Can anyone tell me how to dye a dress?

[Beatrixpotterspencil]

It's a viscose unlined midi, simple cut, v-neck, fit and flare. No zip.
It is a mottled black and tan colour (small pattern) which really doesn't suit me but the dress itself does.
I would like to dye it navy, and imagine that would cover the tan and blend nicely with the mottled black bits.

I have never attempted to dye anything in my life, so completely have no idea what to do. I know I can google, but would love to have it straight from the MN horses mouth as you lot are very clued up!

Can it be done easily at home? Do i need a bucket, a bath or my washing machine? Will it get stuck to my hands??? Any recommended, affordable brands?

Easiest way would be a machine dye. I’d be concerned the navy might look like bleached out black parts of the dress though but I can’t really picture it whereas you have the dress so can visualise best.

www.wilko.com/dylon-dye-pod-navy-blue-fabric-dye-350g/p/0454085?gclid=Cj0KCQjw-daUBhCIARIsALbkjSZP-tsVb1E1JMuU3m37Whrn64B6zDbPZX8OECsFDqollf71aqU89j8aAjqkEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

Is viscose a cotton? If so, it should take a machine dye well.

Dylon machine dyes are easy to use and your generally get a good result if you follow the instructions to the letter.
Even so, don't dye anything you couldn't bear to lose.
Weigh the fabric to make sure you have enough dye (don't skimp) and wash the item before dying, even if clean.
I think it should work on viscose - it won't work on polyester so sometimes you end up with different coloured stitching if it's polyester and doesn't take the dye.
Would black work for you? I think you might get a better result with black dye than navy.

Viscose responds well to dye but it is likely to cover the pattern. I dye a lot of things and use Dylon machine dye. Follow the instructions exactly and done skimp on the length of the programme. The only thing that causes me issues is that the thread used for stitching is often a polyester mix so it doesn't always take properly. Be mindful of the contrast of that against the navy.

Navy dye is lighter than black so you'll have a black and navy dress if you don't remove the original dye first. You can do this by bleaching, washing to remove any residue then dying.

Something to watch out for is the cotton used for stitching. It's often a nylon or other synthetic material so won't dye well. Not so bad if it's already black but could be problematic if it's tan or white.

RIT dye produce a product that dyes synthetics as well as natural fabrics. You would need to do it in a pan / bucket rather than the machine. Check out their social media for videos of techniques and projects such as dying trainers. Someone just uploaded a video of a dress being dyed ( a froothy short one)

I've dyed viscose in the washing machine and it's always taken the colour pretty well, except (as other posters have said) for the stitching and any trims which will most likely be polyester and so won't change.

You can never be certain what colour you'll end up with. Well I can't anyway. The navy might cover the tan entirely or the tan might affect the final colour, especially if it's heavily yellow based.

You also won't get much contrast with navy and black. If that matters to you, I think Dylon do a deep blue which might be worth checking out.

Used to use Dylon but have since discovered Rit (available from Amazon) and their choice of colours is so much better. There are a few more steps involved than with Dylon but it depends what you're after.

This is fantastic and so helpful, thank you everyone! Will check the stitching.

Here is the pattern, you can tell how light the tan is next to the white chair.

@Beatrixpotterspencil - please report back, to let us know how it works out!