my experiences are with dyeing, then you are in the right place. I will leave the teaching how to dye to the experts! |
When I first tried dyeing fabric, it was quite a long time ago. I used your standard RIT dye right from
the fabric store, or the grocery store. My experience with RIT dyes was mixed. The first item I dyed
it came out just fine, and it surprised me because it was polyester and I assumed it would not come
out very well. Always take a chance, if you can. Always buy yourself an extra 1/2 or full yard of the
fabric you want to play with just for this purpose. If you destroy the extra, you have learned and not
damaged the bulk of it. If you are successful, then you know exactly what to do with the rest of it.
This is very sound advice. I wish someone would have told ME that when I began, so this is why I am
telling YOU! =0) I'm not going to tell you NOT to use RIT dyes. Nope. I'm going to tell you to try
different dyes out there and find your favorite one. I have my favorite ones, and you will have
yours. I will only tell you the experiences I have with said dyes and then you can decide for yourself
what you want to do and how you want to do it. Dyeing fabric takes up allot of your time. Consider
the fact that the first time I tried dyeing a piece of silk fabric it took about 1 & 1/2 hours from start to
finish. The second time I tried dyeing the same piece of silk (because it was not dark enough), it took
me 1 & 1/2 hours. I'm counting everything from pre-washing the fabric by hand (because I did not
want to put it in the washing machine), to the final rinse. After that I had to hang it up to dry,
(because I did not want to put it in the dryer) and that took 3-4 hours. So, you see- if you decide to
dye something be prepared to invest allot of time, and effort. Only you can decide if dyeing fabric is
worth it to you. When I dyed the cotton corduroy, it took me about 1 hour to dye it from start to
finish, and then I was able to wash it in the washing machine, and dry it in the dryer and that does
take about 1 hour more, but at least I am not spending allot of energy there, the machines are doing
it for me. Your choice of fabric, and the method you want to use determines the amount of effort
involved. Keep this in mind.
If You are brand new to dyeing fabric, here is a great way to start:
Buy yourself some books. Here are a few that I can recommend to you.
The Basic Guide To Dyeing And Painting Fabric (I own this one)
Fabric Dyeing For Beginners
Dyes & Paints: A Hands-On Guide To Coloring Fabric
Once you've read through your books, the next step would be practicing! Get in there and get dyeing!
So, you will need some tools and some products. Here is a basic list of items I have in my new "dye
kit":
Tub For Dyeing:
Now, if you want to, you CAN use your washing machine. You CAN use your bathtub or your wash
room basin. But I choose to use a big plastic tub. It is a 16 gallon tub with lid. The tub doubles as a
spot to hold all the other items listed below! You can pick up a tub like mine at a Wal-mart, a Target,
a Big Lots, and basically anywhere! May I suggest that you buy at LEAST a 16 gallon tub. This is
because of splashing. Splash happens. I fussed at dear hubby when he came home with a larger tub
than I asked for, but in the end it was best.
Gloves, Clear Goggles Or Clear Protective Safety Glasses, Dust Mask, ReDuran Hand
Cleaner, Bleach Spray Cleaner:
I cannot stress this enough: SAFETY FIRST! You need to heed all warnings on labels, you need to
READ all labels. I personally found out the hard way here. I suffer with a sulfite allergy which causes
migraines known as toxic headaches. These are caused by my body going into shock over coming
into contact with a sulfite. My body sees it as poison, and my body reacts as if I had been poisoned. I
do not have the allergy so bad that I am in life or death danger, if that was the case and if you are
unlucky enough to be just that sensitive to sulfite, please be advised you are taking a risk here, and
you want to talk to your doctor before you try messing with dyes & dye chemicals, please. Buy
yourself a bag of latex or non latex gloves, for there is no greater sponge of negative chemicals than
our skin. Buy yourself some clear plastic glasses available at any home improvement store because
SPLASH HAPPENS! And you don't want it to, in your eyes. Buy yourself a dust mask, and wear it not
only to keep the loose particles of the dye powders from entering your lungs, but also to help keep
you from breathing in the fumes caused by the mix which can cause migraines or headaches. This is
how I found out I react to the industrial detergent called synthropol mentioned next. The ReDuran
is for cleaning up any dye on your skin. It's like a cream cleanser with pumice in it, removes all the
dye. If you cannot find ReDuran, go get yourself a bar of LAVA Soap, or a cream cleanser for
mechanics something like that can be found at an auto parts store, or in the automotive section. A
grime cleaner. And lastly, buy yourself a bottle of Clorox Clean Up or Bleach and water spray in a
bottle of your own. This is used to remove any stray dye particles that might get on your counter
tops or other areas, and can be used to remove dyes from your tub, and you want bleach for running
through your washing machine after you're done dyeing in it. Be advised: don't tub dye on a surface
that you cannot bleach. I put my tub outside, or in cold weather, in the kitchen in the center of the
linoleum floor. Be advised: dyes can stain your worn bathtub and washing machines. Especially if
the enamel is chipped.
