Fabric Dye 101: How to Dye with Acid, Fiber Reactive, and RIT Dyes

Do you want more confidence to dye? Look no further! This video will give you all the information you need to start dyeing fabric! I highlight the three most common types of fabric dyes, go over the uses for each, discuss their pros and cons, and then give a step-by-step demonstration on how to dye using each type.

First we discuss my favorite, Acid Dye, which is used for protein fibers like silk and wool. Acid dyes are easy to use, safe and don't require any harsh chemicals--and will yield some amazing, washfast results!

Then we'll discuss the most useful of the three, Fiber Reactive Dyes, which are meant for cellulosic fibers including cotton, linen and rayon. If you want vibrant, washfast color on your cotton t-shirts, this is what you want to use!

Finally, we'll talk about the most common, and least useful, of the three: Union Dyes, like Rit and iDye. Rit dye is expensive and yields unpredictable results for the novice dyer, generally doesn't yield vibrant color on most fibers, and worse, it's not washfast! I'll discuss what Rit IS good for, and show you a better way to get a brighter color on your fabric.

Support this channel by buying me a coffee ☕🧡 : https://ko-fi.com/fantasticalfollies

Resources:
Dharma Trading Acid Dyes: https://www.dharmatrading.com/dyes/dharma-acid-dyes.html
DT's acid dye tutorial: https://www.dharmatrading.com/techniques/tubdye/tub-dyeing-basics-with-dharma-acid-dye.html?lnav=techniques_tubdye.html
Dharma Trading Fiber Reactive Procion Dyes: https://www.dharmatrading.com/dyes/dharma-fiber-reactive-procion-dyes.html
DT's fiber reactive dye tutorial: https://www.dharmatrading.com/techniques/tubdye/the-tub-washing-machine-vat-bucket-dye-method.html
DT's fiber reactive dye yield estimator: https://www.dharmatrading.com/techniques/fiber-reactive-dye-yields-estimator-tool.html

Note for folks outside the US: Dharma Trading does ship internationally. Here's their shippinng policy page: https://www.dharmatrading.com/information/shipping.html

If you know of a place to buy fiber reactive or acid dyes in your country, please comment below and let me know where! I'm trying to compile a list for folks not in the US. I'll list them below once I have them.

Chapters:
00:00 Fabric Dye 101
00:52 What is Acid Dye?
02:48 Acid dye pros & cons
03:51 How to use acid dyes
07:43 What is Fiber Reactive Dye?
09:00 Fiber reactive dye pros & cons
11:18 How to use fiber reactive dyes
15:07 What is a Union Dye? (RIT dye)
16:38 Union Dye pros and cons
18:09 How to use union dyes

Socials:
Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fantasticalfolliescostuming/
Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/jnmoffa
Follow me on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@fantasticalfollies

Sound effects by Zapsplat https://www.zapsplat.com/

#fabricdyeing #dye #textileart