Made a dress in vile fabric. Dye, bleach and dye or bin?

[ErnesttheBavarian]

I bought the fabric online. Was shocked at how hideous it us. Sort of deep green with purple, white, yellow and turquoise flowers. Anyway I proceeded to make a dress out if it as a learning project and am surprised at how well it's turned out. Except the pattern is so hideous I can't wear it.

Gave people had experience with dying? Will the flowers still show through. It's I think 100 % cotton

I know I have got much to lose. I guess I would like to know if it is likely to work before I go through the hassle nd if I should bleach first and will it damage the fibres etc

Can you post a picture? How dark are the colours?

Could you just dye it Dark green, dark purple, or black?

If it's cotton it might take dye ok, though you may get the flowers showing through but not in their original colours.

If it's a cotton mix then the dye may not take in the full colour that you choose - I put some pale blue pyjama trousers into a black dye, but because they were a mixed fibre they went a kind of grey instead - it was bearable, but not what I wanted.

Can you test an offcut of the fabric in dye first?

if you overdye it with eg a brown y colour, the pattern will still stay but the contrast will be toned down so might be acceptable

Charity shop.

I pit a test piece on bleach. It's taken a couple of days but it's almost white though you can still see the flowers a bit. Has anyone any experience of bleaching (before dye? )

I

I was going to get a dark green dye

I think if you bleach it that strongly you'll damage the fabric
agree with testing a scrap

There is dylon dye out stuff but then you are going to pay for dye again. I second charity shop. Buy some good fabric and next time you will make it better.

The stitching is usually the main problem when you dye stuff, it is almost always dye resistent. Just make another one.

Yes I think you call this your muslin for the pattern and start again using nicer fabric.

I've mostly sworn off buying fabric online for this reason. Unless I'm buying something in a block colour in a very straightforward fabric type I now make sure I only buy my fabric from shops where I can touch it first.

Especially jersey. Learnt my lesson eventually there