Adventures in Fabric Dyeing

A few weeks ago, I impulsively bought a couple of yards of knit fabric from Michael Levine's bulk fabric store. It was a fun tie-dye combo of magenta purple, yellow, orange and green. I hand washed it in the sink and all of the purple dye washed out! Vinegar and salt did nothing to stop the bleed. I was left with the yellow and green fabric above – not something I would buy or wear.

So, I decided it was time to try some dyeing. I bought some blue and navy Jaquard Acid Dyes and combined the two for a dark blue color. I wanted to maintain some of the original tie dye quality of the fabric so I twisted the fabric and bound it with rubber bands. I used the instructions provided online for the dye process.

Again, during rinsing a lot of the dye washed out, despite using Synthrapol as a pre-wash and after-wash. I don't believe the dye was the problem, rather the fabric is very troublesome. As a comparison, I also dyed some other fabric (originally brown) which turned a solid dark blue.

Still, I like the dyed fabric much more than the washed out yellow. Next step is some sewing. I'm planning to make a dress.

Some design inspiration:
Splendid Modal Zipper Back Dress


BDG Pleated Frock from Urban Outfitters


Or more likely, drape drape no.6