Has anyone tried dyeing ramie?

[Sarvanga24]

I am a bit obsessed with this dress from M&S, but the amount of time it would stay white on me would be minimal ...

https://www.marksandspencer.com/v-neck-pleat-detail-midaxi-waisted-dress/p/clp60651696

Google suggests that ramie will dye like cotton, so I am very tempted to buy it anyway and dye it. (Regularly do this with cotton garments.)

Has anyone actually dyed any ramie garments and can comment on the reality, please?

I haven’t tried that. But the difficulty l’ve had in dying cotton is that the stitching thread used in the fabric is often nylon or polyester based. No probs with that, but if it does dye it may not dye as deep in colour, or even remain white. That makes the hem, cuffs etc look odd.

Personally, for the money l wouldn’t risk it. Better to go for white and lay off the spaghetti.

I don't mind the thread not dyeing, quite like that look if I went properly dark (with navy anyway, wouldn't want it with black). If I went e.g. a paler blue it would be OK anyway.

LOL at laying off the spaghetti, maybe that's the key. I reckon I still have the potential to look like I've somehow been doing surgery and cleaning simultaneously.😂

I can’t help with your question but I would go for it in white. I tend to dress myself and my DD5 in a lot of white as it’s so easy to clean - I have yet to come across a stain that will not come out with bleach and vanish!

I’ve never done it but I would risk it if you don’t mind about the polyester thread. I have done linen often enough and ramie is consistently said to take dye better than linen.

Following with interest! I used to have a lot of success with the old dylon dyes. I have used the newer dye pods twice and neither came out as I hoped. I'm unsure if the issue was with the pod (one was lilac so possibly supposed to be extremely pale?) or the material (the other was dying dark blue stretch denim black, it came out ultra dark blue, possibly due to insufficient cotton content of fabric) though.

Haven't tried and wouldn't. As pp said the stitching is often the problem. Also raime has a sheen - not sure how that would work and would be concerned about what finish had already been applied to the fabric. Nope, giving me a bad feeling! Very keen to try raime tho, it looks lovely in pics.

Ramie is a natural fibre similar to linen. Linen also has a sheen due to the fibre formation.

It should dye with a dye used for linen or cotton.

I get where you're coming from and staying away from white, I could sit down immediately after putting it on and look like I've done a tougher mudder in it.

It looks like ramie is one of the easiest fabrics to dye and there are some that will do polyester as well.

I can totally see why you'd want to risk it @Sarvanga24 , it's got a beautiful shape and cut to it and I can imagine it looking stunning in some lovely colour or other. What colour are you thinking of? If you do it will you come back and show us?
I see it either cobalt blue or a rich forest green or even a strong magenta. Yum.

I've dyed ramie without problems but I've never been satisfied when I've dyed anything from white and I don't try anymore. In theory, I don't mind if the stitching doesn't take the dye but in practice, I've never liked the results.

It really is a gorgeous dress, saw it in the flesh yesterday. Decided I couldn’t have a white dress, then came home and ordered it. (Haven’t tried it yet, so all may be academic.)

Cobalt blue or magenta would be ideal, actually, but I might wimp out to a paler blue or pink if I dive in …

Interesting re. dyeing from white, @Floisme - I’ve bought both a white cotton sweatshirt and a cream denim dress and immediately dyed them before, but obviously very different fabrics. (Both have actually been several colours now.😆) Hadn’t occurred to me that it would be problematic.

it depends on what it’s mixed with. I have dyed Ramie. You need to make sure the fabric is unbleached and prep it for dying. I use fibre reactive dyes, Procion MX is my go to. I also like the Jacquard acid dyes. Like pp said, dying white clothes is a pain because of the methods used to get it white in the first place. I’m never satisfied dying over a white item, or dying anything black.

I'm not really sure why it didn't work for me @Sarvanga24 I just didn't like the final colour at all - it was much brighter than I'd expected and not in a good way. I've tried it twice now - both times with white cotton - and I won't be bothering again.

dying white clothes is a pain because of the methods used to get it white in the first place.

Ah that might explain it @AllThePotatoesAreSinging - thank you!

Hmmmm interesting - thank you both.

They use a polyester thread to stitch it so that will remain white, can be decorative. Wash it first no fabric conditioner. Go lighter colour in preferred range as you can always go darker after.
Dying black may well be like dying hair from blonde to black, you have to put red in first then black to get richness.