Name: bettye
Message: I have a white rayon lace dress that I would like to dye sage green. Is this possible?

If the dress is washable, this should be a very easy project. Rayon is made of cellulose, just like cotton, and dyes very nicely with cool water fiber reactive dyes. (Do not use all-purpose dye unless you are willing to use simmering hot water, which is apt to shrink or otherwise damage your dress.)

The easiest way to do this is to do the dyeing in a washing machine that has a delicate cycle. See "How can I dye clothing or fabric in the washing machine?". If the rayon is fragile, as rayon tends to be when wet, or if you do not have a 'hand wash' cycle setting on your washing machine, you may do the dyeing in a large net lingerie-washing bag.

Note that there are always risks in dyeing purchased clothing that was not sold for the purpose of dyeing. Occasionally, one panel will take the dye darker than the other panels of the garment. The dress must be perfectly clean before dyeing, as any invisible stain may block the dye from a small portion of the fabric, and permanent press finishes will also interfere with dyeing. However, usually this sort of project does work.


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