Plastic Spoons, Plastic Measuring Cup Set, Plastic Measuring Spoon Set, A Few Plastic
Bowls:
This is another safety point. You do not want to mix up your kitchen tools with your dye tools. In
fact, whenever you begin a new craft, go ahead and plan on buying yourself the basic tools, plus
common household items you come in contact with and keep them with your craft items just for
using with them. So, a couple plastic spoons, plastic because some metals react with dyes, and
wood--well, it just stains up and deteriorates. I am talking about the larger spoons, those for cooking
with. You need them for stirring your fabric in the mix, and for mixing up the dye into a paste and
slurry before you add it to the water. The measuring cups will be used for dyes, salts, and anything
else you need to measure. The measuring spoons are for the same purpose. The plastic bowls I use
are the disposable gladware type, these are for holding my spoon between stirring, and for dissolving
up the soda ash fixer in water. All these things get washed between uses with a sponge that I keep in
my kit that is only used for these items, never used on any of the kitchen dishes. Grab yourself a new
sponge when you are at the store.
Salt, A Timer Or Stop Watch, A Scale, Old T-shirts & Sweat Pants Or Shorts:
You'll be needing some salt for dye baths. The dye method I have been using requires "non-iodized
salt". Check to see if you need plain table salt, or if you need to use "non-iodized" salt. It should say
what type of salt it is on the box. The more you buy the better. The method I use calls for 1 & 1/2
cups of salt just to dye one yard of light weight fabric (1 lb. dry weight). So you see, you will need
lots. The timer or stop watch is for telling you how often to stir, if you're using a tub. There are very
different methods for dyeing using the washing machine. I use this stop watch that has a long cord
for hanging around your neck, and I just start the time running as soon as the fabric hits the water
and I have thoroughly whetted it down. Then I check it to make sure I am stirring when I am
supposed to. Besides, I HATE timers or alarms. So this is my "silent" method. I had on hand a small
digital scale I use for sending packages through the USPS it weighs amounts up to 5lb. I use this
small scale to weigh out the clean, dry fabric yardage before I decide how much dye and other
amounts I need to use. The tub method I use is based on dry weight of fabric as well as the color you
are trying to achieve (light or dark). So I would pull out your bathroom scale, or better yet a kitchen
scale or buy yourself a small digital scale. They are much easier to read when it is light amounts, less
than one pound in weight. As for the clothing, take that old holey shirt you can't handle throwing
away, and those old bottoms and wash them up and stash them into your kit. Then don them every
time you dye. Why? Because: SPLASH HAPPENS. =0) You'll thank me for mentioning it.
Now That You Have All These Odds And Ends In Household Items, You Need:
A.)FABRIC
B.)Dye & Various Chemicals
A good way to better understand how different fabrics react to, and respond to dyeing is by reading
those books mentioned above. And another cool place to read some helpful hints is at the Dharma
Trading Co. Website. Dharma is where I buy all my dye stuffs.
Dharma's Beginners Step By Step Buying Experience For Fiber Reactive Dyes.
This page linked above is ONLY going to help you if you have determined the best method for dyeing
your fabric is to use the fiber reactive dyes. That's why you need to understand how to dye your
fabric first. That is the first step. You need to determine the fabric fiber content. Is it silk, wool,
cotton, polyester? Once you know this, THEN you can decide which dyes and which process to go
through. Not all fabrics dye the same, some don't dye well at all. This is where you need the books.
Also,You have to take note of this: If you are using a dye to achieve a particularly dark or vivid color,
many times you need double or triple the amount of dye, so read those bottles at the store, don't
wait till you get home! Nothing worse than setting your mind up for a project only to discover you
are short on a necessary component and you now have to go out again. I hate that. So count your
dye kit items, see if there is anything you are low or out of, and when buying store bought or
Dharma dyes, make sure to check and see if the company recommends double dye or greater. Then
you can gauge just how much dye you need to buy. Sounds logical, but when you've never done it
before you may not be paying attention to this fact. You also have to come to terms with the fact
that you might need to dye it several times. Don't expect it to come out perfectly the first time. If it
does, do a dance. Be happy. But don't expect it. That way, you won't be disappointed.
