I found this single panel of quite intricate, machine-made, cotton lace in a box of old sheer curtains in a house clearance store. This one caught my eye as a good target for dyeing because it had a beautiful pattern, but it was very grubby and had several stain marks.
You will need a container such as a basin, old pail (bucket), or bath tub that can hold enough water to cover the piece of fabric you are dyeing. The fabric also needs space to move around in the water. If the container is too small, there is a risk that the dyeing will be patchy and uneven.
This is such a simple technique, but take care when choosing the color for the dye and also consider the fabric and original color of the piece you’re using. For example, I found that this piece of cotton dyed very easily. However, although I’ve found most synthetic sheer fabrics also dye well, some may have a finish that stops them absorbing color completely. To be sure, test a small piece of the fabric first before embarking on dyeing the whole piece.
This fabric was already a muted, toned-down, “dirty” white. If I’d wanted to dye it a bright color, I wouldn’t have been successful. To achieve this, I would have needed a really white fabric to start with. Also, if I had chosen a brightly colored fabric at the outset, the end result would have been muted—this might have looked good, but could just have easily looked a little dirty. For this reason, I chose a dark, muted paint color—in this case, Graphite—which created a dark charcoal color that obliterated the stains and gave the fabric a wonderful silhouette against the light of the window.
YOU WILL NEED
• Chalk Paint® in Graphite
• Old pail (bucket) or bath tub
• Water
• Tablespoon
• Mixing stick
• Old lace sheer curtain (net curtain)
• Iron and ironing board (optional)
1Fill the pail (bucket) or bath tub with enough water to cover the fabric well, and then add a spoonful of the Graphite paint. I added a tablespoon of paint, but paint colors are not all the same strength, and you should consider the weight of your fabric, too, so I suggest using a smaller amount of paint to begin with, then adding more as needed to achieve the desired strength. Use the mixing stick to mix in the paint, making sure that it is completely dissolved. I like to use my hands to do this, so that I can search for any clumps of paint.
2Dunk a little of the sheer curtain into the dye to test the strength of the color. If you’re happy with the color, immerse the curtain fully and soak it for a few minutes, making sure that all the fabric is covered with the dye. Again, I like to use my hands to work the dye through the fabric to ensure the whole piece is covered.
3Remove the curtain from the dye and allow it to drip dry. Heat the curtain to seal in the color, either by putting it in a tumble dryer, ironing it, or hanging it in hot sun.
TIP
If the color is too strong or too weak, you can either re-dye the piece or wash it in a washing machine to take out some of the color.
Note: For instructions on making up the sheer curtain, visit www.anniesloan.com/techniques.
