Message: I am looking for a light blue (sometimes called "baby blue") dye to dye my cotton knit top-----so you see, I need a very small amount. I have looked at the Ritt dyes (on-line), but couldn't find any color I liked. I have also looked at some of the Dylon cold water dyes (on-line), but haven't been able to find the blue I would like. (I found Bahama Blue too green). Do you have any suggestions??

All purpose dye, such as Rit, will not perform very well on cotton, as it is not very washfast. Dylon Cold Water dye is a more satisfactory type of dye, but you might do better to chose a different form of fiber reactive dye, such as Procion MX dye.

If you see the right dye color, but in too intense a shade, just use a much smaller amount of the dye. Try to err on the side of using too little, as it is easier to re-dye than to remove dye.

One place to look at Procion MX type dye is http://www.prochemical.com/catalog/mx.htm . You will find links to many different dye suppliers on my "Sources for Supplies" page at http://www.pburch.net/dyeing/dyesources.shtml .

Message: I purchased new (thrift store) "55% hemp / 45% cotton, Dry Clean Only" unlined suit jackets. I want to dye these jackets a bright-deep yellow for "Singing In The Rain" costumes when we entertain at retirement, etc. facilities. As a volunteer, non-profit group our funds are extremely limited and I want to make my "find" into a great looking very inexpensive costume. Can I dye these? Or fabric paint them, or ? Time is of the essence as the routine is almost performance ready. Any help you can give would be greatly appreciated.

As a rule, you cannot dye anything that cannot be washed. Sometimes dry-clean-only garments are actually washable, however. Try washing one of the jackets, and if it survives, pre-wash them all and follow the washing-machine-dyeing recipe at http://www.prochemical.com/directions/MX_WashingMachine.htm , using their PRO MX fiber reactive dye.

Yellow dye will not stain your washing machine. A home washing machine set on "delicate" will be safer than a commercial washing machine.

If the test jacket disintegrates in the machine, fabric paint will be the only option. Any acrylic paint will do in a pinch, since it doesn't much matter in a theatrical production if the fabric feels unpleasant to the touch as a result of the paint. A good source of high quality fabric paint is http://www.dharmatrading.com .

Unlined jackets are far more likely to turn out to be washable than lined ones, at least. Beware of shrinkage. Use cool or lukewarm water as much as possible.

What kind of dye are you using?

I am using Nylon dyes as local dyers told me that with nylon dyes its easy to get result at 100 C and with disperse dyes it require very high temp.

While you can get good results with disperse dye (polyester dye) on nylon, you should not use acid dye (nylon dye) on polyester, or so the dye experts tell me. (I am assuming that your local dyers are referring to acid dye when they say nylon dye, as acid dye is very commonly used on nylon, though disperse dye can be used on it as well.)

Disperse dye can be used at 100 degrees C., if you use a carrier chemical. See the list of links to instructions, halfway down the page at http://www.pburch.net/dyeing/dispersedye.shtml . Pro Chemical & Dye recommends the use of a chemical that they call Dye Carrier NSC. I am not sure of the best European source for this material. Zijdelings sells disperse dye, but I cannot find the carrier on their web site, nor in the Rainbow Silks catalog. Kemtex probably carries it. Prices in the UK tend to be higher on dyes, so it might turn out to be best to order directly from ProChemical, even though it is in the US, if you cannot find a local source. See my "Sources for supplies" page at http://www.pburch.net/dyeing/dyesources.shtml for a list of European sources. These are all small-quantity retailers, for individual users; there are many companies which sell only huge quantities suitable for industrial use.

The carrier is required for vat-dyeing with disperse dye, but there is another alternative. Have you tried painting the disperse dye onto paper and then transferring it with a hot iron? You can get wonderful results this way, without the carrier NSC. See the information at http://www.pburch.net/dyeing/dispersedye.shtml . Those companies which carry disperse dye, but not the carrier, sell it for this sort of use.

Please contact me, I am desperate.

It is usually necessary to mail-order good quality dye, except for the lucky few who live near the mail order retailers. I know of two Australian sources for fiber reactive dye, Batik Oetoro, which sells Drimarene K dye, and Kraftcolour, which sells Procion MX type dye. Neither are particularly near you, I believe, but that's what mail-order is for.

Drimarene K dye is quite similar to Procion MX dye and is definitely worth a try. Procion MX has better reds, but both are good types of dye.

Some people mail order to Australia from the US. Rupert Gibbon and Spider does mail order of 8 ounce and larger jars of Procion MX type dye. Unfortunately, you cannot order via their web site. Postage from an Australian company might save you a lot of money.

KraftKolour's web site looks good, at http://www.kraftkolour.com.au/catalog_page.htm . It appears that Batik Oetoro, at http://www.dyeman.com/, has started carrying Procion MX type dye as well.

