Fabric Dye (do it yourself) Any hints, suggestions or advice?

[mamacatnv]

DS has asked me to whip up a costume for him for a college function - the sheet I bought at the Goodwill needs to be dyed a dark brown - it is currently tan

I was going to get some RIT fabric dye and do it - I have never used fabric dye so I'm looking for my Dis friends to share their advice and experiences

The sheet is 100% cotton and is currently a medium tan color

TIA

 

[Cherbear013]

I love dyeing things! I use RIT all the time. Just follow the directions on the package and let the fabric soak until it gets to be the color you want or a little darker. I've dyed jeans, shirts, sheets, etc. Good luck!!

 

[Costumesaremylife]

Make sure the fabric is wet before you put it in the dyebath, dissolve the dye in a cup with hot water before adding it to your bucket of water or washer and stir it frequently if you are not using a washer. And remember dye always dries lighter than it looks when it's wet. So if you want it dark you've got to make sure its superdark when it's wet.

 

[Imzadi]

Do NOT get RIT dye. RIT is really hit or miss depending on the material & the process you use, how hot the water, if the powder is fully dissolved, etc. The colors aren't very saturated, you may get streaking, patching, they dyes may severly run off... They aren't really considered professional dye amoung fabric dyers & fabric artist painters.

Go to DharmaTrading.com. Look under their fabric dye category for Procion Dyes, Dharma Dyes, Jacquard dyes or one of the acid dyes for the type of material you actually have. Don't worry about the word acid, it is usually harmless vinegar. It's just the activator for the dye.

The difference in a good quality dye, instead of a generic, "dye everything" dye is that they are for specific materials and really attach and embed into the fibers they are made for. You will get beautiful, deep, bright, saturated, reliable colors.

http://www.dharmatrading.com/topnav/dyes/

 

[Costumesaremylife]

No they aren't considered professional, but they are easy and cheap and it's only for dyeing one sheet brown. I think it can be accomplished fairly well with RIT.

 

[mamacatnv]

Thanks all!

The info on the better dyes may come in handy down the road, good to know, thank you

I picked up a bottle of the liquid RIT dark brown and followed the instructions to the letter - I did it in my washer and when it was done, I was terrified my washer would somehow get the residue all over laundry for weeks to come.

I then followed the instructions for cleaning the washer to the letter and lo and behold, the washer tub was clean! Okay, I admit I tested it with some old white wash clothes before I actually added real laundry to it!

The costume (Barney Rubble) came out great, it was a nice chocolate brown and DS looked hilarious in it!

Sheet at Goodwill $2
Dye Wal-Mart $4
Hem Tape $1
Not too bad for a great costume, I would use the fabric dye again

 

[Costumesaremylife]

Welcome to the wonderful world of costumes! Glad to hear Barney came out so well.