question about over-dyeing garments ?

since we have 6 weeks more winter, i have a sweatshirt project i wanted to try (if possible).

i have this heavy IZOD sweatshirt (a gift) that uses a sort of a french terry or similar fabric where it has a fleece like terry trimmed loop fuzz on the inside and heavy fine tight knit on the outside that appers to have been brushed to give it a soft velvety feel. i like the fit/style/comfort etc... but the color is just wrong for me (washed out, gaunt, sallow etc). So, i was thinking maybe i could salvage by over-dyeing ? with some more flattering color .

The label says (92% cotton and 8% polyester).

The color is like an amber or dark sulfur, there is a definite yellow/gold/hint of green to it. I like looking at the color but it just does something wrong to my complexion i think it would work better on a fall complexion and i think i am more of a winter.

So, i was thinking of dyeing it to some darker color like deep olive, dark/midnight navy blue or even black.

is this a bad idea ? is there a proper proceedure for more succesful dyeing ? like preping the fabric and is there a best dye to use for the cotton/poly blend ?

Thanks for any ideas or help etc.

robb

Reply to
robb
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The other bit that may not dye "properly" is the thread. If it is cotton it should take the dye with no problem but if it is polyester it won't take it up. So you may end up with the original lighter thread colour showing against your darker garment, which may or may not be an attractive effect.

Lizzy

Reply to
Lizzy Taylor

There is no reason why it shouldn't dye, but the poly content won't. It's likely to come out a slightly paler colour than it would if it was pure cotton, and because of the base colour, may have a yellowish tint. Deep olive might well work. So would a rust.

Reply to
Kate XXXXXX

Dear Robb,

For all intents and purposes, you've got a cotton sweatshirt. If it were less than 92 percent, I'd be skeptical, but you should be able to dye it. Depending on what dye you use, you might have to soak it in a soda ash solution for best results. Make sure that the dye you use has an affinity for cotton. RIT dye, the most common, is what is called a cross dye; in other words, it has chemicals in it to cover a variety of different fibers. But it's not my favorite. The colors sometimes dry smoky or with a yellowish cast. Go to Dharma Trading Company online. It's an encyclopedia of information on all things dyeable, and you'll find just what you need.

Teri

Reply to
gpjteri

definite

won't.

if it was

yellowish tint.

Thanks Kate, for the ideas and help robb

Reply to
robb

deep

is

polyester it

thread

not be an

Thanks for help lizzy. robb

Reply to
robb

If it

able to

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colors

Trading

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Thanks Teri, I will try the Dharma Trading dyes. I bought their fabric swatch pack a while back to become familiar with the variety of cotton/silk/poly/bamboo/hemo fabrics that they sell. I'll take a look at the dyes.

thanks robb

Reply to
robb

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