The Other Various Chemicals:
I knew I was going to be dyeing some cotton corduroy. Since I knew the fiber content, and the color
that I wanted, I just followed the Beginner's Buying Guide at Dharma mentioned above to pick up the
various other items. Here are the items I bought on top of the one container of fiber reactive dye:
Calsolene Oil*:
This breaks the surface tension of the water, and helps disperse the dye better.
Soda Ash Fixer:
This is a must have to permanently fix dyes in your fabric.
Synthrapol*:
This is an industrial detergent. I use it to pre-wash my fabrics, and to wash with after they are dyed.
Milsoft Fabric Softener:
This is an industrial fabric softener. I like it allot because it is unscented unlike allot of commercial
grade fabric softener. It works very well to bring back the soft drape of your silks once you have dyed
them, without adding it, the silk can feel kind of "crunchy" or stiff from the dye process.
*The chemicals mentioned above are a sulfite allergy issue. Please be careful using these if you
suffer with sulfite allergy. Wear a mask & gloves and open your windows if you plan on hand
washing fabric with the Synthrapol because the fumes alone gave me a 3 day toxic migraine =0(
Whenever possible use it in the washing machine and walk away!
Once I had all these items on hand, I began to dye some fabric.
I followed Dharma's Directions exactly as they appear here. I did not deviate from those directions.
Comparing the dye experience with my previous dye experience using RIT dye, what impressed me
the most with the fiber reactive dye was the lack of color loss in the rinse phase. So much color was
lost when I had used the RIT, however I had used it on a piece of polyester so this might have been
the reason for the big color loss. When I used the fiber reactive dye, I noticed right away how little
time it took me to rinse, and then I noticed how the color stayed just right and did not lighten much
at all. Again, if you're used to using RIT please don't let me tell you not to, but do give these other
dyes a try. I was not disappointed in my project one bit.
Here is a picture of the brown corduroy before and after I dyed it:
the fabric store, or the grocery store. My experience with RIT dyes was mixed. The first item I dyed
it came out just fine, and it surprised me because it was polyester and I assumed it would not come
out very well. Always take a chance, if you can. Always buy yourself an extra 1/2 or full yard of the
fabric you want to play with just for this purpose. If you destroy the extra, you have learned and not
damaged the bulk of it. If you are successful, then you know exactly what to do with the rest of it.
This is very sound advice. I wish someone would have told ME that when I began, so this is why I am
telling YOU! =0) I'm not going to tell you NOT to use RIT dyes. Nope. I'm going to tell you to try
different dyes out there and find your favorite one. I have my favorite ones, and you will have
yours. I will only tell you the experiences I have with said dyes and then you can decide for yourself
what you want to do and how you want to do it. Dyeing fabric takes up allot of your time. Consider
the fact that the first time I tried dyeing a piece of silk fabric it took about 1 & 1/2 hours from start to
finish. The second time I tried dyeing the same piece of silk (because it was not dark enough), it took
me 1 & 1/2 hours. I'm counting everything from pre-washing the fabric by hand (because I did not
want to put it in the washing machine), to the final rinse. After that I had to hang it up to dry,
(because I did not want to put it in the dryer) and that took 3-4 hours. So, you see- if you decide to
dye something be prepared to invest allot of time, and effort. Only you can decide if dyeing fabric is
worth it to you. When I dyed the cotton corduroy, it took me about 1 hour to dye it from start to
finish, and then I was able to wash it in the washing machine, and dry it in the dryer and that does
take about 1 hour more, but at least I am not spending allot of energy there, the machines are doing
it for me. Your choice of fabric, and the method you want to use determines the amount of effort
involved. Keep this in mind.
If You are brand new to dyeing fabric, here is a great way to start:
Buy yourself some books. Here are a few that I can recommend to you.
The Basic Guide To Dyeing And Painting Fabric (I own this one)
Fabric Dyeing For Beginners
Dyes & Paints: A Hands-On Guide To Coloring Fabric
Once you've read through your books, the next step would be practicing! Get in there and get dyeing!
So, you will need some tools and some products. Here is a basic list of items I have in my new "dye
kit":
Tub For Dyeing:
Now, if you want to, you CAN use your washing machine. You CAN use your bathtub or your wash
room basin. But I choose to use a big plastic tub. It is a 16 gallon tub with lid. The tub doubles as a
spot to hold all the other items listed below! You can pick up a tub like mine at a Wal-mart, a Target,
a Big Lots, and basically anywhere! May I suggest that you buy at LEAST a 16 gallon tub. This is
because of splashing. Splash happens. I fussed at dear hubby when he came home with a larger tub
than I asked for, but in the end it was best.
