[Hoopin' Mama]

Hi,
I have never dyed anything before, and I don't know how this would work. I have tannish-brown tab curtains from my old house that I would like to use here. I would like them to be this color. They are long enough for a sliding glass door, so it's a good amount of fabric.
If anyone has any tips or suggestions, I would greatly appreciate it. I have no idea what dye is good or anything. I played around tye-dying in high school once with RIT, but otherwise totally inexperienced.
Thanks Mamas!

 

[ma2maya]

Two things come to mind first....
1) what material are the curtains made from. This really dictates what dye you would use. If they are of a natural fiber, fiber reactive dyes(aka procion dyes). If they are synthetic, then union dyes(i.e. RIT) or disperse dyes would be the ones. RIT can give disappointing results(bleeding etc), disperse dyes are a pretty involved process, that require some safety precautions.

You could use watered down pigment paints, though you would have to do a direct application(i.e. squirt bottle), but realize that the color would mainly show on the topside.

2) It will be difficult if not impossible to go from tannish brown to a lighter blue, unless you bleached them and then it still would be iffy.

You could do some "jazzing up" of the curtains if the basic color will still do. Stamping and other embellishments are an idea.

In the long run, if you need that blue color it might be easier and cheaper time wise to buy new curtains.

Kathy

 

[Hoopin' Mama]

Thank you for the advice Kathy. We decided to purchase new curtains. But I am still interested in dying, so your advice is helpful.