CAROL'S TEA DYE TUTORIAL

 Guest Designer and Sponsor
 Carol shares with us how she dyes with tea.

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If you have a few tea bags in the cupboard and access to boiling water, and something to hold it in, then you have all the equipment you will need to tea dye lace for a vintage look

Here is what you will need to do.

Collect your lace........ you can use doily's or lace—but the most important thing to know is that they are cotton. Not many polyester or rayon laces will dye very well. If you are in doubt about the fibre then dye a small piece first to see if it dyes well. I always think it is better to dye a small piece than a larger one if it isn’t what you want.

I love to dye all sorts of lace—edging, crotched doilies, broidery anglaise and cluny laces. White will turn to creamy latte colours and ecru lace will turn to coffee colours.

Hint Look for broidery anglaise lace with a edge thread which is shiny (and therefore polyester not cotton) this will give a lovely effect in that the thread will not dye with tea as readily and will retain a lighter edge.

Take 3 tea bags and tie the strings together (makes it easier to remove later) and place in a heatproof bowl.

Place in 500 ml of boiling water. Let steep for 3 minutes swirling the tea bags to release the colour.

Place the lace items in the tea (I keep the tea bags in the tea) a fork helps to keep things moving around and under the dye.

Might as well make yourself a cuppa too.

Leave the lace in the tea until the tea has cooled—with the tea bags in the water. I like the depth of colour.

When cool tip off the tea and squeeze out the lace off excess water.

Dry on a tea towel flat—inside and out of sunlight. They will be wonderful colours and often diffferent lace dyes uniquely.

My confession is that I line the pieces on top of a oil filled heater (on a single layer of tea towel) set to medium and let them dry with the heat.

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Big Thanks to Carol!!!

Don't forget to check out the Sewing box challenge and Carols etsy store Tattered Inspirations.