To paint with fiber reactive dye, you can thicken it, use the Serti technique (outline with wax or gutta), or use afterfixing with a sodium silicate solution. KraftKolour sells Reactafast for the latter purpose. Alternatively, you can presoak fabric in soda ash solution and line-dry it before painting it, with regular or thickened dye solution, depending on your technique.

Message: hi, I followed the directions on your site. Got the good dye for tie dyeing, used urea and a soda ash soak and the dye completely went through the cloth , no white areas at all. WE used rubber bands to do it. I had a tie dye party and it happened to everyones. Any suggestions?

Personally, I prefer that effect, so I always use too much dye. I used to struggle with getting too much white in my designs!

To get more white, wind the ties or rubber bands more tightly, and apply less dye. Better yet, get "artificial sinew" from a crafts store (in the leather crafts section), and use that for your tying. It is highly superior stuff for tie-dyeing. Tie it very tightly!

You do not have to apply dye to every part of the garment. Just use a little dye, if you want a lot of white.

If you want the dye to creep even less than you get with the above recommendations, you can add sodium alginate or other dye thickener to your dye water mixtures. See "Thick SH" at http://www.prochemical.com/Glossary/ThickSH.htm and http://www.prochemical.com/catalog/auxiliaries.htm .

You may also find it useful to line-dry your shirts after soaking them in the soda ash solution. Less water may mean less creeping of the dye.

Message: I need to learn about creating the heart shape design within a tie dye design. It's great, but I haven't found any how-to's anywhere. Please help. I just love being creative with fabric and dyes and try to learn something new every day. There are examples on this webpage: Featured Artists: David and Susan March


See the following page:
How do you tie-dye letters of the alphabet?

The book recommended there, Sulfiati Harris's "Rainbow Tie Dye ", has step-by-step instructions.

Message: I have a coat that I have burnt which is made of polyester and has changed from green to a purple colour. The fabric is not damaged but I need a dye to change the colour as it is made of polyester.

If the fabric was burned severely enough to change its color, it is impossible that the fiber was not damaged at all. I would be very hesitant, if it were mine, to spend time and money on dyeing a badly damaged garment. It is very possible that it will fall apart.

However, if you are sure that you want to dye it, please see Dyeing Polyester with Disperse Dyes. Disperse dyes are the only type of dye that will work on polyester; all-purpose dyes will not.

Name: Tiffany Richard
Message: I would like for my wedding dress to be dyed silver.It is whitw now. My phone number is 409-886-1549.

Three problems:

1. It can't be dyed it if it isn't washable.

2. Very few people - perhaps none - are willing to custom-dye polyester. Try contacting dyers who have listed themselves as available for this sort of work on the Custom Dyers Listing.

3. If the fabric is an easily dyeable nylon or cotton or silk, the thread is almost certainly polyester and will stay white.

Also see Dyeing Polyester with Disperse Dyes.

do you have any idear what kind of colour/textile dyes i could use?

I'm afraid the answer to dyeing polyester is not very encouraging. See
"Dyeing Polyester with Disperse Dyes" at
http://www.pburch.net/dyeing/dispersedye.shtml . There are links
on that page to full instructions. You can dye it at a boil if
you use the right chemicals.

Nylon and animal fibers including hair are easy to dye with 'acid
dye', but polyester is quite picky and requires 'disperse dye'.

Name: Angela Le Peuch
Message: I have a few items of clothing that fit very well and are machine-washed. But the color the these items don't look very good with my complexion. I would like to have these items in black. I would be glad to pay someone to help me out. I have a zip-up sweater, two pant-suits, and a cap. The two pant-suits are size 4, and the sweater is small. If anyone is interested please drop me a line. Thanks.

It's hard to find someone willing to go to the trouble and risk of custom solid color dyeing, but - if the garments are 100% cotton - it's easy to do washing machine dyeing for yourself. See ProChem's instructions .

Since you want black, the darkest of all colors, be sure to double or triple the amount of dye called for, and buy the dye type indicated in the recipe.

If the garments are not 100% cotton (or other cellulose fibers such as rayon or lyocell [Tencel]), this is not such a great idea. You must match the type of dye to the type of fiber.

There can be no guarantee of success. I once dyed a yellow blouse teal by using blue MX fiber reactive dye. It turned out that not all of the pieces of the blouse took up the dye equally, so one front panel was darker than the other. PFD (prepared for dyeing) garments such as those sold by Dharma Trading Company are the best way to avoid this problem altogether. However, most commercial garments seem to come out fine, and it is worth some risk, sometimes.

Message: Will you or do you know anyone who would tye dye a hoodie pullover made out of 50% polyester, 40% acrylic, and 10% cotton blend for me? And how much would it cost me?

