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help!!! (dying fabric for competition costume)
I have this top in white: http://www.catwalkclubwear.com/Catwalk_Twist_Top_p/bza-1656sl%20catwalk%20twist.htm
It's sold on several sites and Bad Kitty also carries several other products that I've bought that feel like they're made out of the same fabric (including, I think, those side-tie "shorts" with the long twisty ribbon things that I've seen other people around here wearing). I got these things a while ago and didn't leave the tags on anything so I don't know what fabric they're made out of (but I'm pretty sure it's synthetic). I want to wear the top and some other white shorts I have (also synthetic: mostly polyamide plus a little spandex) in a competition coming up but I wanted to try dying them both a light blue since I wore pretty much the same outfit in a recital and I want something different for the comp. I was stupid though because I bought dye that isn't compatible with synthetic fabric so when I did a test dye on a similar piece (the similar fabric from BK) it didn't take up the color.
Does anyone know:
– what fabric this top is made out of
– what brand of dye might work well (if anyone has experience dying synthetic fabric), or if most dyes made for synthetic fabrics should cover different types of synthetic fibers (in other words, is there a type of fiber I should look out for that doesn't dye well that might happen to be in the top)?
– any other general suggestions? (I've never done this before, obviously) 🙂 thanks!
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5 Replies
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Maybe search different types of dye on a site like amazon and look through the comments/reviews? Not totally helpful, but I recently dyed some canvas slippers for a performance piece and what do you know, one of the trims on the slippers was synthetic and did not take dye well at all. In the end it did not matter, but synthetics can be really hard to dye evenly, etc. My simple/basic research has not led me to any one product just yet. But would definitely be interested in what others have to say!
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Body Zone is nylon and spandex and should dye well with a heavy dye bath ( boil on the stove top) you should wash it with a frangrance/dye free detergent first. Here is a site that has tons of info on dying fabrics.
http://www.pburch.net/dyeing/FAQ/spandex.shtml
I would do a test with a top or something that you don't mind losing if it goes all wonky. An old swimsuit( without a liner) might work.
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Try looking on http://www.jacquardproducts.com (Note: I am not affiliated with them in any way). They have dyes for lots of different fabrics and they have info on their site for how to dye different products too. I have used their dyes on a few different occasions on different fabrics and I've always had great results. They are very helpful too if you want to talk to them directly.
Another place I've gotten dyes from is: (I am not affiliated with them either)
http://www.prochemicalanddye.com
Although they sell more different dyes and products than Jacquard, I think their website is a bit more informative and has easier directions. Just my opinion though
Good luck!
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Thanks everyone! I did a test yesterday with the dye I had and a little experimentation. It took 8 hours to get it the right shade, but I'm just happy it worked at all! Next time when I dye the actual outfit I'll try getting the water hotter and increasing the concentration, so hopefully it won't take as long. I'll check out those other products if I ever need to dye anything else- thanks for all of the info!
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sounds like you found something already, but I'm getting my dye from here:
http://www.dharmatrading.com/html/eng/3257-AA.shtml
And yes, it needs to be simmering and have vinegar in the dye bath (see section 'Stove Top Immersion Dyeing with Jacquard Acid Dyes'
:http://www.dharmatrading.com/html/eng/208783-AA.shtml
Good luck!! 🙂
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