Pages

How to Dye Fabric with Coffee & Tea


There's a lot of buzz about fabric dying with coffee and tea on flosstube lately. I love flosstube; I've  learned some wonderful techniques and been introduced to some gorgeous patterns by the stitchers brave enough to post those videos. I even discovered Sampler & Antique Embroidery magazine on Nicole's Needlework and bought her copy on Stash Unload!

Yes, I've gone full in on the cross stitch.

A few weekends ago I had a free afternoon and the weather was terrible. I recently discovered Priscilla & Chelsea on flosstube and decided to follow their tutorial on dying with coffee and tea. (I've since come across Vonna's Baked and Basted tutorial - I think what I did is a combo of both.) I'd already purchased some cheap 14 point Aida from Walmart - not that I ever use fancy fabric, my eyes can barely do 18 count Aida, but since I had no idea how this experiment would work out, I thought I'd try it with little investment.

I saved some leftover coffee from the pots we brewed the day before (we drink a LOT of coffee in my house) and had some English Breakfast tea bags available. Here's my setup before dying in my very old kitchen:


I wet the cloth before I put it in the dye pot mainly because that's how you do when you dye yarn. I added 5 tea bags, about 3 cups of leftover coffee (with espresso which turned my fabric darker than expected so be forewarned if you, like me, love strong coffee), and 2 tablespoons of instant coffee. 

After 30 minutes, I took the fabric out and laid it on parchment on a cookie sheet all scrunched up. 


I put it in the oven for 30 minutes at 200F. I did check it a few times but didn't realize that the underside would get darker than the top.  After I took it out of the oven, I discovered I had some pooling of coffee that made some really dark spots that almost looked like burn marks.

So I dipped the fabric back in the bath (glad I saved it) which removed all the mottling and the spots although it did make the fabric darker. I then put the fabric back in the oven and left it in for 20 minutes.

Much better.


The fabric was slightly damp when it came out of the oven and very wrinkled. I decided to iron it before hanging it to completely dry. This didn't seem to affect the color, and I got the worst of the wrinkles out.

I'm using this fabric with Little House Needleworks First Corinthians and Classic Colorworks threads. This is my first experience with "fancy thread", and it looks great on this fabric! 



One bit of disappointment with that fancy floss: my Nutmeggie was NOT what is pictured on the pattern. The color is supposed to be a variegated plum, but this skein had a lot of peach in it. Here's what the Classic Colorworks thread looked like for me:


123Stitch was very nice about refunding my money for that color. Customer service even checked their other skeins and they were all like that. Nell from the Little Yellow House Crafts talked about this on her podcast recently, and now I'm hesitant to order any more fancy floss online. I have another LHN pattern that uses silks that I can only get online, so I'm not sure how I'm going to get that floss. If any readers have suggestions or have had a similar experience, please let me know in the comments!

In the picture above, I switched to DMC and now my door looks lovely.

I also completed this quick stitch from The Primitive Hare (it's free!) using DMC I had in stash on some 14 count Fiddler's Cloth Aida I dyed in the same way:


I've been working on the LHN design quite a bit this month, especially during the "Off the Grid Friday Party". If you aren't a part of that event, go over to Facebook and search for that group. Lots of great stitchers and flosstubers participate - f you join us, say high during the next Friday party!


28 comments:

  1. I used to rea and coffee my fabric a lot for quilt making. You really have been bitten by the cross stitch bug. Enjoy!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Interesting, I didn’t know you could do this and not get stains. Thank you for sharing at The Really Crafty Link Party. Pinned!

    ReplyDelete
  3. It was wondering if I could use this write-up on my other website, I will link it back to your website though.Great Thanks. How to Get Mold Out of Fabric Shower Curtains

    ReplyDelete
  4. Thanks for the tips guys. They were all great. I have been having issues with being fat both mentally and physically. Thanks to you guys i have been showing improvements. Do post more. Coffee Storage Container

    ReplyDelete
  5. Set aside effort to concentrate on the comprehensive view, before settling on any choice. There are six essential strategies for making espresso. Select which strategy you're going to utilize, at that point discover a machine that fits.
    247coffee

    ReplyDelete
  6. The website is looking bit flashy and it catches the visitors eyes. Design is pretty simple and a good user friendly interface. Hotel Amenities Supplier

    ReplyDelete
  7. Windbreak fabrics begin impeding breeze immediately, don't hold bugs, think about less support, and won't rival crops for water and supplements.woven polyethylene fabric

    ReplyDelete
  8. This is very interesting content! I have thoroughly enjoyed reading your points and have come to the conclusion that you are right about many of them. You are great. buying instagram likes uk

    ReplyDelete
  9. Took me time to understand all of the comments, but I seriously enjoyed the write-up. It proved being really helpful to me and Im positive to all of the commenters right here! Its constantly nice when you can not only be informed, but also entertained! I am certain you had enjoyable writing this write-up. nespresso store

    ReplyDelete
  10. Two full thumbs up for this magneficent article of yours. I've really enjoyed reading this article today and I think this might be one of the best article that I've read yet. Please, keep this work going on in the same quality. best flavored coffee

    ReplyDelete
  11. I heard about the 5 qualities that make a name awesome from this product naming agency? I heard a lot of people were able to come up with various creative names because of this. read more

    ReplyDelete
  12. You re in point of fact a just right webmaster. The website loading speed is amazing. It kind of feels that you're doing any distinctive trick. Moreover, The contents are masterpiece. you have done a fantastic activity on this subject! เว็บสล็อต

    ReplyDelete
  13. Your website is really cool and this is a great inspiring article. how many kratom capsules to sleep

    ReplyDelete
  14. It's really nice and meanful. it's really cool blog. Linking is very useful thing.you have really helped lots of people who visit blog and provide them usefull information. Bedwars Live Kind regards

    ReplyDelete
  15. Nice to be visiting your blog once more, it has been months for me. Well this article that ive been waited for therefore long. i want this article to finish my assignment within the faculty, and it has same topic together with your article. Thanks, nice share. Bedwars Livestreams

    ReplyDelete
  16. The worst part of it was that the software only worked intermittently and the data was not accurate. You obviously canot confront anyone about what you have discovered if the information is not right. 聊天

    ReplyDelete
  17. I have a mission that I’m just now working on, and I have been at the look out for such information 婚姻介紹

    ReplyDelete
  18. Truly, this article is really one of the very best in the history of articles. I am a antique ’Article’ collector and I sometimes read some new articles if I find them interesting. And I found this one pretty fascinating and it should go into my collection. Very good work!

    ReplyDelete
  19. Wow! Such an amazing and helpful post this is. I really really love it. It's so good and so awesome. I am just amazed. I hope that you continue to do your work like this in the future also. https://globalintelligentsia.com/

    ReplyDelete
  20. However, say you do consider this method, the coffee will not wash over your teeth and so will not have a chance to stain them. Best Uk Coffee online subscriptions in 2020

    ReplyDelete
  21. I'm just getting into cross stitch, and love a more muted fabric. Pity your post is marred by all these spam comments.

    ReplyDelete
  22. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  23. As I would see it you present a screw up. I support it to frame. Keep in touch with me in PM, we will talk.
    Dilli Aaj News Girl Services Near Me

    ReplyDelete
  24. That is totally at whatever point I first dependably visited your site page up until this point?
    delhi vip Girls

    ReplyDelete
  25. I think this is one of the most significant information for me. And i'm cheerful examining your article. Regardless, should remark on hardly any expansive things, The site style is amazing, the articles is genuinely incredible.yoga poses for digestion

    ReplyDelete
  26. Very elegantly composed. This blog has every one of the necessary parts that I was searching for. The focuses are all around featured, expressing the genuine importance. what is an nft

    ReplyDelete
  27. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  28. Using a good coffee maker to brew a strong coffee for dying is the best option. I don't find dissolving instant coffee with water to be as potent as a proper brew. A 1-cup coffee maker will make enough dye for hand towel sized fabric.

    ReplyDelete