This is not a service that is normally available for polyester or acrylic garments. Sorry. Almost nobody dyes customer's garments commercially anymore, only as art. Custom dyers will usually dye only natural fibers. You might be able to find someone on the Custom Dyers Listing, though, if you are very lucky.

Also see Dyeing Polyester with Disperse Dyes.

Name: Cheryn
There is a specific type of t-shirt, in quantity, that I would need to have dyed. I am located in NY. If interested send me an e-mail with details. Thank You!

Look for a listing of someone who does custom dyeing, on the Custom Dyers list, and contact them directly.

Message: My daughter wants to dye her white Satin "Sweet16" gown and use it for her prom dress. I have not been able to find any info on how to do this. The local bridal shops don't do it, nor do our cleaners...do you have any suggestions? Thank you!

This is not a service that is normally available locally. Sorry. Almost nobody dyes customer's garments commercially anymore, only as art.

See Dyeing Polyester with Disperse Dyes, and see my listing of Custom Dyers.

A friend told me that he could tell the suits are cheap because they are very shinny in the sunlight. I was wondering is there any product that can take out this shine and make my suits appear normal! I tried to return them but since they had been altered I was stuck! I paid almost 500 dollars for them and can't afford to purchase new ones at this time. Is there anything I can do to avoid being laughed at, at work?

I'm very sorry, but this is not going to help. Please read:
http://www.pburch.net/dyeing/dispersedye.shtml
Dyeing polyester is no fun at all, and is apt to make the suits look worse, not better. It might totally ruin them.

The guy who was laughing at your polyester suits would probably laugh at any suit that cost $250. There is always something to be snobby about.

Wool is more comfortable even in summer, believe it or not, and looks better than polyester, but the simple fact is that you cannot afford to buy expensive clothing until after you have received a number of paychecks from the new job.

Name: cre8ivecat
Message: I too have a formal %100 polyester "dry clean only" dress, that I would love to make black. (It is currently grey). Am I out of luck? I think I could wear it more if it were black. Any suggestions would be great!

Sometimes, a dry-clean-only garment can actually be washed. You could try washing your dress. If it survives, you could then consider dyeing it. See Dyeing Polyester with Disperse Dyes.

Message: Hi, Please help, I have a pair of indigo colored jeans with a whiskered effect that i would love to lighten, but am unsure how to go about it. They are a very dark indigo color, i would like them to be vintage in color :) Thanks

Some people use chlorine bleach for this. Other prefer a Rit brand product called "Fast Fade for Jeans", which is less damaging to the fiber. You will probably need several packets of the latter; be sure to follow the instructions closely.

Name: rhonda wildman
Message: i have some beautiful curtains and they are polyester and peach color right now i really want them to be a light pink, can you help

To go from peach to light pink would require bleaching, not dyeing. Dyeing can only darken a fabric, not lighten it. To lighten a fabric, you would have to remove or damage the dye that is in it.

Unfortunately, you cannot bleach polyester. The only color change that is possible would be to go darker, such as to a hot pink. See Dyeing Polyester with Disperse Dyes for more information on dyeing polyester.

Message: I recently purchased a white, 100% polyster tuxedo, and I had wished to tie dye it with purple. After searching online I was led to your website for a dye that works on polyster. I was wondering if you had some detailed instructions for tie dyeing polyster? the infromation would be greatly appreciated.


Sure do, and it is MUCH more difficult than tie-dyeing cotton, but possible if you use the right polyester dye, mail-ordered from ProChem, and carefully follow the instructions. See this page:

http://www.pburch.net/dyeing/dispersedye.shtml

Be sure to follow the links to ProChem. You cannot do this with ordinary dye. The task will not be easy, but the results should be worth it.

I forgot one very important point - will it survive washing? You can't dye it if it isn't washable. Lined garments are rarely washable. Hope that doesn't spoil everything for you.

Yes, it is possible that extended heat will mess up the lapels. No way to know in advance, and a major bummer if it happens badly. The safest method would be to dye fabric and hire someone to sew it, but what fun is that? Also, tuxedos are considerably more expensive to have sewn than, say, a simple dress would be. Anyone can sew a dress, but a lined suit requires skill.

I would love to know how well it works for you, if you go ahead with this project.

A possibly safer alternative would be fabric paint. There are some good brands which don't feel too stiff and nasty on fabric. Http://www.dharmatrading.com carries a wide range of fabric paint. You might call them and ask which will do best on polyester.

There is also the lovely idea of iron-on designs that you make yourself with disperse-dye crayons or paint. See the info on my web page at http://www.pburch.net/dyeing/dispersedye.shtml. This would be the safest of all, even for a dry-clean-only garment. You might be able to create the look of tie-dye, without its actually being tie-dye.

