Hi sasquatch77,
Thank you for an interesting question.
Because indigo dye is not very soluble, it tends to deposit on the
surface of the fiber which is why blue jeans (traditionally dyed with
indigo) weather and fade the way they do; the blue eventually wears
away leaving the white cotton thread showing through.
Some people have great results use chlorine bleach such as a Clorox
Bleach, and others prefer a commercial color remover such as Rit or
Tintex. This reducing bleach must be used very carefully, as it will
easily fade colors in any fabric it touches.
In reference to your clarification about kits or products, the only
one I found was called "Fast Fade" which is a concentrated pre-wash to
fade and soften jeans made by Rit, and it's less damaging to the
fiber. However, you might need several packets.
In addition, there's quite a bit of information regarding specialized
wash treatments for denim that is being used by the denim industry.
However, from what I gathered it is only available for commercial use
and not the consumer.
NOVOZYMES Denim Treatment
http://www.ptj.com.pk/Web%202004/05-2004/dyes%20chemicals.html
VINTAGE
http://www.alrashidmall.com/clothing4.htm
A denim treatment that applies heavy stonewashing or a cellulose
enzyme wash, with or without bleach, for an old and worn look.
To help the process along:
Buy lighter colored jeans. Wash in hot water. Use maximum amount of
detergent. Use fabric Softener. Use Bleach. Machine dry. Wash
frequently. Don't turn inside out before washing. Don't put salt in
the water (this helps to retain dyes.)
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How can I fade my jeans?
http://www.modernman.com/forums/DCForumID3/2246.html#1
I have a pair of jeans that I would love to fade down a few shaded. I
would like to avoide using bleach. My wife said she saw a segment on
the Today show recently that showed all kinds of techniques for jeans
- including whiskering and fading. Anyone know the recipe or something
that works easily and looks natural?
-----
Fine-grade sandpaper usually works, though if you rub too hard, you
risk ripping the fabric. A technique to get whiskering that I read in
a NYT Magazine piece was to wear new dark jeans without washing them
for a couple of days, then spraying the folds with water to let them
stick as whiskers. Haven't tried that one out, however.
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Fabrics.net - Fabric Dyeing Questions
http://www.fabrics.net/dizzylettuce304.asp
3. Rit has a distress-denim project on their website at www.ritdye.com.
http://www.ritdye.com/denim.asp
http://www.ritdye.com/dirtydenim.pdf
4. Another option for distressing denim is to wash the fabric in the
washer with rock salt. (I think I learned this exact tip from Queer
Eye for the Straight Guy. Those guys are excellent on fabrics.) If you
want to then overdye the distressed part, I personally would use one
of the industrial dyes available from www.dharmatrading.com. These are
the very easiest dyes to use. They come in a dissolving plastic packet
that you toss in a wash load of hot water.
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Making the fade
http://www.sptimes.com/2003/10/13/news_pf/Xpress/Making_the_fade.shtml
No. 2: We wondered: Are acid-washed jeans still cool? We took Clorox,
some funky sponges and used the sunlight to add a pattern to our
jeans. Because of the fumes and smell, be careful when working with
bleach.
[edit]
And make sure you wear gloves and work outside. We poured the bleach
into a plate and dipped the sponge, pressing it into the jeans. Things
got a little sloppy when we dripped bleach on the jeans, but we
decided to turn the splatter into a pattern.
No. 3: We distressed and dyed these jeans. To distress, try a cheese
grater. We also used sandpaper and a large rock, which worked as well.
Distressing is simple. Just rub the tools against the jeans. We tried
the pocket areas, the legs and the seat of the pants.
(For the Dirty Denim Look):
Now for the dyeing: this time, we used the washing machine. Again,
follow package directions. We opted for a brown stain and soaked the
jeans in the wash for 30 minutes. The jeans had a perfect chocolate
brown look. For a less complete dye job, try sectioning off segments
of the pants, dipping and dyeing one leg, for instance.
No. 4: Our last pair was our most experimental. We decided to boot
stomp jeans, adding a funky dyed pattern to the legs. First, we poured
the dye into a paper plate. We took the jeans outside and dipped our
boot into the dye. Then, we stomped away! Make sure you use boots you
don't mind wrecking. After all, you are working with dye. This
technique gives you total creative control over the pattern.
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The Tools Of The Trade
http://www.stage-directions.com/backissues/april04/costume.shtml
Wood, cheese graters and wire brushes are good for snagging fabrics,
[edit]
"He uses sandpaper on denim jeans to make it look as though the models
have worn them for years. Stages of washing, sanding, rewashing, using
chemicals to break down clothes, can vary anywhere, he says.
Pellikka also uses sandpaper as well as tile and a saw rasp..."
[edit]
"and jeans take about a day..."
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Fray and Stay
http://www.appealingart.com/fray-