Archives for July, 2008

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Thursday, July 31, 2008

how to get a crumpled or marbled effect with tie dye

Name: Matt

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Tie Dye Kit

Message: Hi, I have a shirt that looks like this:

[Examples from Chameleon Creations in the UK.]

How would I do an effect like this?

There are two different approaches to getting this sort of effect.

One is to crumple the shirt randomly, wrap it with rubber bands or string, soak it in soda ash, and dye it with Procion MX dyes by randomly squirting on the color from plastic bottles. (Use these dyes rather than Rit dye because they are easier to use, since they do not require heat, and the results last years longer.) The recipe is on my "How to Dye" page. You can use any good tie-dye kit, but not the Rit tie-dye kit or the Magic Strings tie-dye kit.

The other is to take a black or blue shirt, tie it in the same way, then heat it in Rit Color Remover or soak it in bleach. (See "What chemicals can be used to remove or discharge dye?".) This will not work with some shirts which are dyed with discharge-resistant dyes, but it will work great with others. For black t-shirts that are guaranteed to discharge well, see Dharma Trading Company.

A different but similarly subtle effect can be obtained with Procion MX dyes by using the technique of low water immersion dyeing; see "How to Do Low Water Immersion Dyeing".

For a wide range of color choices, consider mail-ordering your Procion MX dyes from a good dye supplier, such as PRO Chemical & Dye in Massachusetts or Dharma Trading Company in California. See "Sources for Dyeing Supplies Around the World".

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Wednesday, July 30, 2008

I would like to dye an off-white rayon jacket white

Name: Mary

—ADVERTISEMENTS—

Rit Color Remover Removes Dyes

Hydrogen peroxide

Neutralize chlorine bleach after rinsing, to prevent shredded fabric. Use Anti-Chlor from your dye supplier, or use 3% hydrogen peroxide.

Fluorescent brightener

Message: I would like to dye an off-white rayon jacket white. About the only thing available to me for use is rit dye. Please help. Thank you.

Is your rayon jacket washable? You will have to thoroughly wash it before you attempt to use any sort of dye, as, otherwise, invisible stains are apt to become visible upon dyeing. If the jacket is unlined, it can probably be washed, but a lined jacket is usually not washable. See "How can I dye rayon?".

I do not in general recommend dyeing rayon or cotton with Rit dye. Rit is an all-purpose dye, so it fades very quickly, and it requires hot water, preferable close to boiling, for an extensive soak; the simmering hot water is likely to shrink your clothing. The washfastness of Rit dye is poor. Garments dyed with Rit dye must be hand-washed, separately, in cool water. Higher quality fiber reactive dyes, such as Procion MX dyes, are preferable for dyeing rayon; surprisingly, the better dyes are not more expensive than Rit.

However, if you want to turn an off-white jacket to white, that is not dyeing at all. All dyes are transparent, so they cannot be used to cover up the original color of a garment. In that case, what you need to do is remove the existing color in the jacket. See "What chemicals can be used to remove or discharge dye?".

Not all dyes can be removed; you cannot tell whether yours will be removable until you try it, since there is no clue as to what dyes may have been used by the manufacturer. There are two main categories of dye removal chemicals. You can use chlorine bleach, or you can use a reducing agent such as Rit Color Remover. If you try both, be sure to wash thoroughly after the first treatment, because bleach should not be combined with the other chemicals. If you use bleach, you must neutralize the chlorine afterwards, for longest life of your garment; see "How can I neutralize the damaging effects of chlorine bleach?". Rit Color Remover and Jacquard Color Remover do not need to be neutralized after use, only washed out.

Unlike Rit dye, Rit Color Remover is an excellent product. I prefer to use it rather than chlorine bleach. Chlorine bleach should never be used on synthetic fibers such as nylon or polyester, and it will badly damage animal fibers such as silk or wool, but it can be used on rayon, with care. I prefer the gentler action of Rit Color Remover or Jacquard Color Remover; they are also safe for a wider range of fibers.

You will have to use the hottest water possible when using Rit Color Remover in your washing machine, and you may need to use more than one box. Rayon is a reasonably strong fiber when it is dry, but it becomes extremely weak when wet, so it is essential to be very gentle when washing or dyeing rayon. If your washing machine has a reliable delicate cycle, use it; if it does not, you'd better do this procedure by hand, because a rough washer will shred your rayon. Be sure to use good ventilation and sturdy long plastic gloves, not the disposable type, when treating your rayon garments with color remover by hand. The sulfur dioxide produced by most kinds of color remover may be problematic for people with asthma, who should either avoid its use or use both good ventilation and a good respirator with acid gas cartridges. (The same respirator should be used for any extensive work with chlorine bleach.)

After removing as much color from your jacket as possible, you can make it a brighter white by applying a fluorescent brightener. You can buy this in the form of "Optic Whitener" from Dharma Trading Company, and also in the form of Rit Whitener & Brightener. The Dharma product is probably more effective, but the Rit product can often be purchased locally.

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Tuesday, July 29, 2008

can baking be used to set Rit dye after applying it cold?

Name: Mike

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set the color of all-purpose dye

Retayne

Message: Suggestion on using All Purpose dyes, RIT, etc.. Since this needs heat to activate it, how about performing a normal Tie Dye application with squirt bottles, then place the item in a warm 200 degree oven to set the dye to the fabric? Your technique seems like part of the item is dipped in the hot dye, which will have large sections of the item to be dyed, without the texture normally associated with tye dye.. Plus, as you noted in your instructions, the person would be working with HOT dye. This would allow cold applications and a safe warming of the item in an oven.
Just a thought.....

You are correct that all-purpose or direct dye can be heat-set after application. That is an excellent point. However, I do not recommend dry heat, because dyes require moisture to attach to the fabric (unlike fabric paint). In addition, baking takes either a long time or a high temperature in order to make sure that the center of the fabric spends enough time just below the boiling temperature of water for the all-purpose dye to attach, and there is a significant danger of scorching outside of the fabric when it gets above 212°F.

Instead, it is better to wrap up the very wet dyed item in plastic wrap, or let it dry and wrap it in unprinted newsprint paper, and then steam it for half an hour or longer in a covered pot over boiling water, just as you might steam vegetables, taking care not to let the water boil dry. Dye Forum member Jaja has used this method successfully with direct dyes.

As you suggest, this is a better method than the method the Rit dye company recommended for spiral-dyeing with all-purpose dyes. Standing over a pot of boiling water for thirty minutes is not my idea of fun. (They say you can do it for as little as four minutes for a pastel color, but I want bright colors, not pastels!) However, novices tend to find steaming to be an intimidating step.

More importantly, even with proper heat-setting, direct dyes and all-purpose dyes show very poor washfastness on cotton. They fade very quickly if they are laundered. Items dyed with all-purpose dye should be washed by hand only, separately from other garments, in cool water. This takes a lot of time and trouble, compared to washing Procion-dyed clothing together, without sorting, in hot water, which can be done a hundred times without much fading. Who has time for all that hand-washing? Clothing that must be hand-washed ends up being worn infrequently, in my experience.

For anyone who lives in a country in which fiber reactive dyes are readily available, such as the US, Canada, Australia, the UK, or Germany (and a few other European countries), there is no point in going to this much trouble to use an inferior dye. It makes much more sense to buy a good fiber reactive dye. Any crafts store in the US will sell a good tie-dye kit that gives far better performance with no need for any heat-setting at all, while mail-order allows the purchase of a wide range of colors of fiber reactive dye at a much lower cost than Rit dye. I recommend the use of direct dye or all-purpose dye on cotton only in those countries where it is impossible to find any other type of dye.

The washfastness problem of direct dye and all-purpose dye can be solved by applying a cationic dye fixative, such as Retayne, after dyeing. However, some dye transfer is likely to take place in tie-dyed items during the first washing, resulting in duller colors, when direct or all-purpose dyes are used. In addition, dye fixatives tend to increase the amount of fading that the dye shows on exposure to light, that is, they interfere with lightfastness, though not to as great an extent as they improve washfastness. They also slightly change the color of the dye, which is generally undesirable.

In summary, proper heat-setting plus the use of cationic dye fixatives can make direct dye and all-purpose dye acceptable for tie-dyeing, but fiber reactive dyes are easier to use and give better results, and they are less expensive, per garment, than all-purpose dyes.

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Monday, July 28, 2008

How can I block-print a design on fabric using dyes instead of paints?

Name: Honor

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Message: Dear Paula,
I am currently dyeing a 100% cotton fabric with Procion MX dyes. I then want to block or "stamp" a design on the fabric, but I would prefer using a dye instead of a paint. Can You recommend any 'paintable dyes', or thickeners to create a paintable texture in a dye. And if there are any additional steps inorder to insure that the additional 'blocked' patterns adhere to the fabric.
Thank you so much and I hope to hear from you soon!

There are two good thickeners you can use for your Procion MX dyes (and other fiber reactive dyes): one is a liquid called Superclear, and the other a powder called sodium alginate. You can also buy sodium alginate already mixed into something called Print Paste Mix, from PRO Chemical & Dye. See "Sodium alginate, Superclear, and other dye thickeners".

I strongly recommend that you use the water softener sodium hexametaphosphate in your dye mixtures when working with sodium alginate, to prevent it from forming a gel.

It's handy to use your soda ash, for fixing the Procion MX dye, by presoaking the fabric and then letting it line-dry. You can do this with the fabric you have already dyed and washed out.