I dont know if you can help, but any response at all would be greatly appreciated. Thankyou, peace

Are they machine washable? Are they made of cotton or another cellulose fiber, such as hemp? Does the label lack any little notice saying "DO NOT USE BLEACH"?

If so, go right ahead and bleach, carefully. Use no more than the bleach package says to, and be sure to neutralize the bleach afterwards by washing with Anti-Chlor from http://www.prochemical.com, or with OxyClean or another oxygen type bleach. The oxygen type bleach will stop the chlorine bleach from continuing to work and eating holes in the pants.

After the pants have been somewhat lightened - don't expect a perfect white - go ahead and dye. DO NOT USE all purpose dye! All purpose dye works well on wool and nylon, but poorly on cotton, and it does very poorly indeed if not simmered with the clothing. Use fiber reactive dye, such as the PRO MX dye sold at http://www.prochemical.com . They also sell excellent tie-dye kits.

Peace signs are more challenging than other designs, and really not a beginner's project, but see this page for suggestions: http://www.pburch.net/dyeing/FAQ/peace_sign.shtml .

Have fun.

Do you know where I can find it? (I live in France)

Tobasign Dyes ships Remazol dyes anywhere. They are located in Spain. I don't know which exact colors they carry, but you can contact them and ask. Granat Farvekompagniet in Denmark also carries Remazol dyes.

These and other dye suppliers are listed, with contact information, on my page at http://www.pburch.net/dyeing/dyesources.shtml . Scroll down to the section of dye suppliers in Europe.

[For more information about Remazol dyes, please see "About Vinyl Sulfone Fiber Reactive Dyes".]

Name: Shirley
Message: I have been learning to tye-dye and can do most of the basic folds and some other more advanced folds. I have been wanting to learn how to fold the "Cross" and every time I come across someone that has a booth somewhere and ask if can share the fold they don't want to for some reason. I would like the learn so that I can make shirts for our church youth group for a fundraiser so that they can go on a mission trip this summer. Could you please help me out? Thanks.

There are many different ways to dye a cross shape. Trial and error is the best way to learn how to tie-dye. Here are some ideas:

Little circles (Bandhani)
The oldest form of tie dye still practiced is the art of Bandhani, in India, claimed by some to be 5000 years old. Bandhani involves tying a lot of little circles so that they add up to your design. Draw the cross shape on the shirt with a pencil, then, using either thread, or the tiny rubber bands that are used on orthodontic braces, grab a lot of little points along the lines, one at a time, pull each one up about an inch or two, and wrap each one with thread (which you have to knot) or a rubber band. Each line is just a string of circles. The effect can be very nice. Great Indian practitioners would use thousands of tiny circles to outline a more complex cross design, but there's nothing wrong with a simple string of circles for each line! This design can be vat dyed one color as an alternative to having different colors applied directly where you want them, if you wish.

Simple fold/drip
You can fold a shirt in half, with the fold line going vertically down the center of the shirt from neck to hem, and then in half again with this second fold crossing the chest. Then fold once more on the diagonal, so that the edges of the fabric that will form the parts of the cross are all straight together.

No need to tie at all, here, just drip dye directly from squirt bottles, or dip the fold lines in a shallow pan of dye mix. (You MUST use cold water dye, NOT all purpose dye such as Rit, if you are not boiling the shirts in a pot of dye. Procion MX dye is the best choice, for most people.) I personally prefer to apply dye directly where I want it, without tying at all. I really love smooth rainbow gradations. The best dye to use for the cross itself in this case is the one which will spread the least, which is fuchsia.

Fold/tie
You can fold the same as in the previous description, but also tie it. Fold the shirt in half, then quarters, then eighths, and then take a rubber band to tie up a circle in the middle near the long diagonal that won't be part of the cross itself. Carefully apply dye to the arms of the cross by dipping it or by squirting cool water dye on with a squirt bottle, then apply other colors of dye to the tied part.

Fold the outline
Using a pencil or a washable marker, draw the outline of a cross on your shirt, making the bars at least two or three inches wide. Fold the shirt in half so that the fold passes symmetrically through the vertical bar. Starting at one end, on the fold, scrunch the fabric tightly along the line, continuing until you reach the fold at the other end. Tie tightly across the fold line. Add rubber bands, spaced evenly, for repeats of the cross outside of the design.

Drip dye/Iron-on
You can also dye a shirt in several colors with no white at all, and then iron-on a cross made by printing on opaque computer printer iron-on paper.

Batik
You can also draw a cross design with melted wax, as batik, and then dye it. This one is cool if you have some words you want to include in the design, just write them with the melted wax. This requires that you have special equipment, though, an electric skillet to melt the wax and tjantings to draw with the wax on the shirt. This is all explained on How to Batik, but it is more trouble than the rest, so it's not a starter project.