Dying without shrinking?

[courier]

Hello All,
Is it possible to cold dye an overcoat without shrinking it.How would one go about this? I have a sky blue Federal overcoat that I want to dye brown.
Regards,Richard Harris

[Texian]

Re: Dying without shrinking?

Just curious and presuming (this may get me in trouble) that what you've got is a quality garment in the first place, why would you want to ruin it by dying it brown and running the risk, nay likelihood, of shrinkage? On the other hand if what you've got is a poorly made garment that you are wanting to get some more use out of, then what you will have by dying it is a brown poorly made garment that is slightly smaller, possibly more. If it is the latter, I would suggest selling it on eBay undyed, and invest the money in some quality gear.
That's my two cents,
---Ed

[Spinster]

Re: You can do it, but do you really want to?

By the very nature of the process, most attempts at period dyeing will shrink the fabric, for it involves simmering the fabric between 140-210 degrees, depending on the particular dyestuffs, then the fabric must be washed to remove excess dye. An expert dyer can SOMETIMES avoid this problem, but it takes a lot of experience.

One cold dye which has possibilities for avoiding shrinkage is potassium permanganate. Despite its bright purple appearance in the pot, it makes a strong brown dye. While I can document its use as a dye back to the Boer War, I haven't really tried to document it back to the Civil War--mainly because it is a rather unforgiving dye if the receipt is not followed to the letter---and once I've got tourists around my dyepots, all timing and formulas go by the wayside.

The dye process is multi-step, and requires copious amounts of water, dye,gloves, sugar, and a tolerance from your friends when you find that you have also dyed yourself in the process. For a good formula for this dye---The Art and Craft of Natural Dyeing: Traditional Recipes for Modern Use by J. N. Liles.

If you are not committed to using a period dye, various modern cold dyes can be obtained from EarthGuild in Ashville, North Carolina. Modern cold dyes are not for the faint of heart---its still going to be a heck of a lot of work. http://www.earthguild.com/

You should also consider the coat itself--if you are trying to improve a sutler row grade coat by dyeing it----likely you are in for an evil surprise Many commercial grade wools, even those that say 100% wool, have a certain amount of man-made fibers in them to increase durability. The great majority of these fibers will not take a period dye, and will show up as speckles in your coat.

We've dyed some sutler row grade sky blue pants with a period black walnut dye receipt. I don't recommend the process, for it was a deuce of a lot of work for sad sorry results.

Bottom line, unless this is your most favorite clothing item in the whole world, of totally correct construction and materials, irreplaceable and hand sewn by your dear departed great aunt, sell that thing, and buy you a brown coat with the proceeds--yeah, you'll need a little more money, but spring has broken out, at least down here, and cold weather reenacting is 6 months away.....

[courier]

Re: Dying without shrinking?

Hello Gang,
Ladies and Gentleman,you have a convert.I will now sing in the choir.I will not try to dye this coat.Can I get an amen.
Seriously,I get the point and thank you for taking the time to respond to me.
Regards,Richard Harris

[Spinster]

Re: Dying without shrinking?

Okay Mr. Harris, now I'm giggling, having read your profile and noted you are a doctor--and thus know exactly what potassium permanganate looks like when mixed with water, what a fine disinfectant it is, and what it does when splashed on unprotected skin.........

After dyeing about 10 pounds of wool with it last year, Susan and I were considering changing our impression from "po' white" to "domestic servant". Alas, we were too brown spotty looking to pass for much of anything except nasty......