Gloves, Clear Goggles Or Clear Protective Safety Glasses, Dust Mask, ReDuran Hand
Cleaner, Bleach Spray Cleaner:
I cannot stress this enough: SAFETY FIRST! You need to heed all warnings on labels, you need to
READ all labels. I personally found out the hard way here. I suffer with a sulfite allergy which causes
migraines known as toxic headaches. These are caused by my body going into shock over coming
into contact with a sulfite. My body sees it as poison, and my body reacts as if I had been poisoned. I
do not have the allergy so bad that I am in life or death danger, if that was the case and if you are
unlucky enough to be just that sensitive to sulfite, please be advised you are taking a risk here, and
you want to talk to your doctor before you try messing with dyes & dye chemicals, please. Buy
yourself a bag of latex or non latex gloves, for there is no greater sponge of negative chemicals than
our skin. Buy yourself some clear plastic glasses available at any home improvement store because
SPLASH HAPPENS! And you don't want it to, in your eyes. Buy yourself a dust mask, and wear it not
only to keep the loose particles of the dye powders from entering your lungs, but also to help keep
you from breathing in the fumes caused by the mix which can cause migraines or headaches. This is
how I found out I react to the industrial detergent called synthropol mentioned next. The ReDuran
is for cleaning up any dye on your skin. It's like a cream cleanser with pumice in it, removes all the
dye. If you cannot find ReDuran, go get yourself a bar of LAVA Soap, or a cream cleanser for
mechanics something like that can be found at an auto parts store, or in the automotive section. A
grime cleaner. And lastly, buy yourself a bottle of Clorox Clean Up or Bleach and water spray in a
bottle of your own. This is used to remove any stray dye particles that might get on your counter
tops or other areas, and can be used to remove dyes from your tub, and you want bleach for running
through your washing machine after you're done dyeing in it. Be advised: don't tub dye on a surface
that you cannot bleach. I put my tub outside, or in cold weather, in the kitchen in the center of the
linoleum floor. Be advised: dyes can stain your worn bathtub and washing machines. Especially if
the enamel is chipped.
Plastic Spoons, Plastic Measuring Cup Set, Plastic Measuring Spoon Set, A Few Plastic
Bowls:
This is another safety point. You do not want to mix up your kitchen tools with your dye tools. In
fact, whenever you begin a new craft, go ahead and plan on buying yourself the basic tools, plus
common household items you come in contact with and keep them with your craft items just for
using with them. So, a couple plastic spoons, plastic because some metals react with dyes, and
wood--well, it just stains up and deteriorates. I am talking about the larger spoons, those for cooking
with. You need them for stirring your fabric in the mix, and for mixing up the dye into a paste and
slurry before you add it to the water. The measuring cups will be used for dyes, salts, and anything
else you need to measure. The measuring spoons are for the same purpose. The plastic bowls I use
are the disposable gladware type, these are for holding my spoon between stirring, and for dissolving
up the soda ash fixer in water. All these things get washed between uses with a sponge that I keep in
my kit that is only used for these items, never used on any of the kitchen dishes. Grab yourself a new
sponge when you are at the store.
Salt, A Timer Or Stop Watch, A Scale, Old T-shirts & Sweat Pants Or Shorts:
You'll be needing some salt for dye baths. The dye method I have been using requires "non-iodized
salt". Check to see if you need plain table salt, or if you need to use "non-iodized" salt. It should say
what type of salt it is on the box. The more you buy the better. The method I use calls for 1 & 1/2
cups of salt just to dye one yard of light weight fabric (1 lb. dry weight). So you see, you will need
lots. The timer or stop watch is for telling you how often to stir, if you're using a tub. There are very
different methods for dyeing using the washing machine. I use this stop watch that has a long cord
for hanging around your neck, and I just start the time running as soon as the fabric hits the water
and I have thoroughly whetted it down. Then I check it to make sure I am stirring when I am
supposed to. Besides, I HATE timers or alarms. So this is my "silent" method. I had on hand a small
digital scale I use for sending packages through the USPS it weighs amounts up to 5lb. I use this
small scale to weigh out the clean, dry fabric yardage before I decide how much dye and other
amounts I need to use. The tub method I use is based on dry weight of fabric as well as the color you
are trying to achieve (light or dark). So I would pull out your bathroom scale, or better yet a kitchen
scale or buy yourself a small digital scale. They are much easier to read when it is light amounts, less
than one pound in weight. As for the clothing, take that old holey shirt you can't handle throwing
away, and those old bottoms and wash them up and stash them into your kit. Then don them every
time you dye. Why? Because: SPLASH HAPPENS. =0) You'll thank me for mentioning it.
