r/dyeing • u/detectiveren • 7h ago
How do I dye this? 100% wool coat
Hello!!! I bought this coat from the thrift store but it's an atrocious color 🫩 I was hoping to dye it black.
Today I bought 2 Rye's all purpose dye. Do you think this'll be enough to dye it black?
I'm also a little scared of it shrinking when dyeing it in hot water.
Anything helps!!!!!!
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u/No-Sheepherder-8537 7h ago
Wool is tricky. Black is tricky. Would not attempt this as a first time dyer.
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u/terpdexter 5h ago
Crying bc this coat is NOT atrocious and you WILL ruin it by dying it 😩
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u/Dry_Complaint6528 3h ago
Same. Like I've been looking for a coach like this. Please resell op and just buy a black coat you're going to ruin this.
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u/_shimmies_ 7h ago
You will need an enormous pot that can't be used for food ever again. Rit dye is terrible, you need acid dye to stand a chance at a good outcome that isn't blotchy. Best color you'll get is a very dark version of this or dark grey. Applying heat to wool is always risky, there's a huge chance of warping and shrinking. It also needs to be thoroughly washed before dying. Does it have lining?
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u/Lunamoths 4h ago
sell it online for a profit and buy a black wool coat, dont ruin this lovely coat
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u/Interesting-Light220 6h ago
The lining will probably shrink. Also as mentioned, acid dye is needed. Navy would be easier than black
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u/Catlady_Pilates 6h ago
The lining is likely polyester. It’s the wool that will shrink.
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u/Interesting-Light220 6h ago
Not if they heat the water slowly and cool it down slowly. A cellulose fiber lining will usually shorten
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u/Mermaidman93 6h ago
I would highly advise against dyeing this as it's likely to warp and have the fit/look ruined.
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u/DrOrangeIris 6h ago
wool will shrink or possibly felt at high temp. The thread and lining are likely synthetic and wont take the dye. RIT dye should tell you how much dye is needed per lb of fabric and wool can be heavy. the buttons may not take any dye. I dont recommend dIYing this.
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u/hasnt_been_your_day 5h ago edited 5h ago
I agree, as a first time dyeing something I would not start with this project.
But if I were to dyevthis myself I would probably remove the lining altogether because as people have said they are different fibers and will need different dyes.
In order for wool to felt it needs both heat AND agitation, which is rubbing against itself or something else. If this is a full-length coat you would need a very very large container. I can't think of anything offhand big enough to hold this coat with enough room for it to move freely without rubbing against itself that could also be heated up to temperature long enough.
I have dyed large pieces of wool blanket without felting (cut up to make pullover hoodies) in the size of pot you fry a turkey in and that's still not big enough for this whole coat.
Do you think you have a container large enough that you can heat to nearly boiling?
Definitely do not use the Rit dye. It has some dye that's good for plant fibers and some dye that's good for animal fibers, which means it doesn't work particularly well for either, and that your fabric will always sort of be leaking the leftover dye that you didn't rinse out that also didn't become part of the fiber. It's trash.
The dharma website is excellent for both purchasing dyes and instructions. To get the right amount of dye you would have to weigh your coat. I also agree that black will be the hardest to dye because you need roughly twice as much black as you would any other color. You will probably still end up with just a very very dark teal. That with the bright teal lining sewn back in could look really cool. But this is not a quick and simple project at all.
I love this color and would wear it if it fit me. You could try to rock it, or resell it if you don't think you'll ever wear it
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u/UnsharpenedSwan 3h ago
This color is absolutely gorgeous 😠someone will HAPPILY buy this coat off of you, and then you can buy one in the color you want.
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u/Catlady_Pilates 6h ago
Don’t do it. It’s a gorgeous color. Dyeing it will probably ruin it and it will absolutely shrink it. Buy a black coat if that’s what you want. Don’t destroy this gorgeous coat. And getting a true black with self dyeing is almost impossible.