A good guide to painting and printing with Procion MX dye is Ann Johnston's 2001 book, Color by Design: Paint and Print with Dye

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Sunday, July 27, 2008

instant gratification in tie-dyeing

Name: Suzanne

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Message: Thanks for all the GREAT information- I have learned so much in just one afternoon! I am having a birthday party for my daughter and we are planning to tie dye t-shirts. I know that they must sit overnight in a plastic bag to set, but I was wondering if I could take off the rubber bands after a short time of setting in order to see the design, and then repackage in plastic for overnight. This would be fun for the kids to be able to see each others designs before they leave the party. I thought I might be able to lay them out flat and then roll them up in saran wrap to keep the fabric from touching itself while they finish setting overnight. Then I could just send home with instructions for washing out as you suggest. Any shot that this would work? If not, any thoughts on how I could I might be able to get this done? Thanks in advance for your help!

I don't think you should unwrap the shirts until they're done, because it's disappointing when the dyes smear from a dark section to a light one. I'm pretty sure this will happen a lot. Also, I do not like letting the kids handle the wet dye too much, since they will make a mess, and we are supposed to minimize the amount of dye they get on their skins for safety reasons, as well.

How many people will be at the party? You can have nearly-instant gratification by heat-setting the dye. I am assuming that you are using cold water fiber reactive dyes, such as the Procion MX dyes found in good tie-dye kits. They do not have to be heat-set, but it takes hours for the dye to react with the fabric at room temperature. If you warm up the reaction, it takes place much more quickly.

One handy way to heat up the reaction, one shirt at a time, is to pop each shirt into a separate gallon-size zip-lock freezer bag, squeezing out all the air before you finish sealing it closed, and then microwave it for a minute or so, watching very closely as it cooks to see when the bag inflates with steam. If the bag is about to pop, stop the microwave immediately by pressing the "open" button. Feel the shirt; if it is hot all over, you're done, but if it's not, you should let it rest for a minute and then heat it some more, again watching very closely. Keep in mind that the shirt MUST be damp, as it will be if you have just recently applied the dye; a dry shirt will scorch or even catch on fire in the microwave. It is essential to watch constantly, because you don't want the bag to explode and make a mess in your microwave. I recommend a freezer bag rather than a storage bag, because the freezer weight of a ziplock bag is sturdier than that of the cheaper bags. Let the shirts cool before you rinse them out.

Before heat-setting the shirts, it is best to let the dye soak in for at least twenty minutes. If you apply the dye and then microwave immediately, the dye may not have had time to penetrate the fiber, which will result in dyeing just the outside of each fiber; this outside layer wears off the quickest, so the dye job will not last nearly as long. It's called ring-dyeing when only the outside of the fiber gets dyed.

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Saturday, July 26, 2008

Can you tie-dye Vans shoes?

Name: Lauren

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Message: I know you answered a question on Converse, but can you use the same instructions on Vans shoes?

It does not matter what brand the shoes are, as long as they are made of cotton canvas, or another natural-fiber canvas such as linen or hemp. You can follow this link for instructions for tie-dyeing shoes. Make sure to do the water-resistance test first, as indicated in those instructions, because you cannot dye anything that is water-resistant.

If, however, the shoes are made from a synthetic material, your only option is to paint them. I recommend a good fabric paint such as Lumiere (to create metallics and pearl colors), Neopaque (for covering up existing stains or colors), or Dye-Na-Flow (a fabric paint which flows like a dye).

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Friday, July 25, 2008

I have a off white sofa that I want to dye a medium brown

Name: doug

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Simply Spray Upholstery Paint

A thin fabric paint
that flows like a dye

for both natural
and synthetic fibers

Message: I have a off white sofa. I want to dye it a medium brown and do not want to take it apart. What products are available??

You cannot dye upholstered furniture, except by removing the upholstery, dyeing it, and then reinstalling it on the furniture. Even that cannot be done if your sofa is covered in a difficult-to-dye material, such as Herculon (olefin), or polyester microfiber.

However, on many materials other than olefin, it is possible to use fabric paint, instead of dye. The results will show wear relatively quickly, because paint sticks to the outside of the fibers, instead of penetrating through them as dye dyes. You will get better-looking and longer-lasting results by buying new fabric and sewing a slipcover for your sofa, or by paying a professional to reupholster the sofa.

You can use a good fabric paint such as Dye-na-Flow, which is so thin and liquid that it flows like a dye. It requires a considerably amount of fabric paint to cover a large sofa; fabric paint is not inexpensive, but you cannot use paint that is not design for fabric, because it will be too scratchy and will not adhere as well to the fabric.

You will need good instructions in order to use fabric paint to recolor your sofa; I recommend that you read "Can furniture be dyed successfully?", and Scarlet Zebra's Instructions for Painting Upholstered Furniture.

Another form of fabric paint which you can use to recolor your sofa is a fabric paint spray paint made by Simply Spray. As with other fabric paints, the results will not be as good-looking nor as durable as dye, but it's your only option for recoloring the existing upholstery, since it is impossible to do an acceptable job of dyeing the fabric on a sofa without first removing it from the sofa. Do not attempt to use any paint that is not labeled specifically for use on fabrics; only fabric paint, such as Simply Spray or Dye-na-Flow, will work at all well on fabric.

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Thursday, July 24, 2008

How to make cool designs on shirts using bleach

Name: LJ

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Clorox Bleach Pen

Thick gel formula, perfect for writing with bleach!

Hydrogen peroxide, 3%

Neutralize chlorine bleach after rinsing, to prevent shredded fabric. Use Anti-Chlor from your dye supplier, or use 3% hydrogen peroxide.

Message: Good morning. I have a question for you. I have been trying to dye some shirts a certain way. It is hard to explain how I want them to look. [See picture at left.] If someone would know, I'm sure it would be you :) Thank you. =LJ=

This question turns out to be an easy one to answer. You take shirts whose dye responds to bleach (not all shirts will), then place stencils on them. I've considered this method myself and have thought that cutting out shapes from the thin plastic of report covers might work well. Then you spray a mixture of chlorine bleach and water on the shirts. You must watch closely, as some dyes will react instantly and some may take half an hour to lighten as much as desired. Then you rinse them and then soak with an Anti-chlor chemical to stop the action of the bleach. Even after washing, bleach can continue to eat away at the fabric, so it is important to neutralize the bleach left in the shirt after you rinse it out. Do NOT use vinegar to neutralize your bleach! 3% hydrogen peroxide is safe and effective, while the most economical Anti-chlor is purchased by mail-order from PRO Chemical & Dye. See "How can I neutralize the damaging effects of chlorine bleach?".

Keep in mind that chlorine bleach is a very toxic chemical, far more dangerous than the dyes we use. It is actually 5% or 6% sodium hypochlorite plus a high-pH chemical such as sodium hydroxide to help prevent generation of chlorine gas. If you spray chlorine bleach, even if it is diluted, I recommend that you wear a respirator with an acid gas cartridge, not just a dust mask, to protect your lungs, as well as a plastic apron and thick sturdy long gloves, not just the disposable gloves that so easily get holes in them. In many cases it is also best to work out-of-doors. Keep in mind that chlorine bleach spatter can get to items you did not intend to mist.

I've obtained a similar effect when spraying dye through the $1 sprayers sold at my local pharmacy. There are better sprayers you can use, but the randomly placed extra-large drops are part of the design in this case. See "Spray Dyeing on Leaf Silhouettes".

It is impossible to know what strength of bleach will be needed for a specific shirt, before you try it. Some shirts lighten in seconds with diluted bleach, some take half an hour with stronger mixtures, and some never will bleach. See my page on "Discharged "dyed" Mandalas: no dye added" for a couple of examples. Dharma Trading Company sells some black t-shirts that are guaranteed to discharge well.

Don't use bleach on anything that contains any polyester or spandex or nylon, because bleach causes permanent damage to the fibers. Instead, use a reductive discharge such as Rit Color Remover or Jacquard Discharge Paste, and use steam to activate. See "What chemicals can be used to remove dye?".

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Wednesday, July 23, 2008

can I reverse tie-dye my hot pink t-shirt with bleach?

Name: Pam

—ADVERTISEMENTS—

Clorox Bleach Pen

Thick gel formula, perfect for writing with bleach!

Hydrogen peroxide, 3%

Neutralize chlorine bleach after rinsing, to prevent shredded fabric. Use Anti-Chlor from your dye supplier, or use 3% hydrogen peroxide.

Message: I am going to try a light bleach solution to my solid hot pink color 100% cotton t-shirt (for a pink and white effect). I don't want to dip the whole shirt into the solution, but just portions of the rubber band spirals? I also want to write something on the shirt with the same solution. (I will avoid this area with the spiral tie dye patterns) I will apply with a cotten ball, wearing gloves, old clothes (preferably white) and be in an area where I will not damage anything. I am thinking of a solution of 1 gallon water to a cup of bleach. Then I will wash the shirt in cold water in the washing machine. What do you think? I have never done this, but got the idea from always having some of my clothes accidently getting a bleach spot on them when I am cleaning.

I think you have a pretty good handle on this already. There are two important things I'd like to add:

1. You should neutralize the chlorine bleach in your garment, after rinsing, by soaking it with Anti-chlor or ordinary drugstore 3% hydrogen peroxide solution. See "How can I neutralize the damaging effects of chlorine bleach?". This will prevent further damage by chlorine bleach, which can continue even after rinsing, resulting in shredded fabric after a few washings. Do not use vinegar to neutralize bleach, because acid will produce more caustic and dangerous forms of chlorine.

2. The pink dye may or may not bleach, depending on what dye the manufacturer used, which is impossible to know. You just have to try it.

There are other chemicals you can use instead of bleach, such as Jacquard Discharge Paste and Rit Color Remover, which are less damaging to fiber than bleach, but which require added heat. Most are equivalent to each other but will give different results than bleach (some dyes are more susceptible to bleach, while others are more susceptible to reductive discharge chemicals. See "What chemicals can be used to remove dye?".

A very handy way to write with bleach is to use a Clorox Bleach Pen, which contains thickened bleach, like a gel, so it goes where you want and stays there instead of flowing freely.

