I have various items of clothing that have too much yellow or gold in them which doesn’t suit my complexion e.g. a sweater that is a medium range orangey-red rather than a cool red. I believe that using a blue/violet shade could be used to change them to a slightly cooler red if I used a very diluted ratio of dye to water. Could you tell me what ratio to try? I am also not sure whether to use a pale blue/violet shade or a medium blue/violet shade at a similar level as the existing red i.e. to match the level of the diluted solution to the colour level of the fabric. To repeat, I’m really just looking to slightly change the tone of the fabric not to darken the colour any. I realize that you probably cannot give me an exact ratio of dye to water to achieve the effect I want but would be grateful for where to start. Thanks
By: jackie gillies
Hi Jackie,
I like your project ideas, but I am afraid I can’t give you much info. First – the most important thing is the fiber content & if the item can withstand warm-water-and-agitation. Only natural fibers (cotton, linen, silk, rayon, wool, etc) can be dyed, generally speaking. Next, all dyeing is an experiment! Even for me. So the best thing is to try it. You’ll soon discover how things can move from warm to cool. If you don’t want to potentially sacrifice your existing items, you can get some garments at thrift stores & practice.
I personally use the dyes available at http://www.dharmatrading.com. Read all their instructions carefully. It’s overall easy & requires only chemicals that are easily available.
best regards & have fun!
Jennifer