Redyed shirt = SUCCESS!

It only took 2 tries (of undying and redying a bleach spotted shirt) to fix my shirt! OK, it should have only taken one try, but I was not properly equipped last time. I am now, so I'm excited for all future excuses to dye fabric :)

Front

Back

This shirt still isn't perfect but it is much better than it was, and is now actually wearable. If it weren't, I would try to fix it again :)

I would have preferred a slightly darker shade of green, like the last time I dyed this shirt. However, last time, the dark green fabric hid some of the logos on the shirt, so that is why I didn't leave the fabric in the dye bath any longer.

Redying the shirt take 2

So the shirt I've been working on (trying to fix/hide the fact that it has bleach spots) had the dye removed, and is now ready to be dyed again!

I bought Dylon Olive Green dye, attempting to make the shirt as close to the original color as possible (short of mixing dyes).

Here's what happened:

1. Using gloves, I mixed the dye powder into warm water, in a stainless steel pot.

2. I put the DAMP shirt to be dyed, into the dye bath

After 3 min in the mix (above)

After 9 min in the mix.

I stopped dying the shirt after 9 minutes. Last time I dyed it much longer, and the color was a pretty cool dark green. But, the color was so dark that it hid some of the green screen printed patterns, so that is why I'm going lighter this time.

3. Rinse the shirt

4. Wash it

I forgot to add salt in the mix. I've heard this helps prevent dye bleeding in the future (I've also heard washing it in vinegar?) Maybe I'll do that next time.

Now, I'm waiting for the laundry to get done to see how this turned out!

The outcome from dye removal

I ruined a shirt with bleach awhile back and tried to save it by removing the dye, and redying it. It turned out uneven (because of my method I believe) so, I'm trying it again!

Here's what the shirt looked like after un/redying it the first time:


Here is the front of it after undying it the second time:


Finally, here is what the back looked like after undying it the second time:


The shirt is still not completely even, but hopefully it will be good enough. I ended up leaving the dye removal solution on the shirt MUCH longer than recommended and didn't want to press my luck :)

Undying a shirt

Now that we're all set up, lets undye this shirt. The purpose of doing this process is to make the coloring even (hopefully getting rid of some nasty bleach spots) so that it can be redyed later on. If you redye a splotchy mess, it's going to end up a splotchy mess, but in a different color :)


Steps to undye a shirt:

1. Pour the mix (Rit color remover) into some "simmering" water. Again, make sure your pot is stainless steel & that it will be dedicated to dying items and not used for food again.



2. Put the damp shirt into the newly mixed solution





3. Be careful of fabric bleeding dye after you've dyed it. This shirt was dyed before (but only was washed once since that) and left a big old bucket of green water after a short time soaking.

4. Wait, stir occasionally, and check the color or lack there of. The box suggests a total of 10-30 minutes in the solution.

This was RIGHT when I put the shirt in, instant change! Most of the green is gone.

1 minute in the mix

10 minutes in the mix

30 min in the mix

*My shirt was STILL splotchy after 30 minutes... so I dared to keep it in the solution longer. I kept a close eye on it and had my fingers crossed that the screen printed image wouldn't come off, and that the shirt wouldn't end up in shreds!*

40 min in the mix, looking pretty good, but still definite spots left.

50 minutes... eek, I ended up leaving my shirt in the solution an extra 20 minutes... but I think it finally came out alright. Hopefully it washes up nicely and is strong enough to be dyed and worn!

5. Rinse the shirt starting in hot water, then going to warm.

6. Wash it, and hope for the best :)

Supplies for removing dye from shirt

I'm removing dye from a bleach spotted shirt hoping to make the color even so it can be redyed a normal color. I refuse to let a little bleach permanently take the life from this shirt!

Since my washing machine is new, and I fear hurting or staining it in any way, I'm using the stove top method to remove the dye. I have heard the washing machine method works well and fabric turns out evenly dyed (or undyed) but don't know this first hand.

Here is what I used to remove the dye from my shirt: (remember results may vary, depending on many different factors such as fabric content and methods)

1. The shirt should be damp when starting this process. Mine was not, so I threw it in a bucket of water (and later wrung it out), and had beagle keep a close eye on it. (ok really, I put a lid on the bucket when I saw how interested he was in it)

2. A large stainless steel pot (this one is 12 qt.) (DO NOT use aluminum or anything non-stick)


3. A long stirring utensil that can be dedicated to dye projects only in the future (I used a wooden spoon)
4. 1 box of color remover: Rit Laundry Treatment color remover
5. Rubber gloves