I'm glad you're being careful to wear clothes that you don't mind accidentally spattering with bleach. Also, be careful of fumes and skin exposure, because chlorine bleach is one of the most hazardous of household chemicals. Be sure to have excellent ventilation, and/or wear a respirator over your mouth and nose with an acid gas cartridge to filter the air. Wear sturdy gloves so that you do not expose your skin to much of the bleach. Chlorine bleach can make you quite sick if you get overly exposed to it. Color Remover and other reductive discharge chemicals are safer, but without protection the sulfur dioxide they produce can trigger asthma attacks in people who are already prone to them.

Also see my pages, "How to Tie Dye on Dark Fabric", and "Discharged 'dyed' Mandalas: no dye added".

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Tuesday, July 22, 2008

I cannot get rid of this awful smell in my washing machine

Name: Debbie

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Remove odors from front-loading washers

Whirlpool Affresh High Efficiency Washer Cleaner

Affresh Washer Cleaner removes and prevents odor-causing residue that can occur in all brands of HE washers. While bleach only kills odor-causing bacteria leaving behind the detergent residue, Affresh Washer Cleaner uses surfactant chemistry to remove the root problem.

Message: After using Dylon dye in my washing machine and following instructions very carefully afterwards, I cannot get rid of this awful smell that I now have in my machine drum since dying. I have tried running a cycle with bleach in it, I have tried running one with soda crystals in it. Do you have any suggestions as to what has happened? It must have loosened up something on the back of the drum. It is an awful mouldy drain-like smell. Please help. Thank you.

I don't think that this has anything to do with dyeing, in particular. Sometimes washing machines do develop horrible smells. I think it's important to leave washing machines open, when not in use, so that they can dry out. Otherwise, the remaining water will support the growth of evil-smelling molds.

Is it a front-loading washing machine? I've seen a number of reports of this problem with front-loading washers, though none until now that involved dyeing. Try checking the gasket around the door to see if there is anything you can scrub off there. Find the manual for your washing machine to learn how to remove the filter cap on the pump. If you don't have the manual for your washing machine, you will probably be able to find it online. If nothing else works, a washing machine repairman should be able to find the filter to clean it out.

Whirlpool markets a cleaner called Affresh which is claimed to remove the residue that leads to unpleasant odors in high efficiency washing machines, unlike bleach, which kills the mold but does not remove the residue that supports additional growth.

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Monday, July 21, 2008

I recently reupholstered two chairs and found the fabric is not colorfast. Can I use Retayne or some other product to set the dye?

Name: Barbara

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Message: I recently reupholstered two chairs and found the black fabric (polyurethane/nylon) is not colorfast. Can I use Retayne or some other product to set the dye? These can't be washed after treatment.

I'm sorry. This sounds like an awful situation. You've done all the work of reupholstering, but the material was unsuitable for the purpose. As you now realize, it is important to wash fabric thoroughly before using it to upholster furniture.

Retayne is not designed for application directly on furniture. (See "Retayne and Other Commercial Dye Fixatives".) The instructions say to soak the fabric in hot water, at 140°F, with one teaspoon of Retayne for twenty or thirty minutes; if your hot water is lower in temperature than this, it is recommended that you add boiling water to reach 140°F. I can't imagine any way to soak your upholstered furniture in hot water without ruining it, nor to wash the fabric, without first removing it from the furniture.

Retayne is like a basic dye (or cationic dye), though it is colorless. It must be diluted for use. You can't simply spray diluted Retayne onto the upholstery, because heat is required to encourage it to attach to the loose particles of dye.

It might be possible to treat your fabric by painting it thoroughly with a colorless transparent fabric paint in order to "glue" the loose particles of dye into place. Fabric paint will change the feel of most fabrics, making them a little less soft. (Paint which is not intended for use on fabric creates a markedly scratchy, rough feeling on cloth.) Unfortunately, the amount required to cover your fabric can be expensive, depending on the amount of fabric that must be covered. For a chair with ten square feet of material to treat, you might need three 8-ounce jars of colorless fabric paint. You will probably have to order this by mail; look for Jacquard or Neopaque Flowable Extender or Versatex Clear Extender. Please read "Scarlet Zebra's Instructions for Painting Upholstered Furniture". Heat treating is required for colorless fabric paint extender, just as for the same brand of pigmented fabric paint, unless you add an acrylic catalyst such as Jacquard AirFix.

Otherwise, it will be necessary for you to start over again and reupholster the chairs with a fabric that has been prewashed and tested to make sure that it is not prone to crocking.

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Sunday, July 20, 2008

What kind of dyes can I use for dyeing shibori, and can I use them in a bucket, instead of heat-setting them?

Name: Janine

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Soda Ash
Dye Fixer

Shibori: Creating Color and Texture on Silk

5 gallon stainless steel dyepot

Never reuse a dyeing pot for food preparation.

11 gallon stainless steel dyepot

Message: I just recently did a workshop on shibori, but she didn't really have time to teach the dyeing preparation. Is it possible, instead of using a microwave, just to boil water in a stove top kettle and pour it into a bucket and then dye the silk that way? I'm trying to figure out the simplest no nonsense way of doing it. I don't want to get into huge pots and having to work outside, particularly since I want to be able to do this through the winter inside.I have limited space as well.

First, please tell me exactly what dyes you are using. Or, do you still need to choose a dye? What fiber content is the fabric that you will be dyeing?

haven't started anything yet, and I will be using silk. I think the woman who did the workshop used a fibre reactive acid dye and use vinegar as a fixer for both immersing in simmering pots and in the microwave technique. I haven't purchased anything yet.

Just pouring boiling water into a bucket is not a very good way to set acid dyes, because the water begins to cool immediately. (Procion dyes, when used with acid, act on the fabric as acid dyes, not as fiber reactive dyes; see "Using Fiber reactive dyes as acid dyes on protein fibers".) It is best to have a prolonged exposure to heat to set your acid dyes. You will get a better yield and brighter (or darker) colors.

When people say fiber reactive dye, they usually mean Procion MX dye. I love Procion MX dye, and yes, it does work when used as an acid dye on silk, but I would not buy it if your only goal is to use it as an acid dye, with vinegar, on silk. The famed super washfastness of Procion dye is possible only when it is used with soda ash. If you are going to be dyeing both silk and cotton, it is handy to own only one range of dye to use for both. However, if you're only going to be using them as acid dyes, why not get a specialty acid dye?

The best dye for silk is the Lanaset range of dyes. They are expensive, but very rich, and a little goes a long way. Because the Lanaset dye range lacks a good bluish red mixing primary, it is often used with a non-Lanaset acid red, such as Polar Red. Other acid dyes also work well; PRO Chemical & Dye's line of WashFast Acid Dyes is very popular for use in shibori.

The best reason to get Procion dyes to dye your silk will be if you decide to use soda ash, instead of vinegar, to set them. (See "How to hand dye: basic recipe for Procion MX dyes on cellulose or silk ".) Procion dyes work extremely well on silk in the presence of soda ash. (Note that premixed colors will produce a different hue on silk than on cotton.) No heating is necessary, as long as your dyeing studio is at least 70°F. This means that you can use an ordinary bucket for immersion dyeing with Procion MX dyes, as long as you are using soda ash. Of course, soda ash does change silk. Silk tends to be a little bit softer, less stiff, and a little bit less shiny when dyed with soda ash. However, it does not lose all of its shine. Being able to work without any added heat at all means that you can get by without investing in a dyepot or a steamer. This is by far your best choice if you really do not want to get involved with heating. As a side benefit, you can also dye cotton and rayon using the same technique; neither of these fibers can be dyed in the presence of an acid such as vinegar. However, you should not use soda ash when dyeing wool, as wool will be damaged by a pH above 8.

Microwave-setting is popular as a short cut, but the gold standard for heat-setting dye with acid is to use the stovetop, either for immersion dyeing in a simmering dyebath, or for steaming. There is no worry, with steaming, that you might scorch your fabric, as long as you keep the water underneath from running dry. If you let fabric cook too long in the microwave, so that it dries out, it can scorch, turn black, and eventually catch on fire.

If you really want to use heat-set acid dyes without a dyepot, microwave, or steamer, I suggest that you experiment with a dedicated cooler. Good results are not guaranteed, since this method has not yet been used much. If you buy a cheap insulated cooler, sold for use in chilling food, you can use it for your dyeing. Styrofoam will withstand boiling water, as we know from those awful styrofoam coffee cups, and it will dramatically slow the cooling process, after you pour boiling water into it. This will probably work pretty well with acid dyes that you would normally use for immersion dyeing on the stovetop, including Procion MX dyes with vinegar or another acid. For silk, you want be able to hold your acid dyebath at or near 185°F (85°C) for an hour or so; temperatures higher than 185°F can damage silk. You must acquire a reliable thermometer that can be immersed in water which will give readings in the range around and below boiling temperature; you may need to refresh the temperature of your dyebath. Keep careful notes as to what temperatures you use and for how long, so that you can decide what methods work best, to use in the future.

You do not have to work outside when using acid dyes. If the fumes from vinegar bother you, an easy solution is to substitute citric acid for the vinegar. Citric acid does not boil away into the air like the acetic acid in vinegar does. Citric acid is easily purchased from your dye supplier along with your dyes, and is also available as a food additive. If you choose to use Lanaset dyes, you should buy additional auxiliary chemicals recommended by your dye supplier (sodium acetate and Albegal SET). You will need to buy a dedicated dyeing pot to use in your kitchen. I have a huge enameled 33-quart canner which was not expensive, about $30, but the enamel in it chipped almost immediately. Chips in the paint of enameled dyepots, unlike chips in food preparation cooking pots, can be repaired by painting on the right sort of waterproof paint, but it's enough of a pain to make it worthwhile considering buying a five-gallon or larger stainless steel pot. A good source for these is a home brewing store, which sells supplies for brewing beer and wine at home. (A five-gallon stainless steel pot can be used without a spigot, but a ten-gallon pot is heavy enough that investing in a brewing kettle with a spigot at the bottom, for easy draining, is worth considering.) You can also use any large pot for steaming your silk to set your acid dyes, by wrapping the dyed fabric in paper and holding it in a rack above the surface of the boiling water, in a covered pot. ProChem's recipe for steaming when rainbow-dyeing with Lanaset dye calls for wrapping the wet silk up in plastic wrap and steaming it like a vegetable. Be careful not to let the water boil dry.

is it really that necessary to have the fabric sit for 25 hours.. and is what you mean, say if i were microwaving in a pyrex dish, to pour out the dye and let it sit with the lid on... I just don't know if I am understanding it properly without being shown.

