Is there any way to dye just the flowers and leaves which are thick tufts and not the fabric of the bedspread itself?

Name: Vicky

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Country or region: USA

Message: Hello, I hope that you can help me. I did look through your questions and did not see this asked before.

I bought a beautiful 100% cotton Chenille bedspread that had multicolor (pink, blue, yellow) flowers and green leaves that are tufts scattered on a white background. I paid a good bit of money for it. When I got it the white seemed a little dull. I thought that I could use some oxyclean on it. But I had mentioned to my daughter that it was dull and it needed to be brightened up. Well, before I knew it she washed it and put some bleach in. It washed all the pinks and greens out of the floral and leaf tufts all on the spread. It left all the blues and very, very pale yellow.

I am so upset. Is there any way to just dye the flowers and leaves which are thick tufts and not the fabric of the bedspread itself? Or will it bleed into the rest of the spread? If so what would I use and how would I do it? I have never dyed anything before. And I am scared to death! I just hope that I am not in the hole for a $150 bedspread after saving for 2 months to get it. I would appreciate any advice/help you can give me. Thank you so much for your time.

I recommend that you use a kind of fabric paint, rather than a true dye. For this project, you should use the form of fabric paint which is the very easiest to apply: fabric markers.

You can buy fabric markers in many different colors and shades, so it should be easy to find some in the colors you like. It's important to note that some fabric markers need to be heat-set with a hot iron, after they are dry, while others do not; it doesn't matter which you get, as long as you follow the instructions and do the heat-setting if it is necessary.

It certainly is possible to directly apply the right type of dye, instead of using markers, but I don't think you want to do that right now. You absolutely cannot succeed with this project if you use an all-purpose dye, such as Rit brand dye, because that sort of dye would bleed badly onto the rest of the bedspread. A completely different kind of dye, a fiber reactive dye such as Procion MX dye, works much better and can be thickened so you can paint it just where you want it, but you would need to complete the project all at one time, and there is a little bit to learn about how to do it, in order to perfect the amount of thickening and the soda ash used to set the dye. Using fabric markers would be easier, and you could work on it a little at a time, instead.

Don't use any marker that is not specifically labeled as being a fabric marker. An ordinary Sharpie pen is not as good for your project as any fabric marker. Sharpie has recently come out with a line of fabric markers, which are probably fine. Just be sure that what you buy is specifically intended for use on fabric.

Not all fabric markers are alike, but just about all of them will do fine for a project like yours, as long as the labels say clearly that they are for fabric (often the same manufacturer also makes non-fabric markers, so check carefully). The Jacquard Tee Juice markers are especially good for bold, bright designs, because it is easy to squeeze out large amounts of the fabric marker ink as needed. I don't think that's your priority here; that will depend on the size of your leaf and flower motifs. My own favorite fabric markers are the Marvy Uchida fabric markers (sometimes sold as just Uchida fabric markers), because, if you leave them in the drawer for months, they take longer to dry up than the Fabricmate and Identipen markers, but the Fabricmate and Identipen markers are very good, too. These brands are all are available in a wide range of colors, and the marks they leave on fabric are almost impossible to feel with your hand. A set of markers in pastel colors is likely to be what you want, but also test the fluorescent colors, because some of those are equally suitable for the leaves and flowers in a project like yours. The FabricMate Tropical colors are also very suitable. You don't want the puffy velvet type of marker for this project, and you definitely do not want the erasable type of fabric marker.

Many local crafts, hobby, and art supply stores carry a range of different fabric markers. You can also easily find them online from an art supplier such as Blick Art Materials. A very wide number of different brands of fabric markers can be ordered from Dharma Trading Company.

I would advise you to buy a few fabric markers in colors that seem suitable for restoring your bedspread, but—this is important!—try them first on some cotton rags to see how easy they are to use, and to test the colors. It is common for a fabric marker to be a different color than you expect, due to a misleading choice of cap or barrel color for the pen. Test each of your fabric markers, then, if necessary, use the marker on opaque white first-aid tape or masking tape to label each one (covering it with clear adhesive tape so it doesn't rub off), so that you do not become confused.

A large project may require several pens of each color. As soon as you have started, you might want to buy one or two more of each of the colors you are using most, so you'll be sure to have enough. Don't open the new pens until needed; keep the caps on all of your fabric markers closed as tightly as possible when they are not in use, and store them in an airtight zip-top plastic bag or a plastic storage box. I've had some brands of fabric markers stay fresh and good for years after first opening, while other brands do not last even one year.

Instead of starting at one corner of your bedspread and completing it before you move on to the rest, I suggest you spread out where on the bedspread you choose to work, coloring in a few leaves or flowers in each section, so that the bedspread will not look so unfinished if you decide to use it before you are done. Your project should be easy to do, since you'll just be coloring in the shapes that are already on the chenille bedspread.

Here are a couple of examples of projects I completed using fabric markers that involved a lot more hand-drawing: a batiked red shirt with fabric marker butterflies, and a Wildflowers of Texas t-shirt.

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Posted: Tuesday - January 03, 2012 at 08:47 AM

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Is there any way to dye just the flowers and leaves which are thick tufts and not the fabric of the bedspread itself?

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