Now That You Have All These Odds And Ends In Household Items, You Need:
A.)FABRIC
B.)Dye & Various Chemicals
A good way to better understand how different fabrics react to, and respond to dyeing is by reading
those books mentioned above. And another cool place to read some helpful hints is at the Dharma
Trading Co. Website. Dharma is where I buy all my dye stuffs.
Dharma's Beginners Step By Step Buying Experience For Fiber Reactive Dyes.
This page linked above is ONLY going to help you if you have determined the best method for dyeing
your fabric is to use the fiber reactive dyes. That's why you need to understand how to dye your
fabric first. That is the first step. You need to determine the fabric fiber content. Is it silk, wool,
cotton, polyester? Once you know this, THEN you can decide which dyes and which process to go
through. Not all fabrics dye the same, some don't dye well at all. This is where you need the books.
Also,You have to take note of this: If you are using a dye to achieve a particularly dark or vivid color,
many times you need double or triple the amount of dye, so read those bottles at the store, don't
wait till you get home! Nothing worse than setting your mind up for a project only to discover you
are short on a necessary component and you now have to go out again. I hate that. So count your
dye kit items, see if there is anything you are low or out of, and when buying store bought or
Dharma dyes, make sure to check and see if the company recommends double dye or greater. Then
you can gauge just how much dye you need to buy. Sounds logical, but when you've never done it
before you may not be paying attention to this fact. You also have to come to terms with the fact
that you might need to dye it several times. Don't expect it to come out perfectly the first time. If it
does, do a dance. Be happy. But don't expect it. That way, you won't be disappointed.
The Other Various Chemicals:
I knew I was going to be dyeing some cotton corduroy. Since I knew the fiber content, and the color
that I wanted, I just followed the Beginner's Buying Guide at Dharma mentioned above to pick up the
various other items. Here are the items I bought on top of the one container of fiber reactive dye:
Calsolene Oil*:
This breaks the surface tension of the water, and helps disperse the dye better.
Soda Ash Fixer:
This is a must have to permanently fix dyes in your fabric.
Synthrapol*:
This is an industrial detergent. I use it to pre-wash my fabrics, and to wash with after they are dyed.
Milsoft Fabric Softener:
This is an industrial fabric softener. I like it allot because it is unscented unlike allot of commercial
grade fabric softener. It works very well to bring back the soft drape of your silks once you have dyed
them, without adding it, the silk can feel kind of "crunchy" or stiff from the dye process.
*The chemicals mentioned above are a sulfite allergy issue. Please be careful using these if you
suffer with sulfite allergy. Wear a mask & gloves and open your windows if you plan on hand
washing fabric with the Synthrapol because the fumes alone gave me a 3 day toxic migraine =0(
Whenever possible use it in the washing machine and walk away!
Once I had all these items on hand, I began to dye some fabric.
I followed Dharma's Directions exactly as they appear here. I did not deviate from those directions.
Comparing the dye experience with my previous dye experience using RIT dye, what impressed me
the most with the fiber reactive dye was the lack of color loss in the rinse phase. So much color was
lost when I had used the RIT, however I had used it on a piece of polyester so this might have been
the reason for the big color loss. When I used the fiber reactive dye, I noticed right away how little
time it took me to rinse, and then I noticed how the color stayed just right and did not lighten much
at all. Again, if you're used to using RIT please don't let me tell you not to, but do give these other
dyes a try. I was not disappointed in my project one bit.
Here is a picture of the brown corduroy before and after I dyed it:
Optional Items or Necessary Items, Depending on What You're Trying To Achieve:
White Vinegar:
Common household white vinegar is used with this stove top method mentioned below. Any
grocery store should have it.
