with very pleasant results. I think it is best to do small batches; like I did one sweater in one 5 quart container.
(the onesieI link to was done in half as much water and used half the tea)
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Materials for Tea staining
white sweater
8 family size black tea bags( cheap ones)
5 quart pot
H2O
Tea Staining Process
1. prep garment or fabric . Clean your garment and remove any buttons if need be.
2.Make your Tea bath. Bring H2O to a boil. Steep tea for at least 30 min up to 1 hour. A longer steep gives you a darker stain. remove tea bags.
3. Stain your fabric.Put fabric in pot using tongs agitate fabric making sure it is soaking evenly. I soaked mine for 2-3 hours checking on it every so often and moving it about with the tongs. If you are having trouble keeping your garment submerged use a pot top that is smaller than your pot to weight it down.
4. Wash your fabric. I put mine in the wash alone without soap but on a warm cycle.
....and then I kept having fun
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lace for collar
trim for front
needle
thread
eye hook closure
~Tea staining to me is whimsical in itself so when embellishing this sweater I decide to go for a romantic vintage look. I had this beautiful lace collar I took off an incredible dress that was gifted to me as scrap.
9 comments:
Your sweater is beautiful! I linked to your tutorial on Craft Gossip Sewing:
http://sewing.craftgossip.com/tutorial-tea-staining-to-add-vintage-charm-to-a-garment/2010/09/06/
--Anne
Cute! Thanks for sharing - I love how your sweater came out! I just had my first experiment in tea dye this past weekend, and I'm really happy with the result! I'll be posting it on my blog this Wednesday at www.connectthedotscrafts.com if you want to see!
Just wondering.. since it's stained with tea, won't the color come off eventually? Or will it stick? :)
since the sweater is cotton it will stay. you may get a little fade after numerous washings. I would wash in cold after the initial wash and air dry to keep from fading.
this is great!!! i'd love to try it but i am really scared of the uneven stains...
Oh, I love, love, love this. And I LOVE your blog. So glad I found it. You are wonderful!
Ooh, I love the collar that you made - so delightfully feminine!
I LOVE your sweater! SO pretty! I'm thinking about tea staining my wedding dress. I got it for free from a friend, and I have a year before my wedding. It needs to be altered, and I also wanted to embellish it with some antique lace I found. Here's hoping I have some luck! :)
www.brinaland.blogspot.com
Awesome result! :)
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