Name: Jennifer
Message: I am in a quandary. I have two home-sewed, undyed (as in the fabric that I used to make them, which I got from a now-defunct garment dyed clothing wholesaler that I worked for ten years ago, is still in its natural, creme colored state) pairs of pants - one 100% brushed cotton twill, one 100% Tencel crepe - that I would like to dye. The difficulty is that I live in a small, one-bedroom apartment in Chicago with no washing machine, a tiny kitchen, and no other space available for dyeing fabric in the safe ways that you recommend. I understand now from reading your informative website that dyes which would be safe to use with cooking pots and in my small kitchen aren't going to work on my garments! And I'm not interest in dyeing either pair of pants yellow, which is unfortunate as I understand Tumeric would do the trick. I'm in the process of searching the Chicago fiber arts community for someone who dyes fabric either as a hobby or a living, but in the interest of completeness, I wanted to contact you to see if you had any advice for me about how I might be able to home dye these items giving my limited resources. I'm an accomplished home sewer and am very comfortable with messy fiber crafts, but other than a couple of RIT experiences many years ago, have little experience with proper home dyeing. 

You can use cool water fiber reactive dye, such as Procion MX dye, in a five-gallon bucket, as long as the pants can move freely in the bucket when you stir it. It is very easy to dye this way as long as you follow the instructions closely. You can buy the bucket at the hardware store, or get one for free that is being discarded by a restaurant. It is important not to pack the clothing at all tightly into the bucket, if you want a single solid color; it would be best to do only one pair at a time. You will need to stir a lot. Here is a good recipe to follow: Dharma's recipe for the Tub (Washing Machine, Vat, Bucket) Dye Method.

The bucket method is essentially the same as dyeing in a washing machine. With this recipe, you must use a cool water fiber reactive dye, such as Procion MX dye. It will not work for natural dyes or for all-purpose dyes such as Rit.  Calsolene oil is an optional ingredient in that recipe, which in some cases it may make your final color more perfectly even.

Both of your fabrics, the 100% cotton and the 100% Tencel, are dyeable with Procion MX and other cool water fiber reactive dyes, with soda ash. They are both cellulose fibers.

A benefit of using a bucket instead of the washing machine is that you do not have to use as much dye, since the volume of water is smaller. The drawback is all the stirring.

(If you have small children, or if small children ever visit you, do not leave any water in a five-gallon bucket unattended, because it is oddly easy for a toddler to fall head-first into the bucket and drown in even a few inches of water.) 

If you do not care for a perfectly solid single color, you can use an easier dye technique, low water immersion dyeing. It can be done in any plastic or glass container that the garment will fit tightly into. Combining colors by this method produces beautiful results, with a minimum of effort.

You will be very happy with the results of Procion MX dye, compared to your experiences with all-purpose dye. Fiber reactive dye is easier to apply (no heat needed), produces brighter and more reliable colors, and does not fade in the laundry the way all-purpose dye does.

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