How would the tea dye act on already colored cloth? I have a black and white striped skirt, and I want the white to have that faded antique color, but I'm afraid how the black stripes will come out, as well as the red lace trimming. Any ideas?
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Re: When tea-dyeing lace for the antique look...
Tue, April 15, 2008 - 5:27 AMIt shouldn't have much effect on the black, and should make the red a little darker. If you want to take the time to get the right effect, instead of dunking the whole thing, you could sponge on the tea to the white areas. This would not only minimize the exposure of the tea to the other colors, but would give a less uniform look to the "antiquing"...making it more realistic.
You might try it first on some similar test fabrics to see which techniques you like. -
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Re: When tea-dyeing lace for the antique look...
Tue, April 15, 2008 - 7:49 AMoh, that could work. Thanks, I'll try sponging it on the white areas.
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Re: When tea-dyeing lace for the antique look...
Tue, April 15, 2008 - 7:57 AMYes, tea is great for antiquing fabrics! It is gentle & smells nice. Make sure your fabric is completely covered/saturated while soaking in the tea, and no air pockets are left (this will make variations in the material in the final result). I love dipping in my white fake flowers ~ it stays a little dark around the very edges. I really love the result! -
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Re: When tea-dyeing lace for the antique look...
Tue, April 15, 2008 - 8:13 AMSorry, what kind of tea are you girls talking about?, which one do you use to dye your fabrics? -
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Re: When tea-dyeing lace for the antique look...
Tue, April 15, 2008 - 8:28 AMi'd assume regular black tea? -
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Re: When tea-dyeing lace for the antique look...
Tue, April 15, 2008 - 9:25 AMHonestly, I just use regular-old Lipton. Boil up about 6-8 bads depending on how much I'm dyeing.
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Re: When tea-dyeing lace for the antique look...
Wed, April 16, 2008 - 12:09 PMI use the cheapest plain tea I can find.
Coffee works well, too. I use the darkest roast and make it double or triple strong. Then dunk the fabric in. -
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Re: When tea-dyeing lace for the antique look...
Wed, April 16, 2008 - 12:13 PMOnion skins make a great old look as well.
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Re: When tea-dyeing lace for the antique look...
Tue, April 15, 2008 - 9:18 AMTea won't have too much effect on the black.
What I usually do when I am using tea as dye is make 4 or 5 cups of different teas, because they all come out slightly different colored. I like to know what my options are.
Black teas usually make the strongest dyes, and you can water it down to dilute it or you can add a little coffee to it to make it even darker.
You can also do it more than once if it isn't dark enough the first time. Better make it too light the first time than too dark! -
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Re: When tea-dyeing lace for the antique look...
Wed, April 16, 2008 - 12:32 PMTry a "patch" test on the white part (obviously somewhere inconspicuos). Some fabrics accept the tea stain more readily than others. A test spot will give you a better idea of any changes you need to make, strenght of the tea, how long you're leaving it on the fabric, etc.
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Re: When tea-dyeing lace for the antique look...
Thu, April 17, 2008 - 4:43 PMDefinitely so a test. Fiber content will affect how the tea dye takes to the fabric. I have a white cotton slip I tea dyed; the fabric is a light brown, the decorative stitching is still almost white because the thread used is polyester. Poly and poly blend fabrics will not take come dyes. -
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Re: When tea-dyeing lace for the antique look...
Thu, April 17, 2008 - 7:12 PM"some dyes"
Grrr, I should really spell check.
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Re: When tea-dyeing lace for the antique look...
Thu, April 24, 2008 - 11:52 AMWith polyester, I don't think in terms of dying fabric. I think in terms of ruined clothing. I ask myself "If I were wearing a brand new polyester top, and spilled something on it, what would come out easily in the wash, and what might leave a permanent stain?"
White zinfandel, for example, will wash right out. Mad Dog leaves a stain. Beet juice and coffee also leave tough to wash out stains (aka, "dye")
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Re: When tea-dyeing lace for the antique look...
Fri, April 18, 2008 - 1:31 PMI dyed fabrics for a wedding dress (silk) with Orange Pekoe Tea--result was a really beautiful peachy pink.. (the bride looked bad in white)
Different varieties of tea give different colors. Tea is a great dye--but after you get the color you like, if you wash it alot, it will wash off. It is not a chemically bonded dye, just a sitting on the surface mechanical dye.
Sounds like a fun project, post pictures.
