Dyeing wedding dress - Another Update 8/2

Thanks for all the advice everyone gave me on dyeing my wedding dress. Today was the day.

I ended up using Dharma Acid Dye in "avocado" in a galvanized washtub over 2 of the burners of my gas stove. It was remarkably easy and low mess.

I then rinsed it with a hose on the clothesline, washed in the tub with synthrapol and then hung it up again outside and rinsed and rinsed it some more. it is currently drying, and I'm excited to see the final result.

Here is a before and after shot:

I am quite happy with the results. The lace did not take the dye as well as I expected it to, but i'm happy with the multi-tone result. And the lining, which I thought would reject the dye entirely ended up this awesome bright greenish-yellow, which will look quite nice when I pin up the dress in front!

Further pictures to come as the entire ensemble develops.

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Permalink Reply by Hephzibah Marsh on July 27, 2012 at 11:15am

Looks fantastic! I love the colours!

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Permalink Reply by Clock-Eyed Octopus on July 27, 2012 at 11:32am

ooh pretty! It's been drying for a bit and the green is turning out great!

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Permalink Reply by Lepidoptera Wible on July 27, 2012 at 5:53pm

I don't think you could have come up with a better color combination if you did it on purpose! Outstanding!

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Permalink Reply by Clock-Eyed Octopus on July 27, 2012 at 7:20pm

Thanks!

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Permalink Reply by D. Niles, Esq. on July 27, 2012 at 3:48pm

NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You are lucky to have survived your Dyeing,

NEVER HEAT ANYTHING GALVANIZED !!!!!!

Especially in a closed area.

During he heating process, the galvanized tub, bucket, etc.,

will give off toxic gasses that WILL KILL YOU!!!!

You are fortunate your Dyeing didn't lead to your DEATH.

I don't know who told you to use a galvanized anything,

to boil the dye in, but from now on, use a stainless

steel pot to boil dye in, for your safety and anyone

else that may be in the area.

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Permalink Reply by Clock-Eyed Octopus on July 27, 2012 at 4:30pm

I actually did a bunch of research before deciding to use the washtub.

First, the area was well ventilated, including an exhaust fan.

Secondly, the danger of heating a washtub FULL OF WATER is far less than just heating up the empty washtub. The metal washtub never got hot enough to give off fumes. The water stayed just under boiling throughout the dyeing process. I know that sitting the empty washtub over a flame and letting it get hot can be dangerous. What I did is not going to give off toxic fumes.

I really don't think I was in serious danger. But I wouldn't eat out of it!

Thread about boiling water in galvanized washtub on scouter.com

Another thread about safety of heating water in galvanized container

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Permalink Reply by D. Niles, Esq. on July 27, 2012 at 5:45pm

IF you applied flame to galvanized metal, and heated it, it gave off toxic gasses.

The danger is in applying flame to galvanized metal regardless of how much water is contained inside,

there is no water on the outside where the flame is touching the galvanization.

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Permalink Reply by Clock-Eyed Octopus on July 27, 2012 at 7:20pm

I think we will have to agree to disagree.

Heating water in a galvanized container does not get the container hot enough to release fumes. Welding galvanized metal is dangerous, but I did not come close to 800-900 degrees.
The danger would be releasing zinc or other heavy metals into the water, but since I was not cooking anything in the pot, that was not an issue.
Another article supporting my position is at http://www.periodictable.com/ZincSafety.html

I agree, I would rather have used stainless, but I had no way of obtaining a container large enough, and did not go into it blind. I won't it endorse it for others since none of my sources of information are official, and I wouldn't do it without good ventilation. But I honestly do not believe I was in serious danger in using this container for a one-time dyeing use.

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Permalink Reply by M.K. Copperpotts on July 27, 2012 at 9:35pm

First the colors are amazing! Second kudos to you for recycling the dress....and finally, brava for staying the same size!

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Permalink Reply by Clock-Eyed Octopus on July 28, 2012 at 9:09am

Thanks!

I'm now trying to figure out how to make sure some of the awesome lining shows in the final ensemble. I have yardage of the fabric that matches my corset sides, and I plan on putting that where the front panel of the lining is so it will show when I pin up the front of the top skirt, but now I'm trying to see how to do it so the layer of lining shows too!

It is fun to be using the dress again after 18 years! And I have not stayed the same size - I would not have fit in the dress 7 months ago, but now it will fit even if the dyeing process made it shrink a bit! Yay!

I've made a hat too!

Now I need to work on my belt and other accessories.

And my son's outfit for his vampire hunter outfit - including a flamethrower/holywater dispenser made out of vintage small brass fire extinguishers.

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Permalink Reply by Clock-Eyed Octopus on July 29, 2012 at 6:47pm

I tried on the whole ensemble for the first time this evening. I'm very happy with it!

I'll be adding another gathered/lifted layer between the olive and yellow using fabric that matches the corset.

Now it's time to focus on details and accessorizing.

And I need to figure out a way to add velcro or a zipper to the back because there are way too many buttons for frequent use. It didn't matter when it was a one-time use wedding dress, but, sadly, I do not have a personal lady's maid to assist!

Please excuse bare feet, I'm not really a trollop!

More pictures in an album in my profile.

What do people think of the sleeves? Part of me thinks they are too puffy, and I should remove them and use long fingerless black gloves instead. Yes, no, something else entirely?

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Permalink Reply by Clock-Eyed Octopus on August 2, 2012 at 2:23pm

Well - I decided that the lace was not working for me. Since the lace did not take the olive dye, I felt that the yellow/cream color it turned out was not a good look for me so close to my face.

So - I tried fabric paint and turned it green - it came out a little brighter than the skirt.
After doing this I decided it was too stiff, and the whole lace and puffy sleeves look wasn't working for me at all. Just because it was the bodice of my wedding dress, there was no reason I had to keep it. So today I removed the lace entirely.

I also thrifted a black collared shirt today, that fits the persona I'm going for - "steampunk librarian" more than the lace did.

So here is where I am now:

I am going to add armwarmers and another ruffle to the skirt - both in fabric to match the corset, and then it is on to the accessories! Although I have already been working on a pair of glasses using a pair from one minor Rx change ago so I can actually see while I'm wearing them- I still need to add a double loupe to go with the built-in reading light.