[incunabula]

Hello Everyone,

First, thanks to all those responsible for developing and maintaining this forum.

I would appreciate anyone's ideas on the proper way to stain a 100% cotton tee. My experience and equipment is very limited, but I am looking forward to learning and getting what is required.


Here is an example of the kind of staining I am currently interested in:


Thanks for your time
I

 

[Jasonda]

Are you talking about the design on the tee or the color of the tee itself? The design looks like it has been screen printed.

 

[incunabula]

I am interested how the staining was accomplished, not the screen print. You can see it better if you enlarge the pic in my link.

Thanks for the reply!

 

[Jasonda]

If you want to do just a few shirts, you can stain them at home with tea.

For larger productions, I don't know.. Hopefully someone else has a better answer.

 

[incunabula]

I appreciate the help Jasonda. I'll check the forum and see if there are some specifics on how to use tea in this manner.

If anyone has additional staining ideas, please continue posting.

 

[Jasonda]

I don't think that you will find anything about it here, but you can google "tea staining" and come up with a bunch of stuff.

Good luck!

 

[confetti]

i am not sure tea would be very permanent unless you heat pressed it after it was done but even then it may come out. You could use a cold water dye and dye bits of it with a sponge. you would probably have to dilute the dye a bit more than usual or wash it out sooner than the recommended time.

 

[incunabula]

Would a normal dryer work on a high setting? I will be trying that after the t-shirt air dries. We'll see if it sets.

When using a sponge or brush to apply dye, what do you rest the shirt on so the dye does not seep through to the fabric's other side?

Any suggested techniques for applying dye so it mimics a stain similar to the one in my original link? In the mean time I'll be doing trial and error.

Thanks Confetti!!

 

[Uglysign]

I could tell you this stuff will stain well and permanent.
Watery consistancy, so a flick of a brush makes a neat spatter look. Jacobean is a dark one​

 

[monkeylantern]

You might not want to hear this, but it works, and is how dye fixing was done for 6,000 years:

1) Use the tea method, as above.

2) Soak in urine for 1 hour.

3) Wash *very* well.

(don't mention the urine on your website)

 

[incunabula]

Informative responses.

Should I drink anything special before hand?
Looks like I'll be at the public laundry.

Watery Minwax sounds like it may be just what I am after. Application tips so I can get a more of a large splotchy effect? Any specific kind of sponge or something?

Thanks Everyone

 

[Uglysign]

You might not want to hear this, but it works, and is how dye fixing was done for 6,000 years:

1) Use the tea method, as above.

2) Soak in urine for 1 hour.

3) Wash *very* well.

(don't mention the urine on your website)

Someone is wearing MonkeyUrine stained shirts out there?

 

[Solmu]

2) Soak in urine for 1 hour.

3) Wash *very* well.

(don't mention the urine on your website)

Thank the chemists for synthesised urea

(still smells terrible though)

 

[tstaires]

If you search the web you can buy blanks that look like this. It's either Alternative Apparel or American Apparel that makes a burnt tee that looks similar.

 

[incunabula]

The burnout shirt by Alt. Apparel is great. However, isn't that more distressed than stained?

 

[Jasonda]

http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/dc_fabrics_tips_hints/article/0,,HGTV_3393_1395178,00.html

No urine required!

 

[T-BOT]

you can also burn off the shirt color dye with heat. The Greige cotton color will come thru.... it will look like a stain also.

You can buy these types of shirts as seconds at places that dye garments after they are made.

 

[incunabula]

So it is between piss and vinegar. I'll have to think about that. Thanks Jasonda

T-Bot, what kind of heat is this done with? Sounds pretty close to what I am after. Much appreciated!

 

[T-BOT]

well, harder to burn off the color dye from t-shirts made by "aa" or Gildan etc... thats because they are made for the most part to print on, w/heat press etc.

Your best bet is to use shirts that were dyed after they were made. These are usually dyed along with matching socks etc and are not made for the Blank Imprint Industry.... Just use a hot iron or whatever is hot and burn the dye so that the Greige cotton color comes thru. This is where you need to get experimental.

 

[PrintMonkey]

You always use cow manure to stain.
http://www.cowchipshirts.com/

Mark