This is something specific to your instructor and her recipe, so I cannot say how necessary it is. I do not know whether it is necessary for her to let the fabric set for 25 hours; that is a specific recommendation for a specific dye and technique, other details of which I have not seen. If you are microwave-setting dye, it is best to let the dye soak into the fabric for at least half an hour before microwaving, perhaps less for thinner fabrics, so that the dye can penetrate to the center of each fiber, rather than just "ring dyeing" the outside of each fiber, as will happen if you rush too quickly to microwave, after adding the dye. Letting the dye set afterwards for 25 hours seems like an oddly specific recommendation; if you are using heat-set acid dyes, including Procion dyes used with vinegar, then little further attachment of dye to fiber will continue after the dyebath has cooled completely to room temperature, which will take considerably less than 25 hours if you are working without insulation (such as a cooler). Allowing 24 hours for Procion MX dyes to react at room temperature, in the presence of soda ash, works well, but that's a different technique.

I am sure you would benefit by getting a good instruction book. Karren Brito's book, Shibori: Creating Color and Texture on Silk, is an excellent source for beginning to advanced dyers, explaining how to shibori-dye silk using Lanaset dyes and ProChem's WashFast Acid Dyes.

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Saturday, July 19, 2008

Why are the colors in my batiks pale and washed-out?

Name: Lily

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Batik Wax

Wax Melter Kit

Soda Ash
Dye Fixer

Urea
(optional)

Message: This question relates to batik. Hope you can please help me.

I've been making some batiks and encountered problems with dye colour vibrancy. Basically, the dyes are nice and strong when I first apply them... but they all seem to go incipit and lose their richness once I rinse the cloth down. Everything works out fine until this rinseout. After the dye has been applied, then dried (with the wax covering) I set the piece aside overnight to react, and then next day, I ironed out the wax with clean paper. Most of the wax came off fine, but there was a little residue which I still needed to get rid of. So, I rinsed the fabric under hot water, but I noticed that too much dye came off too. I used synthrapol (1/2 teaspoon per 1 litre of water) in the washout process, according to the label. So I'm rinsing it down and quite a bit of dye washes away too, which I don't want. This leaves the whole piece clear of wax but with paler colours that have lost their original strength when I first applied them.

Just to note, I believe I have followed the other steps correctly in making batik: I add 1 teaspoon of soda ash, 1 teaspoon dye powder (or required amount) to a yoghurt-pot container, add lukewarm water halfway then stir. I do this for each of the colours. The fabric I use is plain, pre-washed white cotton sheet, not too thick. And the colours are perfectly opaque and rich until I wash the fabric out.

Would you say that I should avoid the rinseout altogether, and just tolerate that slight waxy residue? Maybe I'm not leaving the dye to react long enough? You're the expert, I'll leave it to you.

I absolutely do not advise you to skip proper washing-out. There is a solution to your problem of washed-out colors; we just have to find it.

First, how long after you add the soda ash to the dye do you complete using it? Dye begins to react with water as soon as soda ash is added. An hour after the soda ash is added, the dye solution is too weak to rely on. Maybe half an hour. If the dye is mixed in very hot water with soda ash, it will be dead in a minute. I use water that is no higher than 75°F (24°C) for mixing the dye with the soda ash, unless the fabric is already in the dye. (If the fabric is already soaked with the dye before you add soda ash, any temperature is fine, because at that point the dye is in the fabric.)

If you paint dye onto a soda-soaked cloth, as some dye artists prefer to, enough soda ash will be picked up by the paintbrush to inactivate the bottle of dye it's being dipped in. In that case, it's best to mix up a good-sized bottle of dye, then pour out just enough to use in half an hour, and replenish the palette of colors as needed.

The most common problem is inadequate dye reaction temperature. Once the dye is on the fabric in the presence of soda ash, it should be kept warm enough for the dye to react. The minimum temperature for Procion MX dyes is 21°C (70°F), if the dye is kept moist enough to react overnight. (Moisture can be retained by adding urea to the dye mix; a good amount to use is 15 ml of urea per 250 ml of dye solution. Alternatively, you can wrap the fabric in plastic wrap to keep it moist overnight.) Drimarene K dyes require a somewhat higher temperature. If the reaction temperature is warmer, it does not take as long. If temperature is your problem, you will probably notice that turquoise MX-G is affected the worst, as it requires more warmth to react. If your room is 21°C, then 24 hours would be a good amount of time to leave the dye to react. If you are dyeing in a bucket, the timing and recipe are different; in that case, if you are using the right amount of dye and salt (a lot of salt if you are using a lot of water!), an hour should be sufficient, if the water is warm enough; warmer water may help. Pick a good recipe and follow it closely, for whatever technique you are using.

Inadequate dye concentration is another real possibility. What happens if you use twice as much dye powder? A typical recipe, for dye painting, calls for 4 teaspoons (20 ml) of dye per cup (250 ml) of water or print paste. For directly squirting the dye on while using the tie-dye recipe, I like to use about that strength. Your fabric should not be the right color when you put the dye on. It should look much darker than you want! Not all of the dye will react with the fabric. At least half will react with the water, instead, so you have to allow for this loss by starting with darker or brighter colors. This may be the key to your problem.

Perhaps the most likely cause of your problem is hard water. You need to buy a phosphate-containing water softener, called sodium hexametaphosphate, and add it to your dye mixtures, if your water is hard. Otherwise, your dye will not reach its full brightness due to interference by calcium and/or magnesium salts in the water. If your water is very hard, you should add this substance to your water for at least the first wash-out, too, because the dye can form difficult-to-wash-out complexes with calcium ions, making it impossible to wash out the excess unattached dye reasonably quickly.

When you do your washout, to remove excess dye, start by rinsing in cool water, to remove the soda ash and any other auxiliary chemicals. Only after the first rinse should you use hot water. At that point, the hotter your water, the better, for washout. Properly attached fiber reactive dye will not wash out even in boiling water, once you've removed the soda ash. (Remazol dyes may wash out in hot water partially, if the soda ash is not removed first with cool water; this should not be a problem with Procion dyes, but with them the initial cool water rinse helps prevent washing-out problems caused by the substantivity of the dye.)

The way I like to remove wax is by adding a small amount of real soap, not detergent, to the water, completely submerging the fabric or garment with two or more gallons of water in a very large stainless steel pot, and then heating until all the wax floats to the top. None of the fabric should be touching the surface when you leave it to cool. When the water has cooled enough, the wax on top will solidify and can be lifted off without getting back into the fabric. Only then do I remove the fabric from the pot. If you remove the fabric from the water while the wax is still liquid, some of the wax goes right back into the fabric as you lift it through.If you have a large enough pot, this method is much easier than ironing, and it may also be kinder to your lungs, since hot paraffin can produce damaging fumes.

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Friday, July 18, 2008

I need to dye a lot of pink cotton baby clothes

Name: Rebecca

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Dylon Permanent Dye is mostly Drimarene K dye (Dylon Permanent Black 12 is a Remazol dye, an excellent single-color black)

Message: I Love this site! I need to dye a lot of pink cotton baby clothes. After reading your site, I know not to use Rit, but i think I need to use the simplest type of dye possible- someting that is already mixed, as i am about a thousand months pregnant and probably do not need to expose myself to any extra chemicals. You state that the colors in the Tulip and dylon are less satisfactory, but I am not sure what this means- I am not looking to creat art, just to dye some pink clothes purplish or brownish. Any ideas on the best choice and most economical dye?

The problems with the Dylon dye colors are for people who are trying to mix dyes to make specific colors. There's no reason at all why you should not use Dylon Permanent Dye, or Dylon Cold Dye, or Tulip One Step Fashion dye, to change the color of your baby clothes. (In Europe or Australia, I recommend Dylon Machine Dye, which is the same sort of dye, formulated for use in a front-loader washing machine.)

All of these brands of dye, Tulip, Dylon Cold, Dylon Permanent, and Dylon Machine, contain fiber reactive dyes, so the dyes are good and permanent, even in hot water, unlike all-purpose dyes such as Rit. (There is one Dylon dye to avoid, Dylon Multi Purpose dye, because it is another all-purpose dye, like Rit.) You will not be able to buy any of these dyes in the grocery store, but you can buy then at any good crafts or hobby store, and often at a sewing store, as well. You can also buy good tie-dye kits, made by Jacquard, Dylon, Tulip, or Rainbow Rock, sometimes even at a discount department store such as Target or Walmart. These will work very well, too. Read the instructions carefully, because one brand may be different from another, and it is important to follow the instructions.

Each of these dyes in the local store will be relatively expensive per garment, just like Rit. Each will dye only one-half to one pound of fabric (dry weight); check what the label says, and weigh your pile of clothes. If you are going to be dyeing a lot of clothes, you'll do a lot better to mail-order dye in two-ounce jars per dye color. Even with the added cost of shipping, Procion dye from an economical dye supplier will cost a lot less than the packets of dye you buy in crafts stores, because a two-ounce jar contains about ten times as much dye, for only about twice the price.

