Subject: How do you fade fabric? From: achillessun@mindspring.com (Wesley Gomes) Date: Thu, Jan 15, 1998 20:01 EST Message-id: <34beb11d.12830127@news.mindspring.com> I purchased this beautiful forest green fabric but I must fade it. I've washed the hell out of it in hot water but it doesn't seem do be doing anything. Anyone have any suggestions? Many Thanks, Achilles ---------- Subject: Re: How do you fade fabric? From: liran@mail.tdl.com (lea bob ) Date: Thu, Jan 15, 1998 23:06 EST Message-id: <34bedc41.7308431@news.tdl.com> achillessun@mindspring.com (Wesley Gomes) wrote: >I purchased this beautiful forest green fabric but I must fade it. >I've washed the hell out of it in hot water but it doesn't seem do be >doing anything. Anyone have any suggestions? > >Many Thanks, > > Achilles do you know the fiber content? (you can burn-test it if you don't - let me know if you need to know how). basically - anything with a high-faux (i.e. polyester) fiber will be hard to fade intentionally. cotton could be bleached, but be careful not to over-stress the fibers. how long do you have & how big is the piece of fabric? you *might* be able to sun-fade it... thinkingly yours, lea bob ----------- Subject: Re: How do you fade fabric? From: normtuba@aol.com (NORMTUBA) Date: Fri, Jan 16, 1998 04:50 EST Message-id: <19980116095001.EAA05866@ladder02.news.aol.com> Achilles said: >>I purchased this beautiful forest green fabric but I must fade it. >>I've washed the hell out of it in hot water but it doesn't seem do be >>doing anything. Anyone have any suggestions? You know, I find this funny--and don't take me wrong, I am not laughing at you, just at the irony. In the museum business, fading is one of the great conservation problems we have. We do whatever we can to avoid having our textiles fade and be damaged. Never thought I'd be responding to a request on how to fade something. The key is light; if you can't leave the fabric in the sun, leave it under bright flourescent light. Incandescent light will not fade the item particularlly quickly. Slow but sure. ------------ Subject: Re: How do you fade fabric? From: achillessun@mindspring.com (Wesley Gomes) Date: Fri, Jan 16, 1998 15:01 EST Message-id: <34bfbc5d.55677967@news.mindspring.com> normtuba@aol.com (NORMTUBA) wrote: >Achilles said: > >>>I purchased this beautiful forest green fabric but I must fade it. >>>I've washed the hell out of it in hot water but it doesn't seem do be >>>doing anything. Anyone have any suggestions? > >You know, I find this funny--and don't take me wrong, I am not laughing at you, >just at the irony. In the museum business, fading is one of the great >conservation problems we have. We do whatever we can to avoid having our >textiles fade and be damaged. Never thought I'd be responding to a request on >how to fade something. The key is light; if you can't leave the fabric in the >sun, leave it under bright flourescent light. Incandescent light will not fade >the item particularlly quickly. Slow but sure. LOL Agreed. I thought the same thing. I mean I would love to keep it the color it is, but alas my character is a peasant. If I could get away with it I would not fade it. And thoughts on that? Achilles ----------- Subject: Re: How do you fade fabric? From: normtuba@aol.com (NORMTUBA) Date: Fri, Jan 16, 1998 16:35 EST Message-id: <19980116213500.QAA12841@ladder02.news.aol.com> >normtuba@aol.com (NORMTUBA) wrote: > >>Achilles said: I purchased this beautiful forest green fabric but I must fade it. >>>>I've washed the hell out of it in hot water but it doesn't seem do be doing anything. Anyone have any suggestions? >> >>You know, I find this funny--and don't take me wrong, I am not laughing at>you,>>just at the irony. In the museum business, fading is one of the great>>conservation problems we have. We do whatever we can to avoid having our>>textiles fade and be damaged. Never thought I'd be responding to a request >on>>how to fade something. The key is light; if you can't leave the fabric in>the>>sun, leave it under bright flourescent light. Incandescent light will not>fade>>the item particularlly quickly. Slow but sure. Achilles said:> >LOL Agreed. I thought the same thing. I mean I would love to keep it>the color it is, but alas my character is a peasant. If I could get>away with it I would not fade it. And thoughts on that? > Well, it was new when the peasant got it, wasn't it? Start that way, and wear the thing doing yardwork or other physical labor. Heck, after a bunch of all day in the sun faires, it will start looking a bit seedy and worn--the coveralls I have worn under my chain mail and leather coat are certainly beginning to look a bit worn, although I will admit the color isn't fading too much. > ------------ Subject: Re: How do you fade fabric? From: lapisSPAMFREE@sirius.com (Eric tQ) Date: Fri, Jan 16, 1998 22:35 EST Message-id: <34c6265d.76716416@news.sirius.com> On 16 Jan 1998 21:35:23 GMT, normtuba@aol.com (NORMTUBA) put forth: >>normtuba@aol.com (NORMTUBA) wrote: >> >>>Achilles said: >Well, it was new when the peasant got it, wasn't it? Start that way, and >wear the thing doing yardwork or other physical labor. Heck, after a bunch of >all day in