Black dress help?

[Foofoogal]

Need help with this dress if I can follow the directions in posting a photo. The dress is darker than photos show and was wondering 3 things.
The applique has like pipe cleaners. Is this considered chenille? Though the fading shows very bad in the photos it is not terribly noticeable in real life. Could I dye this black somehow and if not could I cut or hem to remove this?
Fabulous dress that has a satin applique and states SiSi Miami Florida.
http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p194/foofoogal/P1010015.jpg
http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p194/foofoogal/P1010016.jpg

 

[GOK]

I wouldn't advise trying to dye it - I do think you'd be doomed to failure if you do. If you really must try, find a dye appropriate to the fabric (acid dyes are the best but since I have no idea what the dress is made from, I cannot say whether it would work); make sure you use both a black and a navy blue and paint it on only where strictly necessary. However, as I said, I really wouldn't recommend it.

You could certainly shorten the dress to lose the fading and I'm sure you'd have no problem whipping the ends of the decoration (which might be chenille - it's hard to tell from the photos) to make sure they don't fray. But...if this is going to throw the proportions of the dress out and make it look odd, then I'd leave well alone and live with the fading.

 

[mysterygal]

From the photos, the dress looks gorgeous! I agree with GOK, don't try to dye the dress yourself, it could make things worse....I would shorten it, but, if it is as you say, not really noticable, you can just go ahead and wear as is....it all depends on how comfortable you are with it.

 

[CanadaDoll]

I'd be inclined to take it to a good seamstress and ask for her opinion of what to do for it before you try anything.

It's a beautiful dress, and they might be able to restore it, or suggest a good way of dying it, some have very reasonable prices, and I managed to ruin a really nice one doing a home dye job, and it was heartbreaking.

Good luck, and if all else fails, I'd also suggest hanging it on the wall or as a canopy about the bed, if you can't wear it, look at it!

 

[Tourbillion]

The appliques are probably chenille, you can stitch them down with thread, but you can consider Fraycheck too. It might stiffen it a little, but is saves lots of stuff for me.

I wouldn't bother to dye the dress or shorten it. It is an evening dress, just avoid well lit areas.

Really darkness is your friend.

 

[BegintheBeguine]

I agree with not shortening it nor dyeing it. Wear it and no one will notice, it is beautiful.