To dye or not to dye

[frualeydis]

I'm trying to decide if I should buy new fabric for the black velvet gown that goes along with my loose kirtle or if I should dye some of the perfectly good yellow velvet I already have.
Dyeing something black can be difficult and I wonder if it's worth the price of the dye + all the effort compared to buying black velvet. Of course that would cost at least three times as much but I would only need to prewash it.
On the other hand I really have too much fabric as it is. There is _no_ place for any more fabric and getting rid of five meters of velvet would certainly improve the situation (Not the garb closet situation, but I'm currently trying to sell/give away a lot of my old garb to make space for more). I also have no real use for yellow velvet since unfortunately the light colours and pastels seem to get out of fashion by the time velvet starts being used for clothing. This is an over simplification, there are exceptions, but as a general trend. And I already have an nice Cranach dress in dark yellow with blue guards (I have to loose 20 kilos to wear it, but that's my goal anyway) and i don't think I need any more.

Well friends, what do you say? To dye or not to dye?

Comments

[pinkdiamond.livejournal.com]

Well I'd love to relieve you of the yellow velvet so you can have room for new black velvet;)

Seriously, Do you really have no ideas for the yellow? It's such a cool colour for velvet and would be wonderful for a range of styles... of course I'm just thinking of the styles I like;) Fashion sfmashion, if it works and suits you just use it:)

How yellow is it?

If you have a good sized container to dye in and are sure it will get to at least a decent dark shade you could do it. I don't have enough room to dye a large lot of velvet anywmore;) Small pieces yes, and since discovering hte joys of cold water dye it's rather easier;)

WOuld you be happy with say overdying it with a blue or a red so that the black is easier to dye, and have a shade of near black that is rather nice if you can't get true black?

Or maybe another colour in case you happen to like the intermediate stage?

[guyelfkin.livejournal.com]

Is it a true yellow or a gold-shade?

True yellows in cotton velvet are unusual enough that I'd say keep it as it is. Gold shades are common enough that I'd say throw it in the machine with the dye and use up some of your stash. It'd probably take a few packs of dye if you're using Dylon Machine (are their new "all in one" dye-packs available in Sweden yet? - we just picked up a couple in the local supermarket but haven't tried them yet - I have to gold velvet curtains that need to be overdyed with dark blue for a friend's costume, so I got two packs of the navy to try and one of black. If they work as well as the regula machine dye, it will be great because they claim to do the same amount of fabric but are cheaper than the machine dyes)

Teddy

[frualeydis.livejournal.com]

The velvet curtains are more yellow than gold and really nice, but I think I will dye them anyway. Since we have a communal laundry room we have very big washing machines and if I just add enough of these little plastic containers with liquid dye I think they will turn black, or at least brownish black, which is OK. I'd rather have black with a warm tinge than blueish black for this project.

Eva