COLOR AND DYE
Each garment we sew is in itself unique as it is made by hand especially for you, no matter if you order from our size chart, or choose to have it custom made.
To complete the customization package we offer, we include the possibility of choosing your own personalized color for the dress you purchase. After years of experience in dyeing and painting on fabric, we are proud to offer a wide range of possible colors, that give each piece a character of its own.
We always work in harmony with the shape of the dress and the material with which it is made, obtaining unique pieces rich in artistic and expressive value.
We have been working with colors and fabric dyes since 2009, experimenting and continuously improving our techniques. Here we collected a selection of the possible options for your custom colored garment.
COLOR
To color our silk and wool garments by hand we use two types of pigment that give us different, beautiful results.
NATURAL COLOR
Natural colors are obtained directly from plants, flowers, or as in the case of the beautiful rose tones of the Cochineal, from insects.
Plants such as Solidago and Yellow Onion dye the fabric of a bright yellow and warm gold respectively; purple cabbage give it a dusty blue color. Artichoke ranges in colors ranging from aqua green to a bright, vivid green, depending on its freshness and variety. A flower like Rudbeckia leaves us with a warm, mossy green while the Poppy gives fabric a delicate shade of lilac. The magical Cochineal yields tones ranging from pink to fuchsia.
When looking for the perfect ivory hue of our bridal wear, we turn to tea. It gives fabric a beautiful, warm ivory color and can be applied on all our fabrics and laces. And then again…if we mix the tea with the cochineal we get the most delicate of blush colors.
These are just a few examples: the combinations and creative possibilities are infinite!
NON-TOXIC COLOR
When we want to have absolute control and immediacy, we use non-toxic powder colors, selected after careful testing. They give us clear, easily controlled and extremely stable colors that are resistant to washings.
The colors are fixed on protein fabrics such as wool and silk with white wine vinegar. By mixing primaries together we can create any shade we want, from the most delicate, subtle tones to the most saturated and bright colors.
THE COLOR BATH
There are several methods for applying a color to a fabric permanently. The most intuitive and immediate one is definitely the color bath.
In this case, we start from the fabric, before it becomes a dress. It is then soaked in the desired color bath, and stirred around regularly to allow color to be uniformly distributed.
Once the dyed fabric has been washed and dried, it can be used to create colored garments.
The resulting color is always rich and delicately nuanced, never as flat and unnatural as commercially colored fabrics. Each color bath is unique, so each dyed portion on cloth will be unique as well.
PAINTING SILK
Another technique for coloring fabric is painting it directly. In this case, the fabric is not soaked in the color bath. Color, used in a higher concentration, is applied with paintbrushes, sponges, or by pouring the color directly onto the fabric, to create designs, patterns or watercolor.
Compared to other techniques, the use of painting offers greater control over the areas we wish to color, while the possibility of mixing different hues can create truly amazing effects. Gradient, floral or geometric patterns and soft watercolor-like shading.
DIP DIE
Dip dyeing, also called Ombré, allows to obtain gradual shades of color only on the bottom of the dress.
The lower part of the dress or piece of fabric to be colored is immersed in the color bath. A gradient can be obtained by slowly dipping the fabric, so that the lower part is darker, gradually growing lighter and then disappearing.
Or you can completely submerge the bottom portion of the garment, and then let it sit still, soaking the color uniformly. This will yeald a less gradual effect, where the transition from dyed to non-dyed will be rather sharp and slightly irregular (see the purple dress below).
One can obtain shades of different intensity, and create interesting layers as well. For this ivory dress we only dyed the underskirt in a very pale powder blue. The upper layer is transparent, allowing the color to be barely visible, except for when the side slit is open, allowing a surprise pop of color.
DYEING OF A FINISHED GARMENT
Even finished garments can be colored! We use this technique when for some reason we want to change the color of a dress, or if we want to obtain specific colors on controlled portions of the garment.
Also in this case, one can obtain many different results, since the same methods used for uncut fabric can be used, depending on the nature of the garment and the desired effect.
Here you can see a white silk t-shirt that has been dyed with black, with a dip dye effect from gray to full black. It was soaked in the color bath while folded in half and slightly sideways, to create a dark shading with a V-effect on the bottom, impossible to obtain otherwise.
This golden yellow wedding outfit was made in white, combining the high-waisted Vinca with the Nettle sash, and dip dyed only afterwards. Each material took color in a slightly different depth, but the palette was perfectly uniform because it was all the same dye bath.
WEDDING DRESS
RE-DESIGN
With an eye to a more conscious purchase, and a full and sustainable use of resources, we offer a service that will transform any Larimeloom wedding dress into a garment that you can use after your wedding.
In addition to the changes that can be made to the design it’s-self, color is one of the most immediate ways to transform a wedding gown into a more casual dress, to be worn on important occasions or in everyday life. This way your dress will be a part of your life for years to come.
Any of our outfits, shortened where necessary and refreshed with a touch of color, magically becomes a precious and practical garment to be use in a variety of occasions.
Here you can see a wedding skirt, the Nymphea, which the client wanted to re-wear to a party. She chose a dusty hue of lavender, inspired by the bushes of the purple flower that grew on the venue of her wedding location.
Here you can see the Hedera, a floor-length tunic wedding dress, in ivory silk.
After the wedding the client, to make it suitable for everyday wear, we shortened it to a becoming length just above the knee, separated the top layer from the bottom layers and dyed it a light grey. The two layers of crepe de chine of the under-dress, together with the belt, we dyed a stormy blue-grey.
The effect of the two overlapping colors and the transparencies they create give depth and richness to the finished outfit. Additionally, all three elements can be worn separately: the base dress is a pretty simple blue tunic; the sheer overlay can be styled with pants and a tank top for a breezy summer look. The belt can be paired with other outfits.
Below, you can see the Aster bridal top in silk crepe de chine. Once we dyed it a pretty pastel pink, it became a simple and elegant garment to wear in both casual and more elegant settings.
