Posted on 10 Comments

A passion for fashion

Ok, so I was in the Tea aisle at Target a few days ago, and I saw a few varieties of Tazo that I hadn’t tried before. Since I was in Impulse Buy Mode (as I often am at Target), I put them into my cart. Last night, I decided to try the purple one: Passion. It’s an herbal tea, and it’s – get this – hot pink! Unfortunately, it’s also truly terrible. Oh, I’m sure someone loves it, but sadly, that someone is not me.

So, what is a crafty girl to do when faced with a cup of undrinkable magenta-colored liquid? Why, brew two more very strong cups and pour them over a white shirt stuffed in a bowl, of course! And after the shirt has soaked for an hour or so, why not rearrange the wrinkles a bit, and re-soak for a short while in some green tea? I was thinking I might end up with a mottled pastel pink & green effect, and before I washed the shirt, it was looking good.

Tea dyed

The final result? Dingy. With a capital D. Or, maybe I should get fancy in an “I meant to do that” kind of way and call it Antiqued. It’s not bad, per se, but it’s not a pretty pink & green. And up close, it just looks dirty.

Tea dyed

See it next to another identical-ish shirt? I made both of these from the same white sheet, so they started out exactly the same color. Luckily, this shirt never fit me right anyway (which is why I have two) and I only wear it to sleep in, so it doesn’t need to be the perfect color. I may experiment further, though.

Skirt for a friend

And this is a skirt. It’s for an 8-year-old Canadian friend, who I thought might like a little pick-me-up. She chose the fabric (Alexander Henry’s Tsukiyo), and I took way longer than a person trying to make another person happy really should have, to get around to making it. But it’s done now, and tomorrow I plan to put it in a Priority Mail envelope and send it speeding on its way.

Now, while the night is still young, I think I shall cease geeking-out and go reacquaint myself with my long-suffering husband.  Wonder if he remembers me?

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Posted on 10 Comments

10 thoughts on “A passion for fashion

  1. I wonder if laying the tea bags hot and dripping wet on the shirt would stain it a bit more intense.

    See what Kathi has been blogging about: Commission windows update

  2. is blogging: A passion for fashion http://lisaclarke.net/?p=633

  3. I am soooooo loving how you repurpose stuff…there are no mistakes…only opportunities for creativity….TFS your ideas! creative blessings, Debbie

    See what Debbie/StudioBeeCreations has been blogging about: THREE for THREE

  4. Did you use salt when you washed it? I have done some tea dyeing and it worked great, so you might want to try again, might as well as the shirt is already dingy;)

    See what zoe has been blogging about: What an Honor

  5. Oh yuck, I tried that Passion tea myself. Luckily I didn’t have to pay for it as someone left it in the tea drawer at work. I suppose that’s why they left it, its so nasty that its better to give it away.

    See what Melissa has been blogging about: I’ve Been Featured By AlexLadyDesigns!

  6. I’d have been disappointed with the tea-dying results too. I would have expected to see some colour change… I’m wondering if vinegar may help, too?
    Actually, it would. A quick Google search turned up: “To make the tea solution, boil a gallon of water with four tea bags in it for 15 minutes. Strain the solution and return it to simmer. Wet the lace in plain water, then put it into simmering tea. When the lace has simmered for 15 minutes, take it out and put it in a setting solution of 1/2 cup white vinegar in one gallon of water. Let it set for 15 minutes, then rinse it thoroughly and press.”

    Maybe a second attempt may yield better results?

    That skirt fabric is awesome! =)

    See what Laura has been blogging about: Vibrant necklace – karmabeads

  7. @ Laura:

    Thanks for that! I still have 17 tea bags left. Sounds like an experiment is in order. Right after I finish wearing the shirt to bed tonight 😀

  8. You’re welcome! Hope it gives you better results and I can’t wait to see what you get this time around. =)

    See what Laura has been blogging about: Vibrant necklace – karmabeads

  9. […] A passion for fashion […]

  10. Tried a very similar thing but with coffee, worked really well but the color was too dark

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