Name: Shane
Message: I have dyed a pair of wrangler light blue jeans black but the yellow thread did not dye black. I used a dylon washing machine dye. How can I dye the thread as well as prevent the fabric of the jeans from becoming stiff? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Dylon washing machine dye is a pretty good fiber reactive dye, mostly made with Drimarene K type dye. The most likely cause for the yellow thread's failure to dye in your jeans is that it is not made of cotton. Most garments, even 100% cotton garments, are sewn together using polyester thread, which unfortunately is essentially undyeable at home.

This question of undyed thread is addressed in the FAQ section of my website, under "Why did the thread stay white when I dyed clothing?".

Preventing stiffness in the fabric of the jeans is a different matter. If you have access to an electric or gas tumble dryer, using it for drying your jeans will result in a much softer feel than line-drying can. Many people choose never to line dry their jeans for this reason, or partially line-dry their clothing to save energy, but finish up with a few minutes in the dryer to take away the stiffness.

Fiber artists sometimes use a professional strength fabric softener after dyeing, which is sold under the name of Milsoft, available from some of the companies listed on my page of links to Sources for Dyeing Supplies Around the World. Or, just use ordinary liquid fabric softener, purchased wherever you buy laundry supplies. Some dyers suggest using twice as much as usual for this purpose. As an alternative to fabric softener, you might find that using a cup of vinegar in the final rinse of your washing machine helps in reducing the stiffness of clothing.

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