Name: Danielle
Message: Hi, I have never dyed anything before and i have a dress that is a favorite of mine, but it is an odd light blue color. I would love ot be able to wear it more often but because the color isn't me i don't. My thought was that if i could dye it completely black that i would wear it more frequently. The dress is made out of 76% Rayon 21% Nylon and 3% Lycra. I was wondering if you had any kind of step by step instructions on how to do this and some tips on what products would work best. I would love to be able to do this myself at home if at all possible but if i need to take it to a clothing alteration store i'll do so if you think that's best. So thank you for your time and any advice on the matter would be greatly appreciated.

You can do this yourself at home if you buy the right type of dye and have the right recipe to follow.

The best kind of dye to use for rayon is cool water fiber reactive dye , because it can be used at room temperature, and because it is easier to use and much more permanent than other types of dye. Unlike fabric paint, it will not stiffen the fabric at all.

Hot water dyes, such as all-purpose dye, must be used only with very hot water, which may ruin your dress, and they fade quickly, and bleed with every pass through the laundry. I do not advise the use of all-purpose dyes on rayon clothing.

The most popular brand of fiber reactive dye is Procion MX dye. You can mail-order Procion MX dyes from most of the dye supply companies listed on my Sources for Dyeing Supplies Around the World page. (Here is a direct link to black Procion MX dye at Amazon.com .)

The easiest way to dye your dress a solid color is in the washing machine; see "How can I dye clothing or fabric in the washing machine?". When dyeing black, always use two to four times as much dye as the recipe suggests, as black requires more dye than any other color.

If you would prefer to mail your dress to a company that re-dyes clothing professionally, please see my website's Custom Dyers Listing. Try True Color Fabric Dyeing in California, or Dye Pro Services in Alberta.

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[links updated November 29, 2007]