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Can I overdye my breeches?

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They are of fustian, from Smoke and Fire. Not sure how the previous owner came up with pinkish hue, but I'd love to change to brown or black -- or just about anything. I have little enough experience with dyeing and none with overdyeing. Would this be some sort of RIT show?

They're the ones in this thread: http://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/fusionbb/showtopic.php?tid/296335/
 
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"Rose" is actually a commonly seen color for (wool) clothing in the 18th century.

There is a RIT color remover you can try to get rid of some of the pink color. DO NOT TRY TO BLEACH IT OUT!!!! Bleach actually can destroy cloth.

You can also try to figure out what you can dye with to blend with the existing pink to make something more tolerable and brown for you. Of course, you don't have any scrap fabric to make trial runs with!!! I'm thinking yellow and black or maybe yellow and a dark brown RIT dye.

:idunno:

RIT dye is not actually that great stuff, and the colors will end up much lighter and faded than you might want, but then, that's the nature of linen and cotton too.

You could, of course, go red! :grin:
 
Bill - If you're going to use modern dyes than I would suggest looking at the ones from Dharma Trading or similar outlets that sell pro level cloth dyes rather than the RIT.
I'm not much up on cloth dying but have used some of the ones from Dharma which are IMO excellent and I would think a dark or medium brown dye would work to change the color to a more accepted one.
 
My experience with Rit and Cotton:
Black gives a dark purple color, not a true black.
Brown gives a reddish-purple-brownish color, not a true brown.

You may wish to look into logwood dye for black, but the process is likely cumbersome. Indigo isn't too difficult, but time-consuming.
 
We tend to think in terms of bron tan black and navy, or letting the natural white yellow and grey on its own. Based on paintings and written accounts the 18th century was very colorful. Pink didn't becom a feminine color until the 1920s. My self I would dye those. Not because it isn't hc, but because I am self conscious when I wear it. I know in my head it's hc but feel uncomfortable in it. I don't wear lace also, even though it's hc.
 
What did you get? Cutch? I've been wanting to try that, myself.

just remember, the pink doesn't go away when you overdye, it will definitely tint the new color.
 
Stophel: I ordered Dharma's Procion fiber reeactive dye in #35 brown and a side of their soda ash fixer. Will report on results, with photos.
Also ordered a couple of yards of their 12-ounce hemp canvas, just because a feller needs to have some on hand.
 
Black Hand said:
My experience with Rit and Cotton:
Black gives a dark purple color, not a true black.
Brown gives a reddish-purple-brownish color, not a true brown.

You may wish to look into logwood dye for black, but the process is likely cumbersome. Indigo isn't too difficult, but time-consuming.

With RIT dye as well as most dyes I've used you need to add some brown dye to the black to actually get a true black color. If you don't add the brown, you will get various shades of faded blue, charcoal gray, or dark gray out of it, depending upon what you are dying and how long you leave it in.

Twisted_1in66:thumbsup:
Dan
 
Well, using the Dharma dye, my breeches went from rose pink to a very reasonable shade of brown. The fustian took the dye more evenly than the hemp canvas I put in with the breeches, but this was my first ever dyeing effort, and the hemp will be for a snapsack, so it's all good.

 
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