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Dharma Trading Co. - dyeing our own clothes  

post #1 of 10
Thread Starter 
I suppose there are other forums where this post would be apropriate but I'd rather discuss it with my DDC mamas

Have any of you bought white clothes and dyed them yourself? I just got this catalog from Dharma and wow! It's a whole new world.... Half the problem with buying clothes is that if you find a style you like, it's not in your color - or vice versa, right? I like the idea of buying something (in natural fiber - mostly cotton) and making it whatever color you want! What fun.

Only thing is that I'm worried about spending $$$ on all these cotton shirts and dresses etc. only to screw them up with my newbie efforts. Oh and the dye isn't cheap either. So I should probably view it as a hobby rather than a new wardrobe.... hehe.

Anyone have comments or experience with dyeing your own clothes?
post #2 of 10
I have one thing that we got as a baby gift. It's darling. It hold the dye really well. It's been washed once a week since ds was born and you can barely tell.

I have a friend who dyes stuff from Dharma. She charges a few dollars per item. Let me know if you're interested in having her do it.
post #3 of 10
Thread Starter 
Thanks, I'll keep that in mind. I think I'd like to learn how to do it myself, though. I'm going to check out some books from the library on how to use dyes. Might be an expensive hobby, but should be fun. I wonder how steep the learning curve is, lol...
post #4 of 10
I wish I could help you on this but I'm terrified about messing it all up too!!

Um, but I'm one step closer (um, sort of... I've been one step closer for well over a year now ) ... I have two sets of dyes. One is the mini tye-dye set (comes with everything needed to get started with the prewash -- can't recall the name -- the salt and three bottles with dye powder in them ready to go)... AND three tubs of the same colors as well :

I just don't want to mess up, so I haven't done anything yet (yes, quite lame... but maybe some day I'll get the courage to do it! but for now sewing diapers fulfills my creative outlets )
post #5 of 10
I bought some Dharma dyes and blanks from a mama on MDC a few weeks ago. They are acid dyes though, so I have to read up on it since I know nothing about acid dyes. I figured it would be a good and cheap alternative to relearning how to dye clothes.
Many years ago I dyed t-shirts with Procion cold dyes and I was pretty good at it. That was way back before you could buy the stuff on the internet and I had to go into Haight-Ashbury in San Francisco to get my dyes. The store gave me a little 2 page paper on how to do the process, and it was easy and fun to do. I would highly recommend Procion cold dyes.

I bought some playsilks from a co-op to dye, but I'm not sure what dye to use for them. Interesting thread.

ETA: Don't be afraid to mess anything up, Judy. If you have any old white clothes, give it a go, it's fun!
post #6 of 10
I've been fascinated by Dharma trading ever since I drove by them last year on the highway north of SF. I lurk their site! But have never actually ordered anything. I'm scared of dye too. Why is this?
post #7 of 10
One of the co-ops I belong to is putting up dye kits today. I'm not sure yet what kind, because she hasn't put the info up yet.
post #8 of 10
Here's the info on the dye kit from that co-op. It's Procion dyes, which are my favorite, but it's pricey unless you're serious about using it. If you want more info, PM me and I'll pass you a link to the group.

4oz Kits
$80 includes everything below, except the shipping to you:
All dyes are Procion MX, and will come in single sided black jars with screw on lids~Keep dyes in a closed
container in a cool, dry place and they will remain usable for several years.
Use for tie-dye, immersion dyeing, batik, airbrush, garment dyeing, screen-printing, spatter painting,
gradation dyeing for quilters and more! Procion MX fiber reactive dye will dye all cellulose (plant) fibers
and some protein (animal) fibers such as wool and silk. Commmon cellulose fibers are cotton, hemp, linen, jute,
ramie, sisal, and rayon~Do not use to dye synthetics. Jacquard dyes give you the most brilliant color of all dyes, MX Dyes
are permanent, colorfast and very washable. Typically, 2/3 ounce will dye more than 1 pound of fabric—very bright
colors will require more dye, pastel colors will require less

4 oz Lemmon Yellow
4 oz Golden Yellow
4 oz Fire Engine Red
4 oz Fuschia
4 oz Medium Blue
4 oz Navy
4 oz Turquoise
4 oz Warm Black
28 (8oz) Squirt Bottles~These have tightly sealed lids when not in use, and you can use the lid to drip color by the drop,
or a stream
4 dust masks~Prolonged inhalation of dye powder can cause an allergic reaction in some people, so avoid breathing the
powder and wear a dust mask
10 pairs of rubber gloves
100 size 64 Rubber bands
200 size 31 Rubber bands
Five 7" Rubber bands
5' x 6' Plastic tarp~6mil
7 Bottle 'spray' nozzles~like hair spray pumps to 'mist' the color on
325' Natural Waxed Hemp Twine
Color Mixing Chart giving directions on how to mix the following colors in addition to the colors above:
Daffodil
Wheat
Pea Green
Tangerine
Coral
Antique Rose
Burnt Orange
Bubble Gum
Hot Pink
Berry Sorbet
Orchid
Plum
Lavender
Sapphire Blue
Heritage Blue
Powder Blue
Sky Blue
Chicory Blue
Aqua
Teal
Yellow Green
Chartreuse
Vermillion Green
Lime Green
Spring Green
Shamrock
Avacado
Pansy Purple

Not included:
*Soda Ash, can be purchased at any pool, pool & spa, Wal-Mart, K-Mart etc. for around .50 per pound. It is not worth it
to buy online since it costs more to ship it than the actual soda ash costs.
*White Vinegar is optional according to your preference~Vinegar can be substituted for soda ash on wool & silk
*Non-Iodized Salt is optional according to your preference, some grocery stores may carry it
*Urea is also optional, and again is not worth the shipping costs, but it may be purchased online or a chemical supply store~
Urea is a humectant. Humectants attracts moisture from the air, keeping the fiber damp longer allowing a greater reaction
time for the dye. Urea is used with sodium alginate thickener when printing, painting or directly applying Procion dye to
fiber or is added to Procion dye for super intense color
*Blanks (white clothing items that are dyeable) are in the database
*Ivory Dish soap has the same properties as Synthrapol and may be substituted (this info comes straight from the dye company,
plus I have *heard* it several times)
*Baking Soda may be substituted for soda ash on cottons if you are going to be boiling~steaming~baking the garments
*Dental Floss may also be used to tye smaller items
*Sodium alginate is used to thicken the dye to a paste consistency for printing and hand painting. Sodium alginate is
derived from seaweed and is the most desirable thickener for Procion MX dye. Use Sodium Alginate SH for cotton and
other cellulose fibers. It may also be used for silk when fine line definition is not required. Use Sodium Alginate F for
silk and synthetics when fine line definition is desired.
post #9 of 10
if your worried about the expensive stuff start with stained cloths and cheapy syes from your local arts store.

i dye all the kids stained stuff.
my tie dye has yet to come out looking that nice. well exept for the two outfits i dyed for josephine
post #10 of 10
Go for it!! It is so fun to play with dyes. I ordered their batik kit a few years ago and love it - but just the dying part is my favorite. Definately experiment with some old stuff first - then you can spend the $ on blanks. If you love it as much as I did - you'll start scouring your house for anything white or newar white to dye!! he he

Have Fun!!
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