Hello!
I am constructing a silk charmeuse evening dress of two layers that I would like to Ombre dye green and blue. I’m kind of the opinion that I would like the under layer to be a lighter color than the over layer.
How difficult is it to do an Ombre dye technique? I’ve got some experience with washing machine and stove top dying, but only solid colors and never silk.
Should I dye the two layers separately and then sew them together?
What can I expect to pay if I take the dress to a professional dyer in Los Angeles?
Thank you for your help! I’ve attached a PhotoShopped image of my dress concept.
Jenny

Dear Jenny,
Your dress design is beautiful and your project admirable! I do not have any experience with Ombre dyeing. Here’s what I would recommend for your research stage: Get a copy of the catalog from www.dharmatrading.com and look at their books on special effects dyeing. See if you can find something that addresses the technique you want.
Get some yardage of the silk that you are planning to use and experiment with colors. Silk is easy to dye, but with the reactive dyes it goes toward pink and drops out some values. The greens/blues are fairly close to their values. It’s just if you want a dark red or brown that you will need to adjust. You can also use the dyes specifically for silk that dharma carries. They are truer to color but must be steam-set.
I definitely would dye the layers separately. Alternatively, you could use a silk gauze for the top layer, which is so airy it will turn out lighter in any event.
I am not aware of any professional dyeing service that would take on this project. You can talk to Sherry at www.fabricdyeing.com. However, it is my understanding that she does only solid color work.
This is going to be truly beautiful and a big learning project!! Have fun!
Jennifer