the sun faires, it will start looking a bit seedy and worn I agree. My pumpkin pants are starting to fade nicely after two years, and I just wear them for Faire. Even peasants had "new" clothes at some time (or at least freshly dyed clothes), so just let 'em fade naturally. lapisSPAMFREE@sirius.com ----------- Subject: Re: How do you fade fabric? From: rbrussel@ix.netcom.com (Gaffer Applewright) Date: Sun, Jan 18, 1998 14:57 EST Message-id: <34c25a90.5878842@nntp.netcruiser> Hi Norm On 16 Jan 1998 21:35:23 GMT, normtuba@aol.com (NORMTUBA) wrote: >>normtuba@aol.com (NORMTUBA) wrote: >> >>>Achilles said: >>>I purchased this beautiful forest green fabric but I must fade it. >Well, it was new when the peasant got it, wasn't it? Start that way, and >wear the thing doing yardwork or other physical labor. Well yes and no. We tend to confuse the museum appearance of the actual tools/clothing we see today with the way they looked originally. At time we are portraying 400+ years ago, the clothing, material, tools etc would have been NEW. OTOH, it is more than likely that some of a peasant's garb might be hand-me-down or used clothing acquired as a gift or in barter. I like to see the bright new colors. It adds sparkle, luster and gaiety to Fair, so unless it is blaring bright, and obviously modern, it is fine with me. I Love a parade. Gaffer Applewright 16C Scholar/Philosopher/Eccentric and member of St Cuthbert's Guild of Pageants and Parades AKA Roger Russell ------------ Subject: Re: How do you fade fabric? From: morghana@aol.com (Morghana) Date: Mon, Jan 19, 1998 05:04 EST Message-id: <19980119014401.UAA22671@ladder02.news.aol.com> In article <34bfbc5d.55677967@news.mindspring.com>, achillessun@mindspring.com (Wesley Gomes) writes: >I mean I would love to keep it the color it is, but alas my character is a >peasant. If I could get away with it I would not fade it. And thoughts on >that? Dirt. Lots and lots of dirt. Cheap, authentic as all get out...... Or barring that, perhaps overdying it with something to "drabben" down the color.....if you can't fade it..... ~Morghana ----------- Subject: Re: How do you fade fabric? From: "Jerry & Mary Gobet" Date: Sat, Jan 17, 1998 15:36 EST Message-id: <69s571$8a0$1@news1.teleport.com> Well this is not so strange a request to me. yes I do restoration work on vintage fabric and clothing. And when I want to whiten white garments I do not use bleach but hydrogen peroxide. Buy an economy bottle of it and start in bathtub or sink depending you the size of garment. Put in luke warm water and the whole bottle for the tub or 1/4 for the sink. now dip fabric in and let set for 15 minutes. lift out and survey results. To whiten gradually I keep dipping the garment till I see a difference. Peroxide is gentler than bleach and the results can be controled better. The suggestion of using sunlight after the peroxide treatment is also good. Mary ------------- Subject: Re: How do you fade fabric? From: actor1@airmail.net Date: Fri, Jan 16, 1998 23:13 EST Message-id: <3C7E0CA06E619166.0AC230B9C209FEBE.DA0DFB6440033B18@library-proxy.airnews.net> Wesley Gomes wrote: > > I purchased this beautiful forest green fabric but I must fade it. > I've washed the hell out of it in hot water but it doesn't seem do be > doing anything. Anyone have any suggestions? > > Many Thanks, > > Achilles OK, if after all the scholarly :) discussion, you still want to fade it, here's what you do. Find some Oxygen bleach (Snowy was a good brand, but I don't think they still make it. Try Clorox 2). Check the label, but if it is in powder form, it's usually an oxygen bleach. You don't want the liquid kind, it will EAT your fabric. If you want to fade the garment like it's actually been worn, make it first. Take the powder bleach & make a paste with water. Apply it to the areas you want to fade. You can use your hands, but I usually use gloves. The bleach will heat up some as it is activated by the water -- don't panic, this is normal. Put the garment out in the sun to dry -- then wash & it's done. Major caveat -- greens have some odd components -- you may not like the color it fades to. So try a swatch first no matter what!!! This works great on getting bad stains out of white materials. If the stain (or the degree of fading) is not to your liking, keep trying again. This will not hurt your fabric, or weaken the fibers. I used this on some antique hand-made french lace (for a wedding dress!) and it took the "age" spots right out. Yours in conservancy (the material kind, that is), KAT ------------ Subject: Re: How do you fade fabric? From: seamsdream@aol.com (SeamsDream) Date: Sat, Jan 17, 1998 09:02 EST Message-id: <19980117140201.JAA29844@ladder02.news.aol.com> I purchased this beautiful forest green fabric but I must fade it. I at times have to fade facrics for making costumes for folks. I put it outside on the clothes line, for at least a week and a half....through rain, snow, sun ect... This is the best time of year here in Massachusettes to "put fabric out to fade"... Be sure to turn it around a few times to fade it evenlly. Works for me! Kristina Seams Like A Dream Elegant Clothing for Court or Combat http://www.seamsdream.com