More Playing with Dyeing

I have tried a new technique that I read about. We all know about tea dying well this is tea very strong tea and coffee dyeing. Its called baking and basting fabric. I found the article on The Twisted Stitcher last night when I was looking for the Altoid Tin finishing idea. Actually I was hoping to find the amount of fabric needed but I got help from the cross stitch forums that I am on. Except everyone uses different methods and of course made it even more confusing. So I chose the easiest option or what I thought was the easiest option so we will see if it fits.

So today I used a large cut of MCG textiles 28 ct white and brewed very strong coffee and since I didn't have regular tea I brewed a small cup of green tea very very strong green tea. I should have waited until I had regular tea I think but I really like the way it turned out. You wad up the material throw it in a pot large enough for the material to be immersed in the coffee and tea solutions. You pour both the coffee and tea right on the waded up fabric too. Let it steep until it reaches a color that you like. After that you cover a cookie sheet large enough to hold the waded up fabric and bake it in a 225 oven for 15 minutes. I had to turn my oven temp down as the fabric was kinda steaming when I took it out after the first 15 minutes.

You then sprinkle the fabric with more coffee tea solution and place it back in the oven for 15 minutes again. You can also "baste" the fabric while its "baking" in the oven. Mine came out very pretty and where the wrinkes were I sprinkled more coffee solution on it and after it baked I had very dark ridges in the fabric from where the wads were.

You then iron the fabric to "set" the solution and then let it hang up to dry. I put mine in front of the fire place again draped over a chair. to allow it to finish drying. And, without further ado here is what I got.