A Very Large Pot:
I have a 21 quart canning pot I use for stove top dyeing. When I dyed a 1 yard piece of silk, I used
about two gallons of water. It held everything perfectly and the fabric had plenty of swimming
room. If I had tried to stove top dye the corduroy, I am not sure if it would have fit properly as the
corduroy was much bulkier even though it was only a yard as well. I might have needed to use 3-4
gallons of water and that would have been quite heavy to lift and quite allot of pressure on my
stove. I read on the label of my canning pot: "do not use on glass cook top". So be advised, if you
own a glass cook top you cannot use a big canning pot like mine on it, you might want to invest in
the turkey fryer mentioned below, or at least a propane burner for outdoor use. Stove top dyeing
uses constant heat from your stove. This method is used for silks and wools. If you plan on dyeing
allot of silks or wools you want to invest in a large pot. 21 quart I would say is the minimum size. 8
quarts sounds big, but if you go out shopping for big stock pots, you will see that A.)stock pots,
especially the stainless steel branded ones are very expensive! B.)stock pots aren't very big. The
largest stock pot I ran across was 12 quart. This is a very large pasta boiling pot with an insert. If
you want something bigger than this, you have to start looking for canning pots or lobster pots.
Lobster pots are even bigger than canning pots. However, if you are like me and live on the West
Coast, where Lobster pots are scarce (we do not even have lobsters on most restaurant menus
unless it is a fish restaurant, and we do not have lobsters in our grocery stores most of the time to
buy)you will have a hard time picking one of these up locally, you will have to buy it on the
Internet, and while the pot itself is not THAT heavy it's huge and that will add to the cost of
shipping said pot to you. Best option would be to get a relative or friend to send one or bring one to
you that lives over there, or start looking for local garage sales where you might find one. I am
sorry to say, I HAD ONE...and had it for years, never used it. If you find it at a garage sale or the
good will, email me I will buy it back ;0) The canning and lobster pots are both usually made of
enameled metal, or also known as enamelware. Blue or Black with the white speckles. So that is
what you're looking for here. I also had a thought that you could purchase one of the turkey frying
apparatus' and use it, the pot is very large, just tall not wide. The kits usually come with a propane
burner and so you can do all of the stove top dyeing outside. You'd have to check the box from a
manufacturer and maybe ask Dharma if anyone has ever used one of these for this purpose or not.
Install A Clothesline:
If you plan to do allot of dye work which involves delicate fabrics that you do not want to
put into the dryer, buy and install a clothesline. I bought an indoor wall mounted clothesline
at the local Wal-mart. It is a silver colored round disc, and inside the disc is some coiled line. You
pull the line across to the opposite wall where you have mounted the line holder. You probably
have seen or used these before, as they seem to pretty standard in hotel rooms, in the shower. I
would love to have an outdoor clothesline, but we do not have an appropriate location for one. So
this was my solution. I had it installed above my guest bath/shower, which rarely gets used anyway.
It doubles as a place to hang wet clothing from laundry day that does not go in the dryer. Go looking
for one of these clotheslines, you will be able to find one at a local hardware store such as an ACE
hardware, a Lowes, or Home Depot. At Wal-mart, Target, etc. Pretty inexpensive.
My (Lengthy) Experience With Dyeing Some Silk:
I decided to dye a 1 yard piece of silk that had a fiber blend with spandex. 98% silk and 2% spandex.
It came in white, ready for dye. I wanted to achieve a very dark burgundy/brown/purple color. I
first bought a bottle of liquid RIT dye in the color Wine. I used the entire bottle. I followed the
instructions exactly as they read on the back of the bottle. I did not deviate from those
instructions. Unfortunately, I did NOT take a picture of the result. But I have used my computer
brightness/contrast feature to try to re-create the color as it was, you can see this in my photo
below. Often I do not think about writing a page until the entire experience is over, then I realize
I've got something to share! So I am going to have to try to remember to take pictures just in case I
decide to write about it. Anyway, the fabric came out the color of raspberry. I was not happy. I also
did not use the milsoft this time, and I noticed how crisp the feel of the fabric had become and I
noted that since I knew I had to dye it again, I would definitely use milsoft in the final rinse. I
switched to a Dharma Trading Co. Fiber Reactive Dye in Maroon Brown. I used the tub method, and
doubled the dye quantity as recommended on the Dharma web site. The color was much closer to
what I wanted but still, it was too light. I got frustrated at this point. I did use the milsoft in the
final rinse out, and I saw how it restored the soft drape of the fabric just like I had hoped for. I've
got a note here about using the milsoft: Don't use milsoft on your final rinse unless you are SURE
that the wet color might just dry to the perfect color you are looking for. This is because (and this I
am not sure about so please check with Dharma) I was not sure if the use of the fabric softener
would interfere with the third dye process, and so even though the fabric was thoroughly washed I
felt I had to take the time to wash it AGAIN to remove the milsoft just in case it did interfere with
the dye adhesion! What a pain!! 8oO LOL!
I kept thinking that maybe I should try the stove top method. The third time I dyed this fabric, I
used the stove top method with vinegar as mentioned above. I left it in the dye for at least 1 hour.
