Name: Nina
Message: I purchased a 100% cotton jacket (corduroy material) a while back at a steal of a price - $5! (The original color was a burnt orange.) Unfortunately, the last time I washed, I wasn't paying attention to the items in the machine & accidently put bleach in the load. Now there are patches of lighter colors scattered over the jacket, but I don't want to throw it out.
I would like to dye the lighter colors a complimentary color (i.e. a dark blue or maybe even a purple). I have never done anything like this before & wouldn't know the first place to start.
How do I know which type of dye I need, since I only want to color the bleached areas?
What process do I go about doing this?
What other colors would compliment - and show up - on the original burnt orange color of the jacket?
Thank you so much in advance for your help on this!

If your only purpose was to correct the problem, I'd refer you to "How can I fix the bleach spots on my favorite clothing? ". However, since you want to dye the spots navy or purple, the answer for you is direct dye application, using cold-water fiber reactive dye, such as Procion MX type dye. The results should be quite interesting! Almost anything but yellow or orange would show up against the burnt orange, but all colors will be different when applied on top of orange than when applied on white fabric, as dye is transparent. Note that purple applied on top of the orange will produce brown, while it will remain purple when applied over white or sufficiently light areas. Dark blue over orange will make a brown or a black, depending on how dark it is and how intense the orange.

The only type of dye which is good for direct application of dye is fiber reactive dye. All-purpose dye requires that you immersion-dye the garment in a pot of simmering hot water, not what you have in mind at all. You can obtain fiber reactive dye from most of the companies listed on my Sources for Supplies page at http://www.pburch.net/dyeing/dyesources.shtml . You will need all of the materials required for tie dyeing - gloves, urea, soda ash, Procion MX type dye, etc. A good way to get started is to order a "tie dye kit" from one of the companies on that list, and perhaps adding an additional container of your favorite shade of fiber reactive dye.

If you do not want the dye to spread at all into the orange areas of the jacket, you will want to thicken the dye, using sodium alginate, or a mixture such as PRO Print Paste Mix SH. Thicker dye, like thicker paint, spreads less.

You may choose to squirt the dye on, using the same squirt bottles used for tie-dye, or you may prefer to use a paint brush, or a plastic syringe or eye dropper, for more control.