Tea Dying Shirt - Help Please.

Jays

Hi There

I've got to dye a white shirt for my son's GCSE drama production, he is playing a convict being deported to Australia.

We have soaked the shirt in a strong solution of tea, then tried to fix it in a cold water/salt solution.

Problem is, it is not a dirty enough colour.

Any help out there, does anyone have any experience of this, or tie-dying etc.

Thanks in advance for any help :T

Jays

Jays

Arrgh Guys,

Does no-one know anything about dying clothes out there?

I cannot get this shirt dark enough, we are trying a 'neater' solution that last time just now.

Jays.

oldMcDonald

This page is about using coffee, tea and onion skins etc to dye cloth. It is aimed at making dolls (!!), but if you scroll down a little all the dyeing info is there.


http://www.clothdollcreations.co.uk/Doll%20making/techniques.htm

Hope this may be of some help.

£Ronnie

Gravy browning??

If all else fails get him to put in on all roll about in the mud for a while before going on stage;)

Jay-Jay_4

If you want it 'dirty', could you rub some soil into it?

culpepper

Try adding vinegar to the tea.It is acid so will help the 'dye' to take. We used to dye clear film at work and always added white vinegar but brown is cheaper.

Jays

Thanks for all your help, and suggestions

We've done it the way oldMcDonald's link suggested, with very strong tea. It's the right colour and is now drip drying in the garage (it's not going anywhere near my other washing or tumble dryer!!).

I didn't think about the vinegar culpepper, and the shirt was out by the time I read your post, but if it need doing again I'll give that a try.

I did think about him rolling about in the mud, but he is a convict on a long voyage from England to Australia, I don't think there was much mud around on the ship - it's really supposed to look like general, lived-in-for-months-on-end look :rotfl:

Many, many thanks
Jays