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I wanted to dye some ultrasuede a slight shade of pink from it's sand color. I dye quite a bit and I thought, I'll FINd a way! Now I have to say, as far as I know, it's not possible! I put it in a dye bath and simmered for 20 minutes, nothing! I got tough and decided to boil it in the dye bath. I boiled it for 15 minutes. Ultra Suede is bulletproof 
Not dyeable. But in one way I guess that's good?! IT means anything you create using ultrasuede for probably last at least 100 years 
Karen
VallierBearsIsn't Ultra-suede a synthetic fabric? I have never found a way to dye anything that isn't natural.
BUT... have you tried that Syn-Tint from bearycheap? It apparently dyes synthetic fur fabrics. Maybe that'd work on ultra-suede??
Richy~
Tami Eveslage Original Teddy BearsI have tried it to no avail too!! But it takes the air brush paint beautifully. I wonder why. I use dye-na-flow silk dyes in my air brush.
Posts: 3,540But then how are all those colourful ultrasuede created?? 
DEb,
Do you think they'll tell us 
Karen
Posts: 361Hi Karen...just thought I would try to help...I have had success in dying ultra suede. I was needing a limey green and so I used Kool-Aid. I started with a kind of sandy color as well....and then added lemon-lime Kool-Aid and boiled it. I have also used dylon in olive and pudding powder in pistachio. Jello powders work too! I like to blend all kinds of color and so I sometimes throw two or three different types of dye into the same pot...doesn't react at all.
Hope that helps a little...the bottom piece is the original. The long limey green one is the kool-aid and the darker green is a blend of pistachio and olive.
Hugs, Nancy
Posts: 8,574Nan, you are too too funny......I too love koolade for dying, but I have aldso found cushings to be pretty good.....ald syn-tint from beary cheap is really strong. i usually only use 5-7 of the minutes they say to boil.....
Try again.....
and do like Nan, take piccys for us.....
i don't have pistachio jello....would pudding work? its instant..... :crackup:
Posts: 361Hi Dilu...thanks for the "pudding" correction...yes, that is what I used...I edited my comments. You can also use jello powders though...
I haven't used the syn-tint dyes...
Hugs, Nancy
Posts: 3,540
Now you've gone and made me hungry
LOL, Karen, maybe dying ultrasuede is like their 'ancient Chinese secret'? :crackup:
NANCY! Kool-Aid!
I tried the most recommended dye and you used kool-aid 
Wow! What is in Kool-aid and why is it such a powerful dye? I'll try it!
Karen
Back Road BearsKaren, Check out the library where that smiley is waving at you above your very first post. There is a category for Dyes and Colorants. 
Luxembears
Me too! And I bet the kool aide dye smells good too when it's finished.
I agree with Tami. Airbrushing works like a dream on ultra suede.
Daphne,
THANKS! I forgot all about that little guy
Karen
Posts: 8,574The nice thing about Jello is that it already ghas the acid in it so that you don't have to add vinegar. Koolade is the same, the acid make its set a bit better than no acid....
I have tried Koolade on syntheitc bear fabrics t no avail and had to use the syntint....but it is easy to use and they have wonderful shades.
di
Posts: 361I don't know Karen...but it works. The limey green piece in the picture is actually a little more "limey" than the picture shows. I used it for a grinch.
Hope you can get the color you want...sometimes we forget that the simple, cheap stuff works better than anything!
Hugs, Nancy
Lexsomnia BearsWow! :clap: Who knew you could use Koolaid for that. When I first started dyeing wool yarn and roving I used Koolaid and food coloring. Didn't know it would work for ultrasuede! Thanks for the tip!
Woo BearsI hear ya, KJ!
I have a very particular purple that I tried to dye some ultrasuede for: no dice.
Oh well!