The color was much more brilliant, and jewel toned. But still it was not dark enough! The fourth
time I dyed this fabric I chose a different color, a darker color of Purple from Dharma and I also
switched to an Acid Dye from Dharma, instead of the Fiber Reactive Dye. I used the method for
dyeing using Acid Dyes exactly as it is written here. I did not deviate from this at all. The result was
great! I used about 1/2 of the bottle of dye powder for this, because I didn't want it to be too dark.
You can always go darker, but it's a bit harder (I think, anyways) to go lighter! So I must have used
about 1/4 oz. of dye powder, because the entire bottle equals 1/2 oz. I noticed that the method for
using this dye did not call for salt, and that it called for hotter water. I let it sit in the dye solution
for 30 minutes, again a shorter time than the previous attempts, because I did not want it to get too
dark on me. It is now the exact color I wanted. I do not know if I could have gotten the exact color I
was looking for if I would have started with white, and dyed it directly with the purple acid dye or if
I got what I wanted by slowly darkening it, with each new dye session, with each session adding to
the depth of color without erasing the previous color completely. The only way I would know this,
is if I began all over again- and I can tell you, I am SO TIRED of messing around with this piece of
fabric!! =0)
*Note: DON'T DO THIS!
I got impatient waiting to see the true color, waiting for the fabric to dry. So I turned on my blow
dryer and hit a spot of the fabric with it. It instantly dried/changed colors on me right in front of
my eyes. I was sad, because it looked like -again- the color was too light. I stopped drying it, and
noticed that it might be the heat of dryer. I let the entire piece air dry instead. Now that spot where
I hit it with the blow dryer is slightly "stained" if you will--I don't know how else to explain this. It
is basically the same color, but when you hold the fabric to the light (this fabric is only slightly
sheer) you can see a large spot or stain? I just mention this as a precaution. I don't know why this
happened, if you do- email me so I can write more about it.
White Vinegar:
Common household white vinegar is used with this stove top method mentioned below. Any
grocery store should have it.
A Very Large Pot:
I have a 21 quart canning pot I use for stove top dyeing. When I dyed a 1 yard piece of silk, I used
about two gallons of water. It held everything perfectly and the fabric had plenty of swimming
room. If I had tried to stove top dye the corduroy, I am not sure if it would have fit properly as the
corduroy was much bulkier even though it was only a yard as well. I might have needed to use 3-4
gallons of water and that would have been quite heavy to lift and quite allot of pressure on my
stove. I read on the label of my canning pot: "do not use on glass cook top". So be advised, if you
own a glass cook top you cannot use a big canning pot like mine on it, you might want to invest in
the turkey fryer mentioned below, or at least a propane burner for outdoor use. Stove top dyeing
uses constant heat from your stove. This method is used for silks and wools. If you plan on dyeing
allot of silks or wools you want to invest in a large pot. 21 quart I would say is the minimum size. 8
quarts sounds big, but if you go out shopping for big stock pots, you will see that A.)stock pots,
especially the stainless steel branded ones are very expensive! B.)stock pots aren't very big. The
largest stock pot I ran across was 12 quart. This is a very large pasta boiling pot with an insert. If
you want something bigger than this, you have to start looking for canning pots or lobster pots.
Lobster pots are even bigger than canning pots. However, if you are like me and live on the West
Coast, where Lobster pots are scarce (we do not even have lobsters on most restaurant menus
unless it is a fish restaurant, and we do not have lobsters in our grocery stores most of the time to
buy)you will have a hard time picking one of these up locally, you will have to buy it on the
Internet, and while the pot itself is not THAT heavy it's huge and that will add to the cost of
shipping said pot to you. Best option would be to get a relative or friend to send one or bring one to
you that lives over there, or start looking for local garage sales where you might find one. I am
sorry to say, I HAD ONE...and had it for years, never used it. If you find it at a garage sale or the
good will, email me I will buy it back ;0) The canning and lobster pots are both usually made of
enameled metal, or also known as enamelware. Blue or Black with the white speckles. So that is
what you're looking for here. I also had a thought that you could purchase one of the turkey frying
apparatus' and use it, the pot is very large, just tall not wide. The kits usually come with a propane
burner and so you can do all of the stove top dyeing outside. You'd have to check the box from a
manufacturer and maybe ask Dharma if anyone has ever used one of these for this purpose or not.
