*** The official and awesome DIY thread ***

[OccultaVexillum]

How hard is it to dye white denim to a more off-white/beige colour? Some initial research seem like coffee is actually the best way to achieve the colour I'm looking for but that seems like a hard thing to get right (how much coffee? how much water? how long of a soak etc). Has anybody done it?

 

[a tailor]

Actually the denim you should use would be marked "PFD". That indicates "prepared for dying".
I have seen it in yardage, but not in finished jeans.
Some of the DIYers here might have suggestions as to preparing the jean for dyeing.
one thing for sure is, do not try dying if it has not been washed at least two times.

 

[OccultaVexillum]

Well this would be a pair of finished jeans that are just too optic white, whereas I want more of an ecru colour. So the dye wouldn't hold? Maybe that's why the suggestions I found were for coffee as it would be more a "stain" than dye.

 

[double00]

lots of natural dyes could work. i guess it depends on what flavor of beige you'd like to achieve.

i've dyed my share of wool and my understanding is that cellulosic fibers (like cotton!) tend to take up natural dyes less vigorously. so you could shop around on a couple of websites and see what is available.

http://www.dharmatrading.com/dyes/natural-dyes-from-plants-and-insects.html

or yes coffee. or tea.

natural dyeing is often unpredictable - pH is important, temperature, time, whatever you already have on your jeans, mordants, etc etc. if you go that route i'd encourage an open mind, it will be more of an adventure and less heartache. good luck!

EDIT: also, some dyes are more or less colorfast than others and it also depends on your base (wool vs cotton, etc) so a little research goes a long way here as well.

 

[ghdvfddzgzdzg]



Well this would be a pair of finished jeans that are just too optic white, whereas I want more of an ecru colour. So the dye wouldn't hold? Maybe that's why the suggestions I found were for coffee as it would be more a "stain" than dye.

just thinking out loud, having dyed some jeans and shirts before, though not with coffee, I would throw 12 oz of coffee into a bucket, add enough hot water so that you can submerge the jeans, put the jeans in and leave them there for a workday's worth of time. come home, remove the jeans, and wash them in the washer. if they're too brown at that point, wash them w/ a little bleach; if they're too light, repeat the coffee dye process. i think the dye will hold enough.

if none of that works, go after some real dye, like jaquard idye, though you may not want to give the jeans the full dying time since the idye ecru color seems pretty strong.

 

[OccultaVexillum]

Thanks for the tips guys.

 

[otc]

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/how-to-dye-textiles-with-coffee-tea-108438

Judging from that, I'd probably take it easy the first time. You can always repeat the process, but it is hard to undo it.

Half a cup of coffee in a pot got that towel reasonably dark (I like the color, but you might want it to still look more white).

and use enough premixed liquid that you can stir the jeans around to ensure even coloring. Best to dye them immediately after a fresh wash too, since they can pick up things that block the dye (and wash your hands before handling the clean fabric).

 

[ghdvfddzgzdzg]

Well I guess I'll be staining old tees in coffee sometime. Thanks for the link @otc

 

[thatoneguy]

I stain most of my whites in instant coffee. It's easy so start with little and get darker if you want

 

[colabear]

Hi guys! I've been doodling around an idea for a short sleeve popover shirt with a decorative placket in a shape of a phallus, sort of like a man's version of a décolleté. The length of the phallus placket can be customized depending on your liking or needs. I'm also thinking of doing a contrasting fabric for the shirt body ( yellow oxford cloth) and the phallus placket ( pink poplin). Pardon my drawing since I haven't sketch for ages.

 

[Naka]

That's cute cola, I think the proportions would be a little better in a longsleeve tho!

 

[colabear]

Colaver sleeveless flannel shirt w/ asymmetrical tied sleeve detail

 

[dizzy]

These black Svenssons were all scuffed up so I decided to paint them white. Used around 7 coats of Angelus leather paint and their satin finisher. Put in new laces and new insoles. I think they turned out well, but after a week they're already dirty and scuffed. Such is life with white shoes.

 

[Parker]

Can anyone recommend a brand of fabric spray paint for denim? Washable, non-toxic, etc.

I am thinking of giving my Levis trucker jacket the Helmut Lang stripe treatment.

 

[kindofyoung]

Got a wool coat for cheap off eBay, but the cut was really dated with wide shoulders and short sleeves.
Since it was so cheap though, I figured it was worth a shot to cut the sleeves off, solving both issues.

Pretty happy with how it turned out