A few months ago, I purchased a white cotton cardigan for super cheap. It's very comfortable, but every time I put it on, I just take it off right away, realizing there is no way it will stay white all day. It's not like I roll in the mud all the time, but if I was to wear a bright white shirt, I know that would be the time that I would smudge and spill stuff all over myself.
Not wanting to just toss it out, I decided to dye it. I figured, if I'm not wearing it now, it's not like it would be a big deal if I ruined it.
I bought Rit black dye, but the color turned out to be more of a unique shade of gray. It's a color that I probably wouldn't have chosen, but one that I really like. Even though it isn't black, I'm still happy with the way it turned out.
This is the cardigan I started with. (Make sure your fabric is clean before dyeing.)
I will show you what I did, but be sure to use dye according to package instructions.
I dissolved dye in 2 cups of hot water.
Fill your sink with hot water. (I have a stainless sink so it cleaned easily with bleach afterwards.)
Pour in salt. (Depending on fabric, you may need to use vinegar instead.)
Pour dye into salt water and carefully stir.
**Soak fabric in hot water BEFORE placing in dye bath.**
Once fabric is soaked in hot water, uncrumple and carefully place in dye bath and stir constantly.
The package directions said 10-30 minutes so I stirred for 20 minutes.
Once the time is up, drain sink, and rinse fabric with warm water.
Keep rinsing, gradually changing the water to a cooler temperature until water runs clear.
After rinsing is completed, wash fabric in warm water with mild detergent.
You can either tumble dry low, or hang on a hanger to dry.
I let it dry overnight and this is what I woke up to.
The stitching and buttons stayed white which I think adds a nice detail. Definitely not black, but I still like it. :)
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