Install A Clothesline:
If you plan to do allot of dye work which involves delicate fabrics that you do not want to
put into the dryer, buy and install a clothesline. I bought an indoor wall mounted clothesline
at the local Wal-mart. It is a silver colored round disc, and inside the disc is some coiled line. You
pull the line across to the opposite wall where you have mounted the line holder. You probably
have seen or used these before, as they seem to pretty standard in hotel rooms, in the shower. I
would love to have an outdoor clothesline, but we do not have an appropriate location for one. So
this was my solution. I had it installed above my guest bath/shower, which rarely gets used anyway.
It doubles as a place to hang wet clothing from laundry day that does not go in the dryer. Go looking
for one of these clotheslines, you will be able to find one at a local hardware store such as an ACE
hardware, a Lowes, or Home Depot. At Wal-mart, Target, etc. Pretty inexpensive.
My (Lengthy) Experience With Dyeing Some Silk:
I decided to dye a 1 yard piece of silk that had a fiber blend with spandex. 98% silk and 2% spandex.
It came in white, ready for dye. I wanted to achieve a very dark burgundy/brown/purple color. I
first bought a bottle of liquid RIT dye in the color Wine. I used the entire bottle. I followed the
instructions exactly as they read on the back of the bottle. I did not deviate from those
instructions. Unfortunately, I did NOT take a picture of the result. But I have used my computer
brightness/contrast feature to try to re-create the color as it was, you can see this in my photo
below. Often I do not think about writing a page until the entire experience is over, then I realize
I've got something to share! So I am going to have to try to remember to take pictures just in case I
decide to write about it. Anyway, the fabric came out the color of raspberry. I was not happy. I also
did not use the milsoft this time, and I noticed how crisp the feel of the fabric had become and I
noted that since I knew I had to dye it again, I would definitely use milsoft in the final rinse. I
switched to a Dharma Trading Co. Fiber Reactive Dye in Maroon Brown. I used the tub method, and
doubled the dye quantity as recommended on the Dharma web site. The color was much closer to
what I wanted but still, it was too light. I got frustrated at this point. I did use the milsoft in the
final rinse out, and I saw how it restored the soft drape of the fabric just like I had hoped for. I've
got a note here about using the milsoft: Don't use milsoft on your final rinse unless you are SURE
that the wet color might just dry to the perfect color you are looking for. This is because (and this I
am not sure about so please check with Dharma) I was not sure if the use of the fabric softener
would interfere with the third dye process, and so even though the fabric was thoroughly washed I
felt I had to take the time to wash it AGAIN to remove the milsoft just in case it did interfere with
the dye adhesion! What a pain!! 8oO LOL!
I kept thinking that maybe I should try the stove top method. The third time I dyed this fabric, I
used the stove top method with vinegar as mentioned above. I left it in the dye for at least 1 hour.
The color was much more brilliant, and jewel toned. But still it was not dark enough! The fourth
time I dyed this fabric I chose a different color, a darker color of Purple from Dharma and I also
switched to an Acid Dye from Dharma, instead of the Fiber Reactive Dye. I used the method for
dyeing using Acid Dyes exactly as it is written here. I did not deviate from this at all. The result was
great! I used about 1/2 of the bottle of dye powder for this, because I didn't want it to be too dark.
You can always go darker, but it's a bit harder (I think, anyways) to go lighter! So I must have used
about 1/4 oz. of dye powder, because the entire bottle equals 1/2 oz. I noticed that the method for
using this dye did not call for salt, and that it called for hotter water. I let it sit in the dye solution
for 30 minutes, again a shorter time than the previous attempts, because I did not want it to get too
dark on me. It is now the exact color I wanted. I do not know if I could have gotten the exact color I
was looking for if I would have started with white, and dyed it directly with the purple acid dye or if
I got what I wanted by slowly darkening it, with each new dye session, with each session adding to
the depth of color without erasing the previous color completely. The only way I would know this,
is if I began all over again- and I can tell you, I am SO TIRED of messing around with this piece of
fabric!! =0)
*Note: DON'T DO THIS!
I got impatient waiting to see the true color, waiting for the fabric to dry. So I turned on my blow
dryer and hit a spot of the fabric with it. It instantly dried/changed colors on me right in front of
my eyes. I was sad, because it looked like -again- the color was too light. I stopped drying it, and
noticed that it might be the heat of dryer. I let the entire piece air dry instead. Now that spot where
I hit it with the blow dryer is slightly "stained" if you will--I don't know how else to explain this. It
is basically the same color, but when you hold the fabric to the light (this fabric is only slightly
sheer) you can see a large spot or stain? I just mention this as a precaution. I don't know why this
happened, if you do- email me so I can write more about it.
