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Post by Clara Oswald on Jan 17, 2014 17:50:27 GMT
I've been eyeing the blue version of Clara's Christmas special cardigan as the only site that I can afford to purchase it at is ASOS. SOOOO I would have to dye it. HOWEVER, it's 55% Cotton and 45% acrylic. Now I've been told that acrylic is next to impossible to dye, but I've also seen that it might be possible with some methods. I don't want to purchase the cardigan unless I can dye it black. Any ideas? help?
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Post by Torchwood TeaBoy on Jan 17, 2014 18:09:25 GMT
Does it have to be jet black? Or is a deep navy or charcoal going to be ok?
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Post by Clara Oswald on Jan 17, 2014 18:18:31 GMT
I think a deep navy would be fine. On camera it probably won't look any different.
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Post by Torchwood TeaBoy on Jan 17, 2014 18:47:34 GMT
Here's the thing, acrylic is pretty much impossible to dye without using commercial grade dyes that are a huge pain and a touch dangerous in the home. COnsidering your blend, you could dye the cotton a dark navy or black, but it won't be solid. Depending on how the arcylic is disperse thru the cotton, it could create a neat pattern, or it could be blotchy. Either way, you are going to still have the blue.
If there is an inconspicous area you can test dye, it is worth a short. Don't even bother using a basic home dye like Rit. You will need to up the ante with a more professional dye, and even then it may not work.
I ended up having to paint over the acrylic portion of my Wash TAC-vest, and I don't think that would be an option for you.
Good luck :/
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Post by Clara Oswald on Jan 17, 2014 19:19:52 GMT
I saw something about using acrylic paint to dye clothes, does that work?
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Post by Torchwood TeaBoy on Jan 17, 2014 21:17:55 GMT
It does, to a point. The thing is the garment ends up being stiffer than originally, due to the glue/binder in the paint. It will also fade, and possibly flake, over time. I've never painted acrylic on heavily used/washed items before so I don't know quite how it will behave in the long run. When used on cotton or cottn blend fabrics, it will soften up over time, but will never return to the original drape and the color does fade. Just things to take into consideration. Certainly worth a try if you willing to take the risks. Let us know how it goes!  |
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Post by benaequee on Jan 18, 2014 18:44:47 GMT
You could also try Jacquard iDye Poly dyes for man made materials. I've had success with Polyester fabric and this brand of dye. Poly and Acrylic are both plastic fibers, but the acrylic would usually require a higher temp to get the dye to stick. You could try this via the stove top method for optimal heat (buy a size UP of the cardi than you normally wear to allow for shrinkage in the cotton fibers). You would also want to use two packs of the dye and may have to dye it twice if it is not as dark as you need. Black is a hard color to dye with and get it to be a true deep black. Obviously remove the buttons before dying. www.fabric.com/buy/207824/jacquard-idye-poly-synthetic-fiber-fabric-dye-black |
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Post by bankofmom on Apr 22, 2014 13:37:31 GMT
Have you dyed it yet? My go-to place now for dyes is Dharma Trading. They're physically in the San Francisco area. They have dyes for natural fibers (both protein & non-protein), even leather dyes.
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Post by Clara Oswald on Apr 22, 2014 22:11:31 GMT
No, I never tried ordering it. I wasn't even sure it would work  |
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Post by bankofmom on Apr 23, 2014 1:47:50 GMT
Maybe not since the end color needs to be black. Black is a very hard color to get with dyes.
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