Shades of Summer: Dyed Jeans

Step 1:

1. Prewash jeans to remove any finishes that may interfere with dye absorption.

2. How Much Dye to Use: Weigh the dry jeans using a food scale. These jeans weighed 16 ounces. As a guideline, ½ cup (half bottle) of liquid dye will color up to 16 ounces of dry weight fabric.

Our ColoRit recipes will color 1 ounce of dry weight fabric. Since the jeans weighed 16 ounces, I multiplied the amount of dye needed for 1 ounce of fabric by 16. If you are dyeing a larger item, you will need more dye and more water.

3. Preparing Dyebath: Wearing rubber gloves, shake dye bottles. Then measure and mix the expanded recipe and stir well.
(Note: you can find all the expanded recipes on the following pages)

4. Fill dishpan or bucket with 3 gallons very hot tap water (140° F). Note: If water is not hot enough, heat some water in a tea kettle or in the microwave.

5. Pour dye solution into hot water. Add squirt of dishwashing liquid and stir well. Test dye color to be sure you are satisfied. Note: If color is too light, add more dye. If color is too dark, add more water.

6. Wet jeans in warm water and squeeze out excess water.

7. Immerse jeans in dye bath and stir continuously for 20 minutes, then occasionally for 10 minutes or until desired color is achieved. The longer the jeans remain in the dye bath, the darker the color will be. (Color will appear lighter when dry.) Stirring helps to ensure an even color.

8. Remove jeans from dye bath and squeeze out excess dye. Rinse in cold running water until water runs clear. Then wash jeans in warm water with mild detergent, rinse, dry and iron.