The cheapest (and best) dye suppliers in the US include Grateful Dyes in Colorado, Dharma Trading Company in California, and PRO Chemical & Dye in Massachusetts. (See Sources for Dyeing Supplies.) Perhaps you should start with whatever Tulip or Dylon dye your local shop sells in a color you like, and then, if you like dyeing, progress to mail-ordering your favorite colors of Procion MX dye. If you want to work with liquid dye, and not mess with dye powder at all (all of the above dyes come in powdered form), I can recommend PRO Chemical & Dyes' Liquid Reactive Dyes, which I have used quite a lot on cotton, including some baby clothes. Here's a picture of one set of clothes I used the same type of dye on:

(Click on the picture to see a larger picture and a discussion of how I dyed them.)

Check the fiber contents of your baby clothes. The ones that are 100% cotton or rayon should dye very well. The ones that are 50% cotton/50% polyester will dye only half as dark, producing pastel colors. Don't bother trying to dye anything that is 100% polyester or acrylic. You can dye nylon with another type of dye (let me know if you have any nylon or wool baby clothes that you need information for).

You can overdye pink clothes to a lot of different colors: bright red, bright orange, deep blue, purple, black, or brown. You cannot recolor pink to light yellow or green, but that's about the only limitation.

You might want to consider removing color from a washing machine load of clothing first, before dyeing. I recommend that you use Rit Color Remover (which, unlike all-purpose dye, is an excellent product), in the hottest water your washing machine can supply. You will need two boxes for a full washing machine load. Some dyes will be completely removed, some partially, and some not at all; there's no way to predict what any particular garment will do, but it's well worth a try for the widest possible range of colors to dye. It's not at all difficult to use Rit Color Remover in the washing machine, no more difficult than washing clothes. You do not have to remove the pink color before you overdye the clothes, but it is worth considering the idea.

Be sure to wash any clothes that have been worn before, as thoroughly as possible, before dyeing them. There are likely to be invisible stains that will interfere with dyeing. I recommend washing them in the hottest water you can, with some detergent (Synthrapol dyer's detergent or regular laundry detergent) and some extra washing soda or soda ash for additional cleaning power. Never dye clothes that look clean, but might not be, without rewashing them first.

Fiber reactive dyes, when properly applied and the excess unattached dye washed out, are among the safest of all dyes for baby clothes. See "Dyeing Baby Clothes" and "Is it safe to dye a sling for my baby?".

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Thursday, July 17, 2008

I'd like to dye a plush toy from white to yellow

I'd like to dye a plush toy from white to yellow. Is there any way

A thin fabric paint
that flows like a dye

for both natural
and synthetic fibers

of going about this? I'm not sure what kind of material it would be as I haven't yet bought one to work with... but it'd probably look similar to this:

It's really important to me that I get it right, as I want it to be a present for someone, so if possible I want to get it done professionally. Are there professionals that'll attempt to do this?

Any information you can give me would be a great help. Thanks in advance!

This question is answered in depth on the following web page:

How can I tie-dye bean bag toys or other stuffed animals?

To summarize, it all depends on what fiber the outside fabric of your plush wolf toy is made of; most stuffies are covered with particularly hard-to-dye synthetics. It's easy to dye wool or mohair, or silk, cotton, or rayon velvet, but the synthetics can be a major problem. If it's polyester or acrylic, you might be able to dye with with a special polyester dye called disperse dye, but that requires extensive boiling, which might ruin the fur. Instead, you could use a good thin fabric paint like Dye-na-Flow or Dharma Pigment dyes. Or, you could find a pattern for sewing your own wolf toy in any color that you like.

I'll bet that there are people out there who will sew a custom-designed plush toy. It's almost impossible to find anyone to dye anything that is made of polyester or acrylic, though. For that question, see "Where can I find someone to dye my clothing for me?".

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Wednesday, July 16, 2008

I want to dye an evening dress which is an orange satin underlay with a white tulle overlay

Name: Emelia

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5 gallon stainless steel dyepot

Never reuse a dyeing pot for food preparation.

Message: Hello, I want to dye an evening dress which has an orange satin underlay with a white tulle overlay (I want the whole dress to be orange - even if the overlay is slightly lighter). Is this possible? If so, which dye would you recommend?

Is the dress machine-washable? You can't dye anything that is not washable, because dyeing involves a lot of washing.

If it is washable, what fibers are the satin and tulle made of? Satin is a smooth fabric that can be woven from almost any fiber. It will be easy to dye if it is silk or rayon, but very difficult to dye if it is polyester or acetate. Tulle can be made from nylon or from polyester. Nylon tulle is easily dyed with acid dyes, but polyester tulle is harder to dye.

If the dress is washable and is made from polyester satin with a nylon tulle overlay, then you can dye the dress in the washing machine with acid dye. A handy source of acid dye is the all-purpose dye mixtures that you can buy almost anywhere, such as Rit brand dye. The colors do not always come out as advertised, unfortunately. If you dye the dress in the washing machine with orange Rit dye and some vinegar, the nylon will take the dye, but the polyester will not, since polyester will not take any ordinary dye. Acid dye and all-purpose dye will wash out of the polyester, resulting in dyed tulle on the original color of polyester satin.

This will not work if the tulle is made of polyester, as is sometimes the case.

Polyester can be dyed only by boiling it for some time with a special kind of dye called disperse dye, which you can buy only by mail-order. I don't think you want to invest in a ten-gallon stainless steel cooking pot, large enough to dye a dress without creasing, because it is expensive. You must never reuse a dyeing pot for food preparation, so, once you have dyed your dress in a pot, the pot should be used only for dyeing afterwards. It's a great investment if you want to dye a lot of synthetics or wool, but not a good buy for a one-time use.

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Tuesday, July 15, 2008

I would like to refresh the colors on some shirts with fiber-reactive dye that were previously dyed with RIT dye

Name: Margaret

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Message: I was using RIT dyes before I found your website. I would like to refresh the colors on some shirts with fiber-reactive dye that were previously dyed with RIT dye that have been losing color with each wash because I didn't know I needed to use Retayne to keep the color. Do I need to remove the RIT dye first before using the fiber-reactive dyes for best results? If I mess up or need to alter the shade after dying with fiber-reactive dye, is there anything besides bleach I can use to remove or lighten the color?

You should pre-wash your shirts, preferably in hot water (if the shirts can handle it). Hot water will remove some of the all-purpose dye, especially if you soak with hot water. We like to use Synthrapol or other dyer's detergent, along with some extra soda ash for added cleaning power, in the hot water pre-wash, but any hot water wash should do. After this, any remaining Rit dye will continue to wear away in the wash, but it will not interfere with the fiber reactive dyes. The Procion dyes will be able to access the cellulose molecules in your cotton shirts in order to react with them.

I would prefer to try to remove as much of the all-purpose dye color as possible before over-dyeing, just so as to have a better idea of the eventual color of the shirts. However, this is not required, as long as you've prewashed them.

Instead of chlorine bleach (also referred to as hypochlorite bleach), I prefer to use Rit Color Remover, which contains a reducing agent that removes the color from most dyes, without damaging the fabric like chlorine bleach does. See "What chemicals can be used to remove dye?". I don't recommend all-purpose dyes for dyeing cotton, but I do like Rit Color Remover. You can use it in hot water in the washing machine; it works better with hotter water on the stovetop, but the washing machine method is so much easier that that is what I always use.

Unfortunately, not all dyes respond equally well to bleach or to color removers. Some will be nearly eradicated, but others will change to a duller color or an entirely different color, and some will remain unchanged. Interestingly, sometimes bleach will work when color remover does not, or vice versa, so it can be worthwhile to try one, after washing, if the other one does ot work. Unlike with other dyes, we do have some information of which of the Procion dyes can be removed with bleach or with color remover; see "Which Procion MX dyes discharge the best? Which are good at resisting chlorine bleach?". The "hypochlorite" column gives you info about chlorine bleach, while the "reductive discharge" column gives you info about the results of color remover.

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Monday, July 14, 2008

I'm trying to dye a silk flower with fabric paint, do I need to add soda ash before or after?

Name: Karen

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Fabric paints
for both natural
and synthetic fibers

Message: I'm trying to dye a silk flower with fabric paint, do I need to add soda ash before or after? These flowers with be submerged in water afterwards with a floating candle on top for a wedding reception. I'm afraid the flower after it's dyed will turn the water the same color, but I want the water to stay clear. Any advise will be greatly appreciated.

Do NOT use soda ash with fabric paint!

Soda ash is used to allow certain types of dye to react with fiber. It will do nothing for other types of dye, nor for fabric paints, which are not dyes at all. Fabric paints are insoluble pigments mixed with a glue-like acrylic binder. The soda ash probably won't do much harm, but it is totally useless for fabric paint.

You say "silk" flower. Do you know whether your flowers are truly made of 100% natural silk, or are they really polyester or another synthetic? I have often seen polyester flowers sold as "silk" flowers. It makes a big difference, because dyes that work on silk will never work on polyester, and some paints that stick to silk or cotton will not stick to polyester well.

Jacquard says that their fabric paints will work on polyester, and they work on silk, too, so, if you use them, there is no worry about the exact fiber content of your artificial flowers. Jacquard Products makes a number of different fabric paints: Jacquard Textile Colors, Lumiere metallic and pearlescent colors, Neopaque opaque fabric paints, and Dye-Na-Flow, a fabric paint that flows like dye. If your local crafts store does not carry these paints, order them from Blick Art Materials or from Dharma Trading Company.

