My daughter has a maroon pleated school uniform skirt made out of 100 polyester. We need it to be red for a play. I laid it in 100% bleach overnight thinking it would turn white and then I could dye it the correct color, or I even hoped it would just lighten enough to use as is. Instead it is EXACTLY the same, not one little bit lighter. I am astounded and stumped. I may just try to dye it with white to see if that will make it lighter. We looked for red skirts but they are all too short (like cheerleading skirts). Do any of you mommas know of something that will lighten polyester, which evidently is colorfast?
Polyester fiber is made the color it is. It is not dyed. There is nothing you can do to change the color. Polyester fiber cannot be dyed: therefore you can't dye it white.
It is easy to make a skirt. Buy some fabric. Sew the ends together. Make a casing along one side in which to insert elastic. Hem the bottom. Viola, a red skirt. I suggest you could find someone to do this for you for not much. Ask at a fabric store.
Polyester is not a natural dyed fabric, it is like a colored plastic. You can bleach it all you want, dye it all you want and it will stay the same color.
You need a plan B.
Mom:
Sorry - polyester is one of those "fabrics" that will still be here after Armageddon! :) It's a plastic, not a cotton fabric. it won't dye/bleach, etc. it will be the same....
I would go to my local Goodwill store and find a red skirt or find one on ebay!
Good luck!
Polyester is a man made fabric and is the color it is. The fiber's were made that color and are not changeable.
Not going to work. I suggest you go to soffe.com and see if they have a skort that might work. We buy them and sell them in our clothing store for the same price. They have red, white, navy, pink, and more.
Soffe is very fast when it comes to shipping it out to you too.
If you need pleats like a cheer uniform then you'll need to find something else but these are what we sell for cheer camp and other activities like this.
http://sportsapparel.soffe.com/search?w=pleated+skirt
BTW, bleach eats fibers so this skirt is going to fall apart in the not too distant future so I hope it didn't cost very much.
Polyester isn't a natural fiber. It's made of plastic. Or, you know, bleachy no likey plastic for dye jobs.
In other words, buy a red one.
Polyester is not like cotton or wool or bamboo or linen.
Natural fibers can be dyed (color is absorbed) and so the color can be bleached out again, re-dyed and altered.
With polyester the color is exactly like colored plastic - there's no changing the color because it's built in.
The only thing bleaching can do is weaken the plastic which might turn it yellowish as the plastic degrades on it's way to disintegrating.
It's possible to paint over the top of it but that's the only way and it would not be practical for a whole garment.
http://www.ehow.com/facts_###-###-####_can-bleach-polyest...
http://www.cosplay.com/showthread.php?t=246155
I think you are going to have to buy or make one.
http://www.amazon.com/FV3543-Length-Pleated-A-Line-Skinny...
This is frankly beyond my sewing abilities but if you talk to some ladies at your local sewing/fabric store they might be able to help you or find someone who could sew it for you.
Or you might be able to talk to your local high school home ec teacher who might know a student who could sew it for you.
Since this for a stage costume, it doesn't have to be a street wearable quality.
http://www.instructables.com/id/Easy-Pleated-Skirt-No-Pat...
http://www.ehow.com/how_###-###-####_make-pleated-skirt.html
Can't you just buy a red skirt?
I think places like Old Navy or Gap sells "uniform" clothing.
What are the other parents doing?
Or, what does the Teacher, suggest???
If all the parents are having a hard time, getting or making a red pleated skirt, I would tell the school.
How old is your daughter?
Try Google Searching "girl's red pleated skorts." So that you don't get all those too short "cheerleading" type skirts. Use the search word "skorts."
What about this?:
http://www.academy.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_...
i don't think you can lighten polyester. but you should go check out the thrift stores for a skirt for the play.
If you don't want to buy a new skirt, you may try painting it with acrylic paints. It will not be the most comfortable thing on earth, but up on stage it may look just fine. I have done this in the past for pieces to Halloween costumes.
Polyester is the color it is and won't change in color. If it's for a play, why don't you just buy some inexpensive red fabric and make an on the spot skirt. Wrap it around your daughter's waist and just pin it. Or get a scarf, they have them here in NY for 5.00 on the street (its called a pashmina)and wrap it around her like a sarong and pin it. It's for a play, and she will never wear it again. Someone will end up with a new scarf ; )