Brenda
teddyretirementhome
... Ultra Suede is bulletproof
Karen
Karen, I am glad there have been successful dye jobs on Ultrasuede. But I must chime in and say that it's not bulletproof in terms of wear. I made a bear with Ultrasuede paw pads for my cousin's daughter when she was three years old (I don't usually make bears for children!), and now that she's 13 years old, her poor bear's paw pads are being worn thin and are nearly splitting. I am really dreading the thought of taking apart the limbs in order to work on the paw pads...gulp!
Creative Design Studio (RKR4CDS)Couldn't you Blanket St new, matched pads on top of the originals by hand, catching both a bit of the mohair fabric and a bit of the ultra suede along the seamlines, for assurance?
Ultrasuede® used to wear like iron (unless it's the Facile line and in a skirt or coat worn/sat in often) so I'm wondering - - did you treat with Kool-Ade or any other chemical?
Perhaps the more recent Ultrasuede®, in order to make the Hand more pliable than the original from the 70s or thereabouts, has lost that inner strength???
I've thought of putting new pads over the old ones, but am still not sure if that's what I'll do. I may still have some of the original Ultrasuede. I made the bear in 2000, so the Ultrasuede was likely only a year or two old at most. I didn't treat it in any way; I assume that it's just wearing out from so much loving. 
Here is the bear when he was new:
Creative Design Studio (RKR4CDS)OT -
Meander with me and my musings on my bear blog: New Avenue Crew
Yes, I DID!! How fascinating, Debora! And you're a most talented writer: you speak from the heart, which always makes the words shine!
I love your whole story; I was away from TT for great periods of the past 18 months, too, and find this wonderful chapter when I return. How joyous - and in my favorite State. I envy your DDs, now growing up in CO, and am so happy they have each other, and you and Garth. Blessed Family...
OK, back 'On Topic' now!
One good point about padding over the original paws is that they've survived the drag-around-toddler-drooley-stages to this point and are more likely to be treated less roughly in the future (13 yo now you said?) so the original paws underneath, while not completely undermined yet, would serve as 'underlining' and help reinforce the additional layer.
I myself would opt for 'not fixing what ain't broke'. (yet - - -meaning completely removing and replacing, which means opening seams, unstuffing said arms, unpicking paws, re-stitching new paw pads and re-assembly)
Some wouldn't do it any other way- some would wait and see [fingers crossed], some would head off the inevitable this way.
I guess it depends on a personality-type!
Thank you so much, Bobbie! :hug: I'm so glad you enjoyed visiting my blog! I'm eager to write more about my bears as I work on them, but I'm sure I'll write about the girls from time to time. They like to make things, too. 
I'm with you on not completely opening up the bear's arms and redoing them...I'm tired just thinking about it! Yes, my little cousin is 13 now, so she'll likely be less rough with her bear. 
I would like to cover the paw pads if I still have the Ultrasuede...guess I get to go digging in my stash. :dance: Thank you for your wise advice!
Hugs to you from beautiful Colorado,
~Debora
Creative Design Studio (RKR4CDS)It's sure not advise, Debora! I'm just not for making more work for myself when another option is just as viable.
My thinking is (and I cannot see the rest of the ted, but I'd consider this) - these would be brand new paws.
Is the rest of the ted in a brand-new condition? So--would their new condition 'match' the rest of the bear?
If not, wouldn't new paw paws with-tiny-little-blanket-stitching-all-the-way-around give it a bit of a quilt/vintage look, which would better match the aged look of the bear?
So you can see that I wasn't just being lazy; I did have reason behind my technique choice!
I know you had good reasoning! The bear looks pretty good, though loved (pile laying wonky on an ear, for instance). I will likely ask my little cousin what she would prefer I do after giving her some options (ones I'm willing to tackle!). 
gugu;s teddiesHi Ladies i need help new to the site its great bear making for 1year now need to move to dying fabrics so many dyes you makers use Kool Aid Rite cant get any of these in South Africa can anyone help with suplier in either UK USA as im going to have to give up or perhaps there is another make of dye you teddy makers can help with
from Sunny SA