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Heat-set your
fabric paint

You will have to heat-set your fabric paints after they dry. Fabric paints are set in an entirely different way from fabric dyes. You use dry heat to do it, instead of steam. Flat items can be ironed to heat set them, while sturdy soft items can be dried in a commercial clothes dryer for heat setting (home clothes dryers do not get hot enough!), but for fragile non-flat items like flowers, you can't use either of these. One alternative is to use a heat tool, which is like a hair dryer without the fan. Your local crafts store may carry this, or you can order from Blick Art Materials or Dharma Trading Company. The other alternative is to get a product called acrylic catalyst, a liquid which you add to your fabric paint before use. Jacquard's brand of fabric paint catalyst is called Jacquard Airfix; you can order it from Jerry's Art Supplies (one of the few mail-order sources for AirFix), or perhaps you could use the Versatex brand that is sold by Dharma (better call them first and ask, to be sure).

Allowing plenty of drying time before heat-setting the fabric paint is helpful. Doing a good job with the heat-setting step, or using the catalyst as a substitute, is essential for preventing the color from dissolving in the water.

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Sunday, July 13, 2008

I am doing a piece of coursework for my A level applied science class, and would like to know all the different materials you can use when using natural dyes

Name: Sharne

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Books About
Natural Dyes

Message: I am doing a piece of coursework for my A level applied science class, and would like to know all the different materials you can use when using natural dyes. For example, different clothing materials and foods and any other things you may use with natural dye. And, can there be any hazards within using natural dyes, and what substances may irritate the skin or cause allergies?

This is a pretty ambitious set of questions. To answer them all in detail, I'd have to spend all day, working without pay!

I would recommend that to start, you read my page, About Natural Dyes, in addition to the following pages on my site:

Follow that by buying an excellent guide to natural dyes, J.N. Liles' book, The Art and Craft of Natural Dyeing. You can buy this, used, from Amazon.co.uk. It is not as beautifully illustrated as some books on natural dyeing, but it contains much more information, and more reliable information, than more popular books on natural dyes. You will get far more information from this book than is available anywhere for you to read online.

You may also learn by reading web sites from good companies devoted to selling natural dyes: Aurora Silk and Earthues. You will notice that natural dyes are far more expensive than synthetic dyes, especially considering that you often have to use more than twenty times as much of a natural dyestuff to dye the same amount of fiber.

Please be sure to give proper credit, with detailed footnotes, for where you find all of the information you use in writing any reports.

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Saturday, July 12, 2008

dyeing a 100% polyester duvet cover solid black

Name: Beka

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5 gallon stainless steel dyepot

Never reuse a dyeing pot for food preparation.

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Message: Hi I have purchased a 100% Polyester Charmeuse Champagne duvet cover. I would like to dye it a dark black as I have been unable to find the color I am looking for in bedding. Is this something that I will be able to do with this type of fabric? If it is, should I use an acid dye? And how do I go about getting the best possible results? I spent a lot of money on this spread and I want to make sure it will take a dye.

No, I'm sorry, but it's very unlikely that you will be able to dye a 100% polyester duvet cover a solid dark black.

The only way to dye polyester a solid color is to boil it for a while with a special polyester dye called disperse dye. You can buy this dye from Aljo Mfg in New York, PRO Chemical & Dye in Massachusetts, or as the new "iDye Poly" from a Jacquard retailer such as Dharma Trading Company. The problem is, how are you going to boil it? Your dyeing pot must be large enough to permit whatever you dye to move freely in the water, or else you will get a tie-dyed look rather than a solid color. How large of a pot would you need to boil your duvet cover? Probably ten gallons or more.

If you are serious about dyeing and will be dyeing many things in hot water dyes over the next few years, then it's a great idea to buy yourself a dyeing pot. You should get a very large cooking pot that is made of stainless steel or unchipped enamel. (Enamel always ends up chipping, so stainless steel is best.) You should never reuse a dyeing pot for food preparation, once you've used it to dye anything. This means that a ten-gallon pot would be quite an investment!

You will not be able to get a dark black if you dye polyester at less than a boil. The temperature obtainable in a typical washing machine is far too low. Polyester dyes best above boiling temperature.

I think that you should return this duvet cover to the store, and either find one online somewhere in the color you want, or buy one in an easily dyeable fiber. You can use cool water fiber reactive dyes, such as Procion MX dye, on most natural fibers. They work great in a washing machine, a large bucket, or (for other than solid colors) in direct application. Look for a duvet cover that is made of real silk, or cotton, or rayon, linen, hemp, or bamboo. Alternatively, buy some fabric yardage of some delicious material, dye it, and have a local seamstress sew it into a duvet cover for you. The sewing involved in making a duvet cover is not of a very demanding level. It's best to buy "PFD" fabric, which is prepared for dyeing, from a source such as Silk Connection, TestFabrics, or Dharma Trading Company.

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Friday, July 11, 2008

Where can we buy reactive orange 14 for laboratory research?

I was referred to your website by the good people over at dharma trading and was hoping that you could help me out. I am a research assistant in a physiology lab and we recently found that we were running low on procion orange dye (reactive orange 14). Apparently Sigma does not carry it anymore, so I am trying to find another supplier but I am having a tough time trying to figure out what dyes out there correspond with the old Procion orange dye. I need it to correspond in more that color, I really need it to be chemically identical to Sigma's procion orange. Ivy, at Dharma Trading said that their orange #4 is a pure reactive orange and I was wondering if you had, or knew how to get either the structure or molecular weight of the compound.

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Reactive Orange 14 appears to be coded as Yellow MX-4R; different dye companies will change "MX" to their own preferred code, but so far, for reactive dyes only, most will use the same code that follows the dash. ("Reactive orange 14" is this dye's Colur Index name.) Unfortunately, this is on neither my list of pure unmixed Procion MX dyes nor my list of pure unmixed Procion H dyes. (Procion MX dyes are dichlorotriazines, while Procion H dyes are monochlorotriazines.) This means that you won't be able to buy this dye from an art dye retailer such as Dharma or ProChem, nor an arts and crafts supplier such as Blick. Classic Dye doesn't have it, according to their site, and neither does Standard Dye; these are two dye wholesalers in the US that I've dealt with or known others who have.

You cannot simply substitute reactive orange 4 for reactive orange 14, since they are different chemicals, though the reactive portion of the dye molecule is the same. Reactive Orange 4, which Dharma and other art dye suppliers sell, is coded as Orange MX-2R. You may be able to use a different dichlorotriazine dye in place of the one currently in your recipe, but the color is almost entirely irrelevant, since the important point is the reaction between dye and protein molecule. Different specific reactive dyes have different reactivities. I do not have any information of how quick to react the reactive orange 14 dye may be; there's a table of the relative reactivities of other dyes in the same class posted on the Dye Forum, which was excerpted from the book "Reactive Dyes in Biology", by Victor Ivanov, but unfortunately reactive orange 14 is not included in that table.

I was able to find the structure for your reactive orange 14, from the Comparative Toxicogenomics Database

and from the Sigma Aldritch web site. Compare Sigma's representation of its structure, on the left, with that of reactive orange 4, on the right. You can see that reactive orange 14 is very unlike reactive orange 4. Reactive orange 4 contains two naphthalene groups that are not found in reactive orange 4. In fact, I already had a hand-drawn structure for reactive yellow MX-4R on my page of known Procion MX dye structures, but did not realize that it was the same dye until I compared the structures. The molecular weight of reactive orange 4 is 715.527, while that for reactive orange 14 is 631.39.

There is a US National Library of Medicine Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) entry for this dye listed in the Comparative Toxicogenomics Database, with a source article referenced as appearing in a 1987 issue of the journal Anal. Biochem., 163(2):385. Sometimes you can find a little more information on a dye by searching with its CAS Registry Number, which in this case is given as 12225-86-4. (Always put quotes around the number itself when searching, as otherwise it will be split at the dashes.) Searching with either the CAS number or the phrase "reactive orange 14" yields a number of possible sources, for example, Advance Scientific & Chemical, which sells it for $57.15 for 50 grams. You can probably get a pound or more of the same dye for that price from a textile dye supplier, but it might be slightly less pure. It would be nice to avoid having to do any additional purification of your own, if possible.

A web search for the Colour Index name of a dye, in this case the phrase "reactive orange 14", is often your best way to find a supplier, and in this case it does turn up a number of possible leads. The first one I happened to look at was Liberty Specialty Chemicals, which I don't know anything at all about, but they do have a US office, and they manufacture or sell reactive orange 14. It should be much easier to deal with a company that has an office in the US, rather than one with offices only in India or China (the two countries where it seems that most of this kind of dye is made). You could try calling them:

Liberty Speciality Chemicals, LLC.
6060 J A JONES DRIVE, SUITE 524, CHARLOTTE NC 28287, USA
Telephone: 704-5541487 Fax: 704-5547154.
Contact Person : Mr.Ritesh G. Ved. E-mail: rits@libertyscl.com

Be very specific that you want only reactive orange 14, not any similarly colored substitute; sometimes large dye companies will change a formula without making much notice of it, but a similarly-colored mixture of other dyes will be of no use to you at all. You may have to buy an entire kilogram of dye, or more; on the other hand, a kilogram of dye from most textile dye sources will probably cost less than a few grams of the same dye from Sigma.

I hope that you won't have to buy five kilograms as your minimum order size per color; that is the minimum amount you can order from Dystar, which is a major dye supplier and the owner of the 'Procion' trade name. I have purchased one-pound buckets from Standard Dye, which is as much as I like to deal with at a time.

You may want to look at the FAQ for my website, which has some information that is relevant for scientific use of these dyes. There is also some information on how dichlorotriazine dyes react with cellulose in my Hand Dyeing Q&A blog (the reactions with proteins are more complex); see I'm wondering if you could explain the chemistry behind why cotton can't be dyed at an acidic pH and
Chemical Reaction for a Dichlorotriazine Dye with Cellulose.

I think you will be able to find some of the dye you need. Please let me know how it works out.

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Another drawing of Procion Yellow MX-4R (Colour Index
Reactive Orange 14), from the Comparative
Toxicogenomics Database.

