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Fabric Gradient Dye Tutorial
Published: 2011-05-05 23:09:06 +0000 UTC; Views: 97922; Favourites: 2887; Downloads: 808
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At last, the long awaited Gradient Dyeing Tutorial! I'm sorry it took so long to make, but here you go!I've had a lot of practice with this method, and this is the formula that works best for me, so I hope it can help you dye your fabric with ease. Fabric dyeing is actually one of my favorite parts about costuming, so please don't hesitate to ask questions if you have any - I'll be glad to answer them!
Tutorial and all images therein are Copyright Fire Lily and FireLilyCosplay.com.
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Comments: 164
I would recommend red fabric and dye the black on.
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Alright thanks so much! <3
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would it be possible to repeat a gradient along the same piece of fabric? there's a character i'm hoping to cosplay who has a scarf that keeps fading from a reddish-pink to green along its length.
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Sure. I recommend doing both ends at the same time or marking the lengths where the gradients change.
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Hello, I was hoping to get your opinion on a project I have planned. I'm making a hoodie, the only problem is the hoodie is mostly black but the sleeves gradient to blue. Any idea if this could work if I bleached the sleeves first and then dyed it??? Or should I try something else??
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That last picture looks like princess tinas dress haha I wanna dye her dress so I can cosplay here haha
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Hi! Um, I was wondering, I'm planning to make a cape for my cosplay, and the inner part of it is black and fades to green, while the outer part is black.
Do you have any suggestions on how I should dye it?
Thanks in advance!
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Start with green fabric and dye it to black
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Hello,
What kind of fabric did you use for your cosplays (name wise)? Do you know any fabric that's similar to gabardine fabric that's easy to use for dyeing?
THanks!
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Which costume in particular? I've used quite a lot of fabric. I don't know of any natural fiber fabric close to gabardine suiting. You can try a cotton linen blend in a similar weave to gabardine, or maybe a rayon fabric, or try a polyester specific dye.
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I guess just fabric that's similar to gabardine but can be used to dye since gabardine is a 100% polyester and its not suitable for dyeing
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You can try iDye Poly for polyester fabrics. Or try wool gabardine, but it's pricey and harder to dye since wool shrinks in hot temperatures.
It may be easier to just find a different fabric in the color you need.
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How would you replicate this dyeing technique? I have the exact dress but the bottom is white and I want to make the ombre similar to this photo. www.standard.co.uk/showbiz/preβ¦Lily Collins ombre dress
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You should probably use dye in spay bottles to get that effect. You'll need to the the dress completely wet and lay it out flat, then spray the dye on and smooth it using a wet sponge.
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This could really come in useful if I decided to dip-dye the skirt part for Zelda! ^-^
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I have to do a red to light green fade. The garment is a kimono and its only green at the bottom and the ends of the sleeves. Would you suggest bleaching my red fabric and then dying the bleached area green, or would you suggest something else?
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I would start with white fabric and dye it both red and green. Red fabric won't bleach to a white base so dyeing it green may result in a brown color.
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Do you have any suggestions on specific ways that I can get the desired fade?
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I was JUST wondering how to do this the other day. Β Thank you for this great tutorial. Β You rock!
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I would assume so, but it depends on what type of fabric you are bleaching (natural fiber vs synthetic).
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say that you were to take orange fabric and try to use this method with yellow dye.. would this work? or would i have to purchase white fabric and the two different colored dyes.?
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Hm, I'm not sure, but I wouldn't think that would work.Β You would have to bleach the orange first or remove the color from it, then try the yellow.Β Dyeing generally doesn't work well on darker fabrics to lighter dyes.Β You could always start with yellow fabric and go to orange.
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If the satin is a natural fabric, or if you have polyester dye for polyester fabrics, sure!
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oh thank you^^
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Could i take a spray bottle of the dye and spray it on the fabric to get a gradient effect too?
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I'm working on a project in which I need a white-to-pink gradient for a necktie. If I bought a white silk necktie, do you see any reason I would have a problem doing so?
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Nope. Β Just follow the dyeing directions for silk fabric.
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I have a question! Is it possible to dye in translucent materials? I'm planning to make Shana from Legend of Dragoon but having problems with her gradient wings
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Depends on what you mean by translucent. You cannot dye anything made of plastic - you would have to paint it. If you are using a sheer fabric like organza/organdy/voile, you have to use silk/cotton/rayon/nylon - polyester is hard to dye unless you use polyester dye or ink.
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What about washing costume or clothing pieces afterwards, have you ever had to worry about it dying other clothes? Or do you wash them alone?
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I haven't ever had a problem washing dyed fabrics. Just make sure it is cold water and hang dry. In general, I recommend only washing costumes by hand anyway.
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If it is mostly cotton or silk, yes. Polyester thread will not dye.
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Ok, thanks so much!
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I have a question. I need to gradient dye a stretch velvet fabric which is 96% polyester and 4% lycra. It CANNOT be any other fabric. Do you know of any dyes that will work on polyester, and if so, will this gradient tutorial work with that dye and fabric? If not, do you know of any other methods I can use to gradient dye polyester? Thank you!
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The only dye I know of that will dye polyester is iDye Poly.Β I've used it before and it works really well.Β You just HAVE to boil it either on the stove or over a BBQer or fire pit.Β I don't know if you can gradient dye poly fabric though.Β I'm planning to test that soon.
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I would recommend either iDye Poly (specifically for polyester fabrics) or Jacquard DyeNaFlow (a liquid paint that can be used as a dye). And of course you can always use artist ink or Sharpie inks to spray dye your fabric (use this tutorial: [link]
In any method you choose, I would recommend spraying the dye solution onto the fabric with a spray bottle and achieving your gradient that way - it will be easier to control than dip dyeing it.
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I was wondering how you'd dye a very wide strip of fabric? I tried it once but the color was 'higher' at some places, and lower at others, while I really want the color to be at the same level... Any tips?
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Wet the fabric first. Then put it into your dye bath in a large bowl. You will have to agitate or stir it for at least 30 minutes. Then rinse and let dry. I wouldn't recommend using the washing machine method unless you can do a second dye cycle or a rinsing cycle afterward to even the color out.
Make sure you are using enough dye to completely saturate the fabric. At least 1 dry dye packet per 1 yard of fabric.
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I'm sorry, I didn't express myself properly. I still want to create a radient effect in the fabric, but it's 0.5 metres high, but 3 metres wide. So even in my biggest tub/bowl I have, I still have to fold the fabric, because I can't fit 3 metres in there :s
Thank you for the help so far though! <3
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Ok. Try spraying the dye on using a spray bottle. You can control the color better and get the exact gradient you want. I would recommend doing this outside on a very non-windy day. Still make sure to wet your fabric beforehand.
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This is an awesome tutorial. ^_^ I have one question though. For the dipping part, how long is each dip?
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Just follow the directions on the dye box - the dye should sit/soak for roughly 30 minutes for a true color, lesser time for a shade. I tend to concentrate my dye baths so I can do it in about 10 minutes, but it depends on the color you are looking to dye your fabric.
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Thank you so much! I just dyed fabric for a three-tier skirt (the same one as the person above) and your guide was a huge help.
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Glad it worked out!
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