Fading

[fathertime420]

Im having a fading problem with my shirts. I know this is probably a very simple thing to fix but i seem to be to ignorant to figure it out on my own. When i dye my shirts they look pretty bright and its always exciting but after laying them flat and coming back many seem to have faded in color. Could this be from the soda ash ratio or dye concentration? Should i leave them bound longer before i untie them or am i completely off? It also seems that Hanes shirts hold their brightness a bit more than Fruit of Loom shirts. Any advice at all would be a world of help! Thanks!

[steve]

This is tough to answer without some idea of what you are doing. What dyes are you using? What concentration of dye per cup? How long are you curing the shirts before washing? Are the shirts 100% cotton?

While the consensus is 2 tsp of dye per cup, I use 1 Tbs. I generally let my shirts cure for at least 12 hours depending upon temperatures. I also like to dye my shirts pretty dry (actually bone dry--but I am sure I am in the minority) for greater instensity.

Steve

[tiedyejudy]

One question I have:  Are you wrapping the shirt, still tied, in plastic and allowing it to 'batch' for at least 24 hours in a warm spot before untieing and rinsing?  And I agree with Steve ... the kind of dye you are using is an important factor.  Procion MX dyes are best for cotton or other natural fibers.  Soda soaking prior to applying the dyes helps, and as Steve mentioned, how wet is your garment before you apply the dyes? 

Judy   

[fathertime420]

Hmm well im using the Fiber Reactive Dyes from Dharma. I may not be using enough dye but im definatly not letting them cure long enough. The suspense is to much but i guess ill just have to gain patients. Thanks steve!

[fathertime420]

Oh about how wet my fabric is.. I have tried dying shirts while their wet and while their dry and while it seems that the dryer ones are easier to control colorwise, sometimes the dye just wants to bead off without even soaking in. I did have pretty good success with a shirt that was only slightly damp though. Im using 100% cotton shirts.

[steve]

Oh about how wet my fabric is.. I have tried dying shirts while their wet and while their dry and while it seems that the dryer ones are easier to control colorwise, sometimes the dye just wants to bead off without even soaking in. I did have pretty good success with a shirt that was only slightly damp though. Im using 100% cotton shirts.

Yeah--the beading is something to overcome! Consider giving the surface of the tied bundle a quick spritz with water or water with a few drops of synthrapol. That primes the pump on the surface to get the absorption started. I also squeeze the bundle to help force it in and reapply the dye repeatedly--stopping when dye pools (unless that is what I want--can be a cool effect), then adding more once it is absorbed.

Bleeds can be a real bear, but I have come to enjoy wringing and forcing the dye into place. Missing a little bit can be very cook too as you can get these brilliant white areas in stark contrast to some deeply saturated areas. It really works in some circumstances. Where it does, I'm less careful and let random chance come into play. Where it doesn't work, I am extremely careful.

Get things up around 100 degrees during the cure and you ought to be able to pop things out easily in 6 hours or even less.

Gee--now I feel like dyeing--it's been ages.

Have fun!

[pburch]

Make sure when you buy them that your shirts are not treated with a dye-resistant finish. You do not want stain-resistant shirts.

The freshly tie-dyed fabric should be darker in color than you want to end up with. My darker blues and purples look almost black on the fabric before the first rinsing. There are two factors to compensate for: 1, some of the dye molecules will react with the water instead of the fabric, and just wash out, and 2, colors always look darker on wet fabric than dry fabric.

Paula

[Jeau]

When dyeing dry shirts, are you pre-washing them?  Many shirts are treated with sizing, which can cause the dye to bead up.  Sizing washes out easily.  Prewashing can help prevent the beading and give you a higher level of control.  For immersion dyeing, it really isn't necessary.  Good luck!

[Kathy]

Procion MX type dyes react approximately three times faster for every 18°F (10°C) rise in temperature. The different colors differ at least six-fold in how quickly they react. Fuchsia (red MX-8B) reacts the most quickly, whereas turquoise (turquoise MX-G) reacts the most slowly. When somebody complains that their turquoise is coming out too pale, it almost invariably means that their room temperature is too cold. Tom and Martine say that the minimum temperature is 60°F, but most dyers say the minimum is 70°F, and I prefer 80°F or above. (That's 16°C, 21°C, and 27°C, respectively.)

This above information provided by Paula in another thread has been helpful to me especially dyeing here in the 100' + temps during the summer. When I want to pay attention to having a quicker batch time I set out my bagged items in a sunny spot and after a half hour to an hour I use a thermometer to get a gist of what the temp in the fabric is so I can gauge how long I need to let them batch. FYI-I have an extra digital thermometer that I use only for this.

Kathy

[mustdye]

I bought a 4 shelf greenhouse for my basement.
It's metal with a vinyl cover. The whole front zips open. Normally sold for being on a deck or porch.
I bought a small heater with a thermostat that sits in the bottom.
I cover 3/4 of each shelf with plastic sheeting (1/4 remains uncovered for air flow).
Adjusted the heat for 90 F
The temp doesn't stay constant because the heater heats up and then has to cool down before it will run again.
It would be nice to change that part but what I have works for now.

I let the items "cook" in there for 6 - 12 hours

The results have been wonderful. I had such problems before with curing because my basement stays around 65 F.
The cooler temps are however beneficial for making my mixed dye last longer.