Thursday, July 10, 2008

What type of cotton is used to get that sueded look?

Name: Linda

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Message: Do you know what type of cotton is used to get that sueded look? I know the dye process, but I just cannot find out what fabric to use. I have searched for hours looking for sueded cotton but have batted 0. Thanks in advance.

Are you talking about the form of low water immersion dyeing that makes the fabric look like suede to some people, or are you talking about a fabric which can be brushed or distressed to create a suede feel on the fabric?

Assuming that you're talking about the variant on low water immersion dyeing, as described in ProChem's page on The Suede Look using Procion MX Reactive Dyes, the usual fabric to use is a cotton muslin fabric with a relatively loose twist in the component threads. Two specific recommendations I've seen are Roclon 408 muslin and P & B Dyers muslin.

Dharma sells a 60" sandwashed cotton broadcloth which should be perfect, since it already has the sueded feel to it. This would be my first choice.

To increase the softness of your fabric, be sure to use an industrial fabric softener such as Dharma's Milsoft or ProChem's PROsoft K, after you have completed all dyeing steps. Grocery store fabric softener is not as effective, besides containing unwanted perfumes and additives.

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Wednesday, July 09, 2008

What about dying a bathing suit?

Name: jackie

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Message: What about dying a bathing suit? the outer layer of the suit is spandex and nylon but the inner lining is polyester, if i dye the bathing suit do i run the risk of ruining it or will the dye just not stick to the polyester lining? Also what about getting into a chlorinated pool? Thanks for your help!

I think you'll do better to buy a new 90% cotton/10% spandex bathing suit from Dharma Trading Company, and dye that with Procion MX dyes. Cotton is easier to dye in a blend with spandex, because you can use Procion MX dyes at room temperature, without threatening the stretchiness of the spandex in your suit.

The problem with dyeing a nylon/spandex blend is that nylon requires heat to dye it with acid dyes, while spandex is very sensitive to heat and will lose its shape if overheated.

Polyester is an even bigger problem, since it requires extensive boiling in a special polyester dye called disperse dye. You cannot dye polyester when the garment also contains spandex. However, you could leave the lining of your bathing suit undyed, and just dye the outside, so that's not necessarily a big problem.

The blank white bathing suits that Dharma Trading Company sells are not at all expensive, and they dye up great. The only problem will be if you need a wider range of sizes than they provide.

See also:
• How to Dye Spandex
• How to Dye Nylon
• How to Dye Cotton with Procion MX dyes
• Dyeing Polyester with Disperse Dyes

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Tuesday, July 08, 2008

looking for a custom tie-dyer for a horse halter

Name: Josie

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Tie Dye Kit
makes it easy to dye it yourself

Message: Hello, Let me start by simply saying I LOVE your work. I actually have a white horse halter it is 100% cotton and I was wondering if I could send it to you and you tie dye it (I've read your "How I did it" columns, and I've concluded I could never do it as beautifully as you). I would pay for you to. I would want a classic "70's" Tie dye like the "Hippies" wore.

I'm afraid I can't take on this project, but I know of other expert tie-dyers who can. See my page on "Where can I find someone to dye my clothing for me?"(scroll down to the second section of custom dyers). Let me know if you want me to post your request on the Dye Forum, or you can join the forum (there's no fee) and post your request yourself.

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Monday, July 07, 2008

How can I find an MSDS for a specific basic dye?

Name: Donna
Message: We have Yoracryl yellow dye in our science dept. I require an MSDS for if but cannot find one. I have found its exact formula and a list of other names it goes by. I have then searched each of these names only to come up blank. One search lead me to you site. Do you have an MSDS for this product or know how I can get hold of one. The item was purchased some time ago so I don't have a record of its supplier. Thanks

If you might buy dye from a supplier in the future, they will probably fax you an MSDS page, in the interests of good customer relations. It's often better to call than to email, as some companies are not yet good about responding to email. Several suppliers for Yoracryl dyes turn up in a web search.

I can't do any searching for you myself since I don't know which Yoracryl yellow basic dye you have. There are several Yoracryl yellow dyes.

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Can I redye some 35% cotton 65% polyester shorts to cover up a hemming line?

Name: Tiffany

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5 gallon stainless steel dyepot

Never reuse a dyeing pot for food preparation.

Message: I have a couple of pairs of shorts and paints for my sons school that I hemmed and have a crease now with a discolored line. I am wanting to dye redye it a Navy it is 65% polyester and 35% Cotton. I was looking at your polyester issues and how it is hard to do, if it is 35% cotton will it adhere to the fabric better? And what kind should I get?

I'm afraid I have bad news for you. If you dye a 35% cotton/65% polyester pair of shorts with cotton dyes, you will get a color that is only 35% as dark as you want, since the polyester in the blend will not take the dye.

You can dye both fibers in a poly/cotton blend at once by mixing Jacquard Products' "iDye" dye for cotton with their "iDye Poly" dye for polyester and boiling the shorts for some time. You can mail-order iDye and iDye Poly from Dharma Trading Company and other retailers for Jacquard Products.

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However, to use these hot-water dyes, you must invest in a dyeing pot, preferably five gallons or more in size. Your dyeing pot must be made either of stainless steel or of unchipped enamel, not aluminum or iron, and you must never reuse this pot for food preparation, once you've used it for dyeing clothing. I believe that you could buy several new pairs of shorts for your son for the money that this dyeing pot will cost you. It's a good idea only if you plan to use your pot for dyeing clothing again in the future.

If the goal is simply to save money, then dyeing a cotton/polyester blend is not going to do it for you. It is very easy to dye 100% cotton shorts at room temperature, using Procion MX dyes, which don't have to be cooked, so the equipment needed is inexpensive, but dyeing polyester requires a dyepot, which can be expensive.

On the other hand, it might be that you could cover up the line from the hem by getting fabric crayons, which contain disperse dye and work only on synthetic fibers such as polyester. You can find these at the sewing store. To use them, color a solid region on paper, then place this face-down on the line on the shorts and, using a hot dry iron, iron it on. The polyester dye transfers with the heat of the iron. (Be sure to put a good many layers of newspaper on your ironing board to protect it.) The results will not be perfect, but they might be less glaring than the faded line you have now, and the expense of a box of fabric crayons is not very large. Be sure that you do not confuse fabric crayons with regular crayons: they look almost identical, but they cannot be substituted for each other at all.

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Sunday, July 06, 2008

salt technique on dry Tinfix scarf

Name: Linda

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Message: I hand painted a silk scarf using Tinfix dyes. The piece is done but I think it needs some texture. Do you think I could lightly mist the scarf and sprinkle it with salt. I've done the salt technique before but the fabric was still wet when I salted it. Do you have any advice?

Thanks

I think that this idea is worth a try. Since you have not set the dye yet, and Tinfix requires a considerably amount of steaming, it should still be completely unattached to the silk now, and thus able to move if you redampen it. Of course you do have to be careful to keep all of the dye from running together when you mist it.

Maybe you should cut a very rough stencil out of cardboard or the plastic cover of a report folder in order to protect the areas you don't want to salt from the misting.

Please let me know how it goes.

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Saturday, July 05, 2008

After you are done tie dying, should you put it in a plastic bag or just leave it sit on wax paper outside until it dries?

Name: abbey

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Urea

Message: ok im sorry if you have already answered this question but i looked and couldnt find it. so my question is after you are done tie dying should you put it in a plastic bag or just leave it sit on wax paper outside until it drys? and how long do you think you should leave your shirts out to dry?

Fiber reactive dyes must have moisture present in order to react. If you are using Procion MX dye, there are two good ways to keep the dye moist on the fabric long enough to react thoroughly. You can use either one or both of these methods. You should give your dyes plenty of time to react with the fiber, in the presence of soda ash (from the presoak); I prefer to leave shirts at least overnight in a warm place (70°F or higher), so that all of the dye has reacted, which means that there will be no problems with backstaining of dye from one part of the fabric to another, during the washing-out step.

(Please note that none of this information applies to all-purpose dyes, such as Rit. Urea will not help Rit dye at all. It is for good fiber reactive dyes, such as Procion MX dye, which are necessary for the best tie-dyeing.)

The first and simplest method for keeping your dyes moist is simply to mix urea in with your dye mixtures. (See What is urea for? Is it necessary?.) Urea is optional in tie-dyeing, but it can be very useful, with fiber reactive dyes. It is a humectant, which means that it attracts water to it. If you use urea in your dye mixtures, then you can leave your dyed garments out overnight, without any covering, and they will stay moist enough for the dye reaction to continue, even if they seem almost dry to the touch. The amount of urea to use is one tablespoon per cup of water. This is equivalent to 15 ml, or 12.5 grams, for every 250 ml of water, to which you then add your dyes. I generally mix up one-quarter cup of urea, which is four tablespoons, in one quart (or one liter) of water, and then measure out one cup of this mixture to add dye to.

The second possibility is to wrap your shirts in a waterproof covering, such as Saran Wrap or plastic bags, in order to prevent any water from evaporating. If you do this, you don't have to add urea to your dyes. If you use urea, you don't have to wrap your dyed stuff in plastic. You must do one of these, either urea or plastic; it is okay, but not necessary, to do both.

There is no drawback to using urea, as long as you have it. It is not expensive, and it dissolves in water with the greatest of ease. Urea is not toxic (it's a common ingredient in hand lotions and other moisturizers). It will stay good for a long time when stored in plastic jars, usually for years, but it can eventually go bad. If your urea smells strongly of ammonia when you open the container, then it has started to go bad and should be discarded (or used as fertilizer or to melt ice on your sidewalk in the winter). Ammonia changes the pH, so you do not want to use ammonia in your dye mixtures.

You can buy urea from your dye supplier. Order it from Blick, Grateful Dyes, PRO Chemical & Dye, Dharma Trading Company, or wherever you normally order your dyes from. You can also find fertilizer-grade urea in a feed store, but you should buy that only if it looks clean and white. You don't want the mess of dirty urea.

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Friday, July 04, 2008

I want to dye a 30% wool 70% acrylic garment from dark taupe to charcoal, black or navy blue.

Name: Robyn

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Never reuse a dyepot for food

A good dyepot should be made of a non-reactive material, either stainless steel or enamel, and large enough for the fabric to move freely in the dyebath. You will need one to use any dye other than cool water fiber reactive dyes or indigo.

Books on Dyeing Synthetic Fibers

Message: I want to dye a 30% wool 70% acrylic garment that is dark taupe and I want to dye it charcoal, black or navy blue. What colour should I choose to achieve this result?

You will not be able to dye your 30% wool 70% acrylic garment with ordinary dyes, the type that work on wool, because those dyes will simply wash out of acrylic fibers. Dyeing only the 30% of your garment that is wool will result in a pale color, a light grey or smoke blue, rather than the dark colors you are interested in.

I do not think that dyeing acrylic blend fabric is a good project for a novice. The dyes used for acrylic are somewhat toxic, and they will badly stain almost anything that they get on, especially plastics, unlike most dyes, which leave plastics alone. Also, you will have to cook the garment in the dye, using a huge non-reactive cooking pot, large enough for the garment to move freely in the dyebath; however, such pots are expensive, and yet once they have been used for dye, especially acrylic dyes, they should never be used for food again. In many cases, you can buy another garment for less than the cost of a good five- or ten-gallon stainless steel or enamel dyeing pot.

Acrylic can be dyed by heating it to a minimum 65°C, and holding it at that temperature for some time, with either of two types of dye: disperse dye or basic (cationic) dye. However, you cannot get a dark color, such as charcoal, black or navy blue, using disperse dye on acrylic. Disperse dye can only produce paler colors on acrylic. That leaves basic dyes. Basic dyes are used only on acrylic. They are no longer used on wool because they have extremely poor lightfastness and washfastness on wool. They will dye the wool, but the results will fade.

If you acquire a huge non-reactive cooking pot, to be used for dyeing purposes only, then you can buy some basic dye and use it to dye your garment. I see from your email address that you are in Australia; you can mail-order basic dye from Batik Oetoro. (In the US, basic dyes can be mail-ordered from Aljo Mfg. in New York.) The brand of basic dye sold by Batik Oetoro is Astrazon. It is not inexpensive: 50 grams cost $12.95, while 100 grams cost $23.95. The instructions say to weigh your dry fabric, and then use an amount of dye equivalent to 1% to 3% of this weight. However, dyeing black is always difficult, with any type of dye, unless you use more dye than the recipe calls for. Because black is such a dark color, you must use more dye. If your garment weighs one pound, then you will have to use at least 14 grams of dye. I recommend that you use more, for a rich dark black. According to Batik Oetoro's instructons, you should dissolve your dye, and then combine the dye, water, acetic acid, and your garment in the huge cooking pot, bring it to a boil, boil the garment in the dye for an hour, and then let the garment cool in the dyebath overnight.

It seems likely that boiling your garment for an hour will cause the wool in the fabric to shrink badly. I'm afraid that I cannot recommend this project. I recommend that you acquire another garment instead. It is easy to dye 100% natural fibers, especially cotton, which can be dyed without cooking.

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Thursday, July 03, 2008

Which natural dyes are more permanent than others?

Name: Zubair

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Books About Natural Dyes

Message: hi, I am a student of textile design and i have developed a lot of interest in natural dyes. Like any new dyer my primary concern is the fastness of the color and although I have read the answer you gave for one such question but still I want to know what dyes are more peremanent than others. I have planned to do natural dyes on bedsheets and cushions in silk for my internship project. The project is in August and I want to learn whatever I can through trial and error.

I think a good start for you would be to buy J.N Liles' 1990 book, The Art and Craft of Natural Dyeing: Traditional Recipes for Modern Use, ISBN 978-0870496707, which gives detailed, updated recipes for many different natural dyes and mordants, on different fibers including silk. There is no point in trying to recreate all of the years of work that experts in natural dyeing have already invested; better to start with a knowledge of what others have accomplished, and then build on top of that. Note that this book will not blow you away with beautiful pictures, like some popular books on natural dyeing, but there are many more recipes, and the information is more reliable than that in some of the more decorative illustrated guides.

There are many different natural dyes in the world, but most of them will be less washfast than the best synthetic alternatives. (See About Natural Dyes.) However, some natural dyes are very washfast, when applied correctly to mordanted fabrics. Their cost is far higher than the cost of synthetic dyes, but people often prefer the idea of natural dyes. The very best natural dyes include indigo for blue (which is available in both natural and synthetic forms, identical except for source), cochineal for red and pink, logwood for black and purple, madder for reds and oranges, cutch for brown, brazilwood for reds and pinks, and quercitron for yellow.

Natural dyes are very expensive, compared to synthetic dyes, because large amounts of most dyestuffs are required. A typical recipe calls for two to three pounds of dyestuff to dye one pound of fiber. Indigo and cochineal are sold as concentrates, so far smaller amounts of these two dyes are required. Cochineal is a wonderful red dye made from cactus insects. It is also sold as the natural red food dye carmine; many red foods are colored with the ground-up bodies of cochineal insects.

Mordants are a very important consideration. Few natural dyes will last through washing when applied to unmordanted fabrics. The only natural dye that is very lightfast and washfast that can be used without mordant is indigo, which is a vat dye that must be applied in a reducing bath (low in oxygen). Indigo is a wonderful dye which requires different techniques than other classes of dye; it is less fast when applied incorrectly. All other classes of natural dyes show improved fastness when applied to mordanted fabrics. Mordants are more dangerous than the synthetic fiber reactive dyes that are commonly used for hand dyeing. Alum is the only mordant (besides tannin for cotton) which is not horribly toxic, but even it has produced some fatalities; the fatal dose of alum mordant is about one ounce for an adult, or a few grams for a child. Other mordants, such as copper, iron, tin, and chrome, can produce a wider range of colors and enhanced lightfastness and washfastness, but they can be quite dangerous to use due to the toxicity of the metal ions. Chrome, in particular, is known for producing brilliant yellows, but it is a known human carcinogen which has caused a number of deaths and serious illnesses among workers who use it industrially. I do not recommend the use of chrome as a mordant. Even copper and iron, which sound harmless to us since they are nutritional necessities, are very dangerous in their pure form, easily able to cause fatalities if misused, but they can be safely used by those who are careful and follow good recipes.

There are books available on growing your own plants for use as natural dyes, but how useful they will be depends on what climate you live in, and you will not have time to grow your own dyeplants before your project is due. You will need to find a supplier for the dyeplants and mordants you wish to use. In the US, I recommend that you look at Aurora Silk and at Earthues. I do not know much about natural dye suppliers in other countries, but recommend that you look at my page of Sources for Dyeing Supplies Around the World. Even if the companies listed do not sell the materials you need, they will probably be able to tell you who does.

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Wednesday, July 02, 2008

Is it possible to dye a bright white wedding veil to an off white?

Name: Patricia

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Message: Hi - I have a bright white wedding veil (made from that typical veil netting) and was wondering if it's possible to dye this to an off white.

Thank you so much for your time!

Is it polyester tulle or nylon tulle? The dyes are different. Nylon is very easy to dye, but polyester is more difficult. Nylon can be dyed with acid dyes, but polyester requires special polyester dye.

If you cannot determine the fiber content of the veil by looking at the information provider by its maker, then you can cut off a small shred and carefully burn it as a test.

You can dye polyester by boiling it with disperse dye (mail-ordered from PRO Chemical & Dye in Massachusetts or Aljo Mfg. in New York). You can also buy a new brand of disperse dye which is named "iDye Poly". (Don't confuse this with the regular iDye, which is not for polyester.) iDye Poly is sold by retailers of Jacquard Products, including Dharma Trading Company.

Nylon can be dyed with all-purpose dye, such as Rit or Tintex, because the makers of all-purpose dye includes acid dyes in their mixtures. All-purpose dye is easy to find in your local grocery or pharmacy. I do not recommend all-purpose dye for cotton, but it works reasonably acceptably on nylon. You should add a little vinegar to your dyebath when you dye nylon with all-purpose dye; a good amount would be 6 and a half tablespoons of white vinegar per gallon of water, mixed with dye. Use only a tiny amount of brown dye, if you want a slightly off-white color.

Disperse dyes will work on nylon, too, but they are so much harder to find than all-purpose dyes that I do not usually recommend this. Disperse dyes are less washfast on nylon, but that's probably not a big problem for a veil that is unlikely to be washed.

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Tuesday, July 01, 2008

Will the pencil marks I made on my t-shirt before waxing come out when I'm done?

I am new here and to batik. Your website is wonderful and I think I may be hooked.

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My question is about the pencil marks I made on my t-shirt to draw a pattern before waxing. Will it come out or be dyed over? I'm worried it will show.

Are you using dye, or fabric paint? Pencil marks will wash out after you use dye, assuming that you boil out all of the wax. However, fabric paint will often make any pencil marks it covers over into permanent marks.

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Ordinary graphite pencils are a good choice for marking designs for batik. They are safe to use on silk as well as on cotton. This is my preferred method for predrawing batik designs on fabric.

Another popular choice, children's washable markers, are fine for use for temporary markings when tie-dyeing cotton, using dye, not fabric paint, but they will sometimes leave permanent marks on silk.

You can also buy disappearing markers, which make a bright purple line which disappears after a day or so in the air (faster in humid conditions), or immediately when immersed in water, for marking fabric. I find these more suitable for marking where to sew than where to wax or dye. I prefer ordinary pencils for batik.

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