tea dying lace?
kell...@nd.edu
rust, smoke stains, or are just discolored. I've tried cleaning them,
but this hasn't helped all that much. Is it possible to tea stain them?
I've never done this before and am wary due to the sentimental value
of these pieces. Does anybody have any directions or recommendations?
Any help would be appreciated.
Bohannon
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Doris Rhodes
I can't really give you any further advice on trying to clean the lace other
than maybe checking with a professional who does restoration work (like at a
museum) but I do know that I have been told by more than one source never to
tea dye any fabric as the tanic acid in it will evidentually destroy the
fabric. Please be very careful, you don't want to destroy something so
precious. Dori
kell...@nd.edu wrote in message <7300be$9cm$1...@nnrp1.dejanews.com>...
KTortue
>I have several pieces of lace my grandmother made that have
>rust, smoke stains, or are just discolored. I've tried cleaning them,
>but this hasn't helped all that much. Is it possible to tea stain them?
>I've never done this before and am wary due to the sentimental value
>of these pieces. Does anybody have any directions or recommendations?
>Any help would be appreciated.
>Bohannon
What about sunbleaching? (I'm assuming the pieces are white?) Lay the pieces
outdoors in direct sunlight (in an area protected from kids, pets, etc)
Does anyone remember how long it takes?
Kathy K
Pamela Kellogg
They contain acids that will eventually eat away at the fibers. Over time,
your grandmothers lace will deteriorate. Instead, I recommend using a
product by RIT called "Tea Dye". It's available both from Walmart and
Michael's and will give you the same effect without destroying your
treasure.
Good luck
Pam
Pam Kellogg
Kitty & Me Designs
http://user.mc.net/~kmccraft/
kell...@nd.edu wrote:
> I have several pieces of lace my grandmother made that have
> rust, smoke stains, or are just discolored. I've tried cleaning them,
> but this hasn't helped all that much. Is it possible to tea stain them?
> I've never done this before and am wary due to the sentimental value
> of these pieces. Does anybody have any directions or recommendations?
> Any help would be appreciated.
> Bohannon
>
hgrei...@fastransit.net.uk
>Bohannon wrote:
>>I have several pieces of lace my grandmother made that have
>>rust, smoke stains, or are just discolored. I've tried cleaning them,
>>but this hasn't helped all that much. Is it possible to tea stain them?
>>I've never done this before and am wary due to the sentimental value
>>of these pieces. Does anybody have any directions or recommendations?
>>Any help would be appreciated.
>>Bohannon
>
>What about sunbleaching? (I'm assuming the pieces are white?) Lay the pieces
>outdoors in direct sunlight (in an area protected from kids, pets, etc)
>
>Does anyone remember how long it takes?
>Kathy K
I have heard to rinse in lemon juice before setting the piece in the
sunlight. Helps to bleach it, I guess. I've never tried it,
though.
Anne/NC
To E-mail back delete the ".uk" at the end
Jmgreenfld
>>I have several pieces of lace my grandmother made that have
>>rust, smoke stains, or are just discolored. I've tried cleaning them,
>>but this hasn't helped all that much
I have several pieces of handmade antique lace, linens, etc. Many of them came
to me quite stained. I washed them either by hand or in the gentle cycle of
the machine, depending on what condition they were in, and used "Dreft" baby
detergent. Don't be afraid to let things soak. Then I layed them on a clean
sheet in the bright sun. I have had really good luck with this process; the
Dreft removes a lot of stains, and the sun does a great job of bleaching,
although the "winter" sun we have now may not be as effective as a bright sunny
day in June.
HTH,
-JoyceG in WA
Aramanth Dawe
>Bohannon wrote:
>>I have several pieces of lace my grandmother made that have
>>rust, smoke stains, or are just discolored. I've tried cleaning them,
>>but this hasn't helped all that much. Is it possible to tea stain them?
>>I've never done this before and am wary due to the sentimental value
>>of these pieces. Does anybody have any directions or recommendations?
>>Any help would be appreciated.
>>Bohannon
>What about sunbleaching? (I'm assuming the pieces are white?) Lay the pieces
>outdoors in direct sunlight (in an area protected from kids, pets, etc)
>Does anyone remember how long it takes?
>Kathy K
This time last year I made an experiment with sunbleaching - I took a
piece of unbleached cotton fabric (we call it calico, similar to US
muslin), washed it, cut it in half and dried one in the shade and
stored it out of direct sunlight while I hung the other on my washing
line. In 2 days, there was some difference but only visible in
sunlight. In a week, the difference could be seen by artificial
light. It took about 2 weeks to get the outdoor sample to a bright
white.
I didn't add any lemon juice, leave it on or over clover or any other
plant life or dampen it (other than the sparse dew we get this time of
year), all of which I had been told were 'essential' to have
successful sunbleaching happening.
So yes, sunbleaching *can* be good, if you give it time enough. I
have no idea how it long it would take away from the harsh sun we have
in the Australian summertime, though.
Aramanth
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Stephanie Peters
>I have several pieces of lace my grandmother made that have
>rust, smoke stains, or are just discolored. I've tried cleaning them,
>but this hasn't helped all that much. Is it possible to tea stain them?
>I've never done this before and am wary due to the sentimental value
>of these pieces. Does anybody have any directions or recommendations?
>Any help would be appreciated.
Lace which your grandmother MADE is truly a family heirloom, and will be
of interest to future generations. Have you ever tried lace making? It
is a very slow (but fun and satisfying) textile art, takes much longer
to do than stitching. These pieces probably represent years of your
grandmother's life. If I were in your position, conserving the pieces
long term would be my concern. That means not doing anything which
could weaken the pieces, such as applying acids like tea or lemon juice,
and not doing anything to them which irreversibly changes their state,
like dyeing them. Have you thought about trying to identify the styles
of lace in them?
Steph Peters, Manchester, England
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