ROTJ jumpsuit dyeing
- Thread starter BF46
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Fetthunter
Well-Known Hunter
I hope it's 100% cotton!!! 
Synthetics, like Polyester, don't like being dyed, and poly-cotton blends are notoriously hard to dye.
I don't have a recipe myself. I think I'm just going to end up buying 2 gray Dickies worksuits or something. :facepalm
Synthetics, like Polyester, don't like being dyed, and poly-cotton blends are notoriously hard to dye.
I don't have a recipe myself. I think I'm just going to end up buying 2 gray Dickies worksuits or something. :facepalm
It's got to be cotton.
I dyed mine, starting from a light grayish beige. However, I did preproduction. Just look at the color of the jumpsuit and see what colors are in THAT color. For istance, the prepro suit is gray, green, and blue. Start with the lightest color first. I dyed my suit in that order, first gray, then green, then blue, using RIT powder dye. I believe I used another gray after I did the blue, and that made it perfect. You can use RIT dye remover to fade out the color if you make it too dark. You'll use each dye one at a time, in a separate wash for each. After you are all done with the dyes, run the washer with a load of just like 1/4-1/2 cup of bleach, then with a load of detergent (no clothes in the washer for either load). This will keep the dye from getting on your clothes the next time you do laundry.
If I were to do an ROTJ starting with white, I would use a light tan, then gray, and possibly another color of gray after that (light gray then dark gray). If the color was not exactly right, or seemed to "warm", I would add 1/4 package of blue and see what happens. But...no guarantees. I haven't ever tried to do the ROTJ color.
IMO, the only way to get the correct color is by dying, or possibly by special order fabric if you can ever find it. The fabric color looks streaky, and RIT dyes will give you just that. Dickies do not look right.
I dyed mine, starting from a light grayish beige. However, I did preproduction. Just look at the color of the jumpsuit and see what colors are in THAT color. For istance, the prepro suit is gray, green, and blue. Start with the lightest color first. I dyed my suit in that order, first gray, then green, then blue, using RIT powder dye. I believe I used another gray after I did the blue, and that made it perfect. You can use RIT dye remover to fade out the color if you make it too dark. You'll use each dye one at a time, in a separate wash for each. After you are all done with the dyes, run the washer with a load of just like 1/4-1/2 cup of bleach, then with a load of detergent (no clothes in the washer for either load). This will keep the dye from getting on your clothes the next time you do laundry.
If I were to do an ROTJ starting with white, I would use a light tan, then gray, and possibly another color of gray after that (light gray then dark gray). If the color was not exactly right, or seemed to "warm", I would add 1/4 package of blue and see what happens. But...no guarantees. I haven't ever tried to do the ROTJ color.
IMO, the only way to get the correct color is by dying, or possibly by special order fabric if you can ever find it. The fabric color looks streaky, and RIT dyes will give you just that. Dickies do not look right.
mindphunk
Active Hunter
First off, can you dye a Dickies? My seamstress isnt going to get don in time for halloween, so i bought a short sleave Dickies suit. I'll use the material I bought to add the pouches and sleaves. If it can be dyed, is there a recipe for the ROTJ suit? Help!!!
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Fetthunter
Well-Known Hunter
First off, is it all cotton, or a 65/35 poly/cotton blend?
If it's all cotton, you can bleach it (with Rit color remover), then dye it (with your choice of Rit).
If it's poly/cotton, 6 packages of Rit color remover will make it about *2* shades lighter, but that's about it. Dyeing it is just about as bad...
Synthetics don't like to be dyed. Another reason NOT to buy a nylon girth!
If it's all cotton, you can bleach it (with Rit color remover), then dye it (with your choice of Rit).
If it's poly/cotton, 6 packages of Rit color remover will make it about *2* shades lighter, but that's about it. Dyeing it is just about as bad...
Synthetics don't like to be dyed. Another reason NOT to buy a nylon girth!
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Fetthunter
Well-Known Hunter
Did you buy the "gray" Dickies?
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fett uk
Active Hunter
I had a poly-cotton nightmare! the suit was slightly to dark so I decided to bleach it, a couple of cap fulls, checking every ten minutes, nothing. Half a bottle, checking every half hour, nothing..hmmmm four bottles in a large bucket, boiling water, left overnight he he...nothing....
answer: went out and bought another suit the right colour this time (am I just lazy)
fett-uk
answer: went out and bought another suit the right colour this time (am I just lazy)
fett-uk
S
sarlac_snack
Guest
Ok, I have a 65/35 mix, white jump suit from JC Penny. As far as white jumpsuits go, it's very nice. But, it's not 100 percent cotton, So, should I :
a) toss it (wasted 35 bucks) and get a different jumpsuit
b) dye it (will it dye?)
c) spray paint and steel wool?
a) toss it (wasted 35 bucks) and get a different jumpsuit
b) dye it (will it dye?)
c) spray paint and steel wool?
raptorarts
Active Hunter
I bought the same exact jumpsuit/overalls from JC Pennies. The white one that is made by BIG MAC. Dont throw it away, JC accepts returns from catalogs without a restocking fee. I am keeping mine though. I know dying it will be a mistake so I will most likely airbrush it.
LOL Now I feel stupid... I just noticed this thread is almost a year old! LOL!
LOL Now I feel stupid... I just noticed this thread is almost a year old! LOL!
obi sean kenobi
Well-Known Hunter
all of the jumpsuits that Ive made are made of twill and are a poly cotton blend. They started off white.
To dye my Boba, I used RIT Pearl Gray dye (powder) and a tiny sprinkle of blue rit dye. I filled my washing machine tub with boiling (yes boiling) water. I let the dye mix with the boiling water and then put the fabric in. Once the wash cycle was over, I would re-set the machine again. I continued to do this for hours, and kept adding boiling water to keep it HOT.
Here is a pic of my Boba suit using this method, and also my Jango (which due to the deep color saturation took MULTIPLE DYE BATHS to get it right).
To dye my Boba, I used RIT Pearl Gray dye (powder) and a tiny sprinkle of blue rit dye. I filled my washing machine tub with boiling (yes boiling) water. I let the dye mix with the boiling water and then put the fabric in. Once the wash cycle was over, I would re-set the machine again. I continued to do this for hours, and kept adding boiling water to keep it HOT.
Here is a pic of my Boba suit using this method, and also my Jango (which due to the deep color saturation took MULTIPLE DYE BATHS to get it right).
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Boba Swede
Active Hunter
I got a 35/65 blend that is too grey/blue for ROTJ jumpsuit.. anyone has any experiance with going the other way.. bleaching??
sargonkiadi
Active Hunter
Damn, my jumpsuit is 80% polyester.... see i've bleached it 3 times now, and it almost appears to have gotten darker Thanks for the heads up. Next time i'll get cotton
Thanks for the heads up. Next time i'll get cotton
raptorarts
Active Hunter
I have the same type of jumpsuit material 35% and 65% blend. I cant seem to find that type of rit dye color. Guess I need to check out Village Crafts "Michaels Craft Store". I hear they have a permenant dye for polyester cotten blends. I want the greenish look from ROTJ.
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