Dive into the world of colours and master the art of dyeing your own clothes at home by yourself.
Many a time we have picked up that perfect piece of cloth and wished they were available in the colour we wanted! Be it renewing a dress that had long faded, or spicing up a white shirt, dyeing them could make a piece of cloth change your entire look. Even though you might feel its something to be left to professionals, why don’t you give it a try! This could be the next hobby to indulge in! Here is everything you need to know before laying your hands on the art of dyeing.
Knowing Your Fabric-
One of the first lessons before we start with the colouring is knowing the fabric. Each material is different and on the fabric depends on the absorbance of your tint. Here is a quick checklist of other fabrics and how compatible they are with colours.
Cotton- the best fabric to try on, you can never go wrong with this.
Nylon And Rayon- the porous synthetic fabric dyes well and also does not shrink on drying.
Silk- good for dyeing but shrinks and loses lustre in the process.
Linen And Wool - A bit of shrinking problem, but dyes well.
Polyester and Acetate- Probably the most difficulty fabrics to get colour on. Can only be achieved with the help of professional machines.
Also, make sure your fabric isn’t water repellant which can be a strain while colouring the cloth.
Keep The Garment Washed-
Once you have perfected your material to dye, before engaging in the process, machine washes your cloth in a simple cycle to be sure of how the garment reacts to water. This is a foolproof way to test the capacity of the material to absorb the dye.
Choose Your Dye-
Choosing the best colours is an integral part of your dyeing process. You can either make your own dye from natural sources or get chemical dyes. If you choose to do it the traditional way, here a few sources you can take your colour from.
Even though you can colour on a stovetop and sink, the best and least messy way is the washing machine. After a gentle cycle of washing your fabric piece, in a bowl mix your colour with four cups of boiling water and let it run on the wash cycle. If you are using all-natural colours, keep a different container to dissolve a cup of salt in four cups of hot water. If your material is nylon or rayon, you may need a cup of vinegar diluted in four cups of hot water. Also, you may use a spoon of mild detergent in your tray and wash it off later.
