We love sewing and designing lingerie. We create top-notch lingerie patterns.
We love sewing and designing lingerie. We create top-notch lingerie patterns.
Dyeing experiments 1 and 2
I have never thought I would try to dye laces and elastics. But there are so many colors out there: bras and panties in shades of pinks, turquoise, green and unimaginable combinations. And when you look at your stash and all you see is white, beige, and black, you start to boil your thoughts. How can I get my hand on some colors?
To have a matching lace, elastics, and notions there are 3 solutions:
- Buy a bra kit where someone matched the findings for you.
- Search shops (online and locals) and buy. Today you bought a nice brown lace. Search again new shops and find matching elastics for the bra. Mmm, how about elastics for the underwear? Yes, search again and buy the best you can find.
- Dye your elastics, laces, rings, and hooks!
The first two options are expensive. At least more expensive than the third. But that is solely my opinion. While the third requires some conditions:
- not all elastics take the dye; all nylon staff takes the color of almost any acid or poly dye;
- polyester elastics and laces only work with iDye Poly;
- some may get allergic to chemicals;
- not all of us resist the smell of some dyes!
The great part of the sewing community, you can “fish” for ideas and answers to some problems. I have seen for a long time some dyeing experience shares. At that time I said: dream on. And that is because in this part of Europe, fabric dyes are hard to come by. Until I found a shop that sells some of the Dharma products. This is when I started to seriously consider dyeing!
First in the pot went some elastics for bras and panties. I used the iDye Poly – a product for synthetics that can dye polyester. I was not sure what the elastics are made of, but I knew they were from synthetics.
Having the brown lace but no matching elastics, made this color the first choice. And thanks to God, out of different dyes, I tried iDye Poly first!
You should picture me: all equipped with rubber gloves, a long spoon, a protection mask, big protection glasses, three pots, pieces of various fabrics. Even with all that, I still sometimes feel the awful smell from the iDye Poly! This is how hard it has imprinted in my head and nose =))
The elastics took the dye very well. You can see the brown panties. Very nice! But the “traumatic smelling” experience held me back from dyeing.
But I love colors! And seeing people dye their fabrics made me think not all of the dyes stink! Next one to try: Dharma Acid Dyes. Fuchsia and Crimson.
Elastics (all sorts of them), lace, power mesh, bra closures. All took the dye beautifully! That’s because they’re all nylon.
But the great news was: the smell is bearable! For some colors, you don’t even need a protection mask. The only problem I see with acid dyes: you really need access to nylon supplies. Acid dyes do not work on polyester.
For each color, I made two shades: one darker and one lighter. To celebrate my success I had to try the color on some lingerie pieces. Panties: easy and fast.
The front piece is simple cotton, non-stretch. The crotch and center back piece is a cotton jersey, which I did not dye. Everything else was in the color pot!
The next pair is a different style.
Am I pleased with the results? Oh, yeah! This is why I have not stopped at pinks. But about my next color experiment, I’ll talk some other time.
Now imagine what would have happened if I tried the Acid Dyes before the iDye Poly. I would have decided there is no need to use a protection mask. And when I would have gotten to iDye Poly, without a mask… My poor nose…
Did you try to dye fabrics/elastics? What dyes have you used and what was your experience?
Hello! What patterns are those panties? They look great! Thank you!
Thank you! These are heavily modified Maya panties. You can even say self-drafted patterns.