How to make fabric paler?

[Juliet W.]

I have a fabric, yellow with a meandering caramel trail on it. It is too bright for my project and I wondered if I can make it paler with bleach. A cup of water and 1 tbspn of bleach wiped out the printed design on it but took the yellow down a few shades nicely. Now, I could play around with formulae (made up by me!) all morning but then there would be no lunch and I might get nowhere. So, I wonder if this is possible and if anyone out there knows how to make fabric a little paler? I live in Caracas, I don't want to buy more fabric and this one is usable as is just not right for my taste! My goodness, I just realised I came to the Quilt Show Forum before Googling - how cool does that make the Quilt Show ? Any advice kindly received, thanks.

[Rita C.]

Juliet I don't know much about bleach - except that it stains my t-shirt and jeans if I am not careful :roll: - but I am wondering if you could use the reverse of the fabric? Also, I wonder if you put some bleach in with the washing powder then maybe you would get an even bleaching on the fabric - but I don't know because I never tried that.

[Susan B.]

I'm wondering about lemon juice and sunlight.

There is also a fairly new product available called DeColourant..."a color remover for fabrics and papers".


http://www.Harbor-Sales.com

Some of the kinds replace color. Mine just removes it, but I haven't tried it yet...supposed to be good with stencils.

[Juliet W.]

Thank you Rita. I know about using the reverse of fabric and completely forget about it when looking at my own fabric. The washing machine thing sounds good and I may try it on a small piece, don't want to run out of fabric experimenting. DeColourant sounds lovely but where I am many basic products are sometimes not available, like bleach, so a new product like that will never get down here but how interesting to know about it. Probably I will go with the reverse if I really can't stand the bright, I suspect that it will quiet down when part of the whole quilt top and not just shouting at me from one block on my design wall. Just decided to show a picture, this is Block A and there are 5 blocks using the same fabric but different positions. It comes from a book called Take 5. Also in the other 4 blocks there is much more white, this is the only one with just a little bit in the centre.The reverse is lovely but not quite right with the daffodils, I must remember to look at the reverse of more of my fabrics!

[Juliet W.]

If it is the brightness of the yellow that you do not like you could give it a light tea bath. Make some tea and quickly dip fabric into and take out (the longer it stays in the tea, the darker it will be). I have done this when the fabric wasn't quite right for what I was doing.

[Juliet W.]

Oh, I never thought of that for de-brighting something but for de-whiting! Thank you Ritzy, I'll definitely try that on a small piece.

[Rita C.]

Thanks Ritzy I never would have thought of that either! Good to know for future reference. Juliet, I like the block and the colours as they are. It's lovely and bright and cheerful. Maybe once you have made a few more it won't seem so bright and overpowering. Anyway, good luck with whatever you decide. And as you know we are always happy to see photos of the results.

[Juliet W.]

Thanks Rita, what I haven't confessed is that my DH and a friend both like the bright version so I think after all this good help I had better leave it alone, get on with it and see what happens!

[Juliet W.]

Yes, if others like it -- sometimes we just have to give up and decide to like it ourselves.

[Lotti D.]

Bleach weakens the fabric, especially natural fibers such as cotton.
My DB & DSIL received a quilt for their wedding where a couple of the fabrics had been bleached to make it an all pastel quilt. After only a few of years all the bleached triangles started to tear at the seams. My mom and I ended up buying brighter colors to replace all those pieces, mom sewed them in by hand, practically appliqueing each piece on top of the damaged bits, sewing them to the 'healthy' fabrics.

The quilt now has much more punch and the design can actually be seen, with the bleached fabric it was all the same value.
After numerous washings during the last fifteen years or so since the repair, it's held up well. I slept under that quilt when I visited this spring and was amazed that there is practically no damage to either the old or new fabrics. The problem clearly was the bleach.

When I was in my teens a friend had purchased new jeans and wanted a distressed look. She put them in a basin of water with a cup or so of bleach added, leaving them to soak all day.... Parts of the jeans actually dissolved in the next couple of washings!
No more bleach being used for laundry in this household!

I really like the option of using the reverse side of the fabric, or giving them that tea bath, or generally overdying can be a lot of fun.

[Juliet W.]

Quite right Lotti! What was I thinking? Bleach is a :twisted: chemical and should not go anywhere near our lovely 100% cottons, let alone be allowed to destroy quilty efforts. Over the years I have had enough dark clothes wrecked by one drop of bleach to know better. Horrible stuff to have in the house except that it kills 99% of household germs and the best place for it is down the toilet. Thank you so much for your input, I sort of knew that bleach is wicked stuff but was so focussed on fixing the fabric and now you have put my brain back in gear and clarified the matter. I'm going to leave the fabric alone and go with right side out and see what happens, one thing I now know for sure it won't fall apart! Thank you everyone!

[Lotti D.]

and for cleaning? try vinegar - no chemicals - kills most of the germs and bacteria - removes the lime/calcium buildup.
i wouldn's soak my cotton in it for any length of time - but it won't be hurt by washing - might actually make the colors brighter - just cleaned all the office coffee machines and water kettles with vinegar and water... now they're ready to be packed for my next exhibition - wish more of the other stuff was getting there as well

[Hannelore N.]

Mmmmhhh...... I would actually change out the centre square for a totally different fabric. I really like the rest of the block.

About the bleach: I have seen 'lightly' bleached fabric disintegrate about 6 months later.

[Juliet W.]

There will be 25 blocks and all 5 fabrics take a turn at being the centre so I am sticking to the cream on white as I hope it will add the famous "pop" I am always looking for! No worries, Bleach is Gone!

[E.M. T.]

I will look forward to seeing a picture of a few blocks...in order to see what happens when
the colors move around !!