I’ve been obsessed with finding a purple cardigan just like this one, every since I first saw it on Jess. So ages ago, when I found this cardigan (on sale!) in Gap, I thought I’d found what I wanted. Until I realised it was just too lavender for my tastes, and I pretty much never wore it.So I did what I always do in such circumstances where stores will not provide what I want – I got all DIY crazy, and overdyed it.
Every time I post about one of my dye projects, someone almost always asks what I mean when I say I “overdyed” it – so I guess it’s time for a dedicated post!
I pretty much group dye projects into two groups:
- Dying things that are plain white or cream (this I call dying)
- Dying things that are already another colour, or are patterned (I call this overdying)
The reason I call everything in the second group “overdying” is because you are dying over the top of what is already there. It’s something I do a lot, and I highly recommend it as a quick and easy craft project, and a great way to revamp an old piece of clothing.
Ok so you want to overdye something. What now?
- Check the fabric content of your garment. Dye works best on natural fibers like cotton, silk, bamboo and wool. If you decide to dye something polyester or a blend, do so at your own risk. I’m not saying it won’t work (I’ve done it a lot!), I’m just saying the results may not be quite what you’d expect.
- Next stop and think about the colour your garment currently is, and what colour you want it to end up as. My sweater was lavender and I wanted it to be more plummy. i didn’t want a super bright purple, or a very blue like purple – I wanted it with a bit more red. So I knew I’d need a redish dye – I chose wine, since I already had a bucket full of wine dye after making these pants.
- Buy some dye. I always recommend RIT dye, because after trying a couple of brands I just find the results to be the best. I also recommend going for the liquid dye over powdered.
- Follow the directions on the side of the packet. (oooooo you say, that’s mean and unhelpful meg~!) Or you can do my quick way:
- Put on some rubber gloves. You’ll thank me later.
- Fill a bucket with very hot water (I go for boiling most times), mix the dye in well.
- Then leave your garment submerged for a few hours. You can take it out almost straight away or even after a few minutes, but the colour will not be as strong or as deep. I tend to just leave it a few hours, stirring every now and then to make sure it gets evenly dyed.
- Rinse your garment really well under the tap, until the water runs clear.
- Wash in the machine (on it’s own) and then dry as you normally would.
- If after it’s dry the colour isn’t as dark as you wanted, guess what – you can do it again till you get it dark enough! (I’m considering doing this on this cardigan to get it a little darker).
Other things to consider:
- If you are overdying a patterned garment, some parts of the pattern will inevitably take more of the dye than the others, so be aware of that.
- Watch out for what colour the stitching is. Most garments are sewn with polyester thread which will not take dye well
- Only dye something you will not cry over if it gets ruined. I know that sounds a little like spoiling the fun – but when you dye something you are taking a calculated risk, and it’s always possible that that risk may not pay off.
If anyone is interested, I have a sweater I’ve been waiting to dye till after my 30 for 30, and I could post a little tutorial on it when I do it (maybe video? I promise I’ll be super awkward and possibly dorky). Let me know :) Also if you have any tips you’ve learnt from your overdying experiences, leave them in the comments below!
yes, overdye video please!
p.s. your sunnies remind me of a my favorite pair from sportsgirl, which broke a couple weeks ago. WAH!
Mine are from modcloth – they might still have some!! Gosh I hate it when stuff from Aussie stores breaks… can’t replace it. (I love sportsgirl…so very awfully much) XOXO
I vote video too!!
This is so helpful! I will be on the look out for thrift store purchases to dye now!
Yes! please show us a video!
Just Better Together
Love this outfit!
I over-dyed a denim skirt this winter and it worked great! I had a denim skirt that I loved the style of, just not the light color of; so I used Rit Dye in Denim Blue. Ta-da! “new” skirt! I did mine in the kitchen sink — it would have been a bit easier in a bigger sink/bucket but I didn’t want to use the bathroom — I was scared of ending up with a blue bathtub!
ooo that’s clever! I’ve never overdyed denim before – totally on my to do list now!!
Yes, tutorial video please!!! I’m dying to dye some items (ha!) but I don’t know where to start :)
Lovely! What an absolutely yummy color for a cardigan.
How do you set the dye when you use Rit? Do the garments fade a bit each time they are washed???
Sandy E
Hi there! I was wondering if you’ve come across a dye combination that will dye a fabric a linen/flax/oatmeal color. When I try, it turns too pink or green.
Thanks!
Ericka
I OD’d some lighter blue cotton shorts to navy. They look fantastic but now I’m reading about rit dye and a common sentiment seems to be the color fades quickly.
How often do you find yourself re-dyeing the garment???
I’m going to OD some lighter jeans to dark blue, and a cream trench coat to red or khaki. :) Thanks for the instructions. The boiling water and liquid dye seem to do the trick.
Great info! I have dyed fabric, but haven’t done any “over dyeing” yet. Your method sound easy. Thank you.
[...] If you want more tips on dying with RIT dye, check out this post! [...]
Love the idea… Thank you so much for your DIY posts!