How to age cloth to finish antique quilt
05-10-2021, 06:11 AM
#11
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Join Date: Aug 2018
Location: Greater Peoria, IL -- just moved!
Posts: 6,101
Oh how lovely! That might have started off as slightly off-white or might have been a less processed muslin. I think if you are not planning on washing the top ever, I'd dye first. Otherwise, I'd trust that some of that is going to go away.
Sometimes we see more of the color when they are stacked together, it might be a bit smoother one layer next to one layer. Then the decision is whether to keep the new ones together (which is what I would usually do) or scatter them among the others.
Beware! Playing with fabric and dyes and treatments can be a full time hobby in itself
I usually start with my basic white fabric and prewash it, I do advise using something like Soda Ash to prep the fabric -- you do want to at least prewash to remove any products used during manufacturing. No fabric softener, you want to strip everything down to the base cotton. It's usually best to start the dying while the fabric is still wet but you can just dampen when ready to use too.
I do most of my stuff in the microwave, a heat set is one of the best ways to get the dye to stick. A big pyrex bowl and plastic wrap are already in my kitchen. When you are testing colorfastness or trying to release dye, a few drops of original blue Dawn detergent are wonderful. You do this at the sink though, not at the washing machine.
The craft section at Walmart is full of amazing stuff that I used to have a hard time finding and had to buy in bulk, like this handy little bit of soda ash, not so much the box of Rit stuff in the fabric section but the next row with the crafts:
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Tulip-Sod...e-Dye/31953086
Sure, bulk is cheaper but you only need a tiny bit anyway and Walmart is handy and open all sorts of hours...
Sometimes we see more of the color when they are stacked together, it might be a bit smoother one layer next to one layer. Then the decision is whether to keep the new ones together (which is what I would usually do) or scatter them among the others.
Beware! Playing with fabric and dyes and treatments can be a full time hobby in itself
I usually start with my basic white fabric and prewash it, I do advise using something like Soda Ash to prep the fabric -- you do want to at least prewash to remove any products used during manufacturing. No fabric softener, you want to strip everything down to the base cotton. It's usually best to start the dying while the fabric is still wet but you can just dampen when ready to use too.
I do most of my stuff in the microwave, a heat set is one of the best ways to get the dye to stick. A big pyrex bowl and plastic wrap are already in my kitchen. When you are testing colorfastness or trying to release dye, a few drops of original blue Dawn detergent are wonderful. You do this at the sink though, not at the washing machine.
The craft section at Walmart is full of amazing stuff that I used to have a hard time finding and had to buy in bulk, like this handy little bit of soda ash, not so much the box of Rit stuff in the fabric section but the next row with the crafts:
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Tulip-Sod...e-Dye/31953086
Sure, bulk is cheaper but you only need a tiny bit anyway and Walmart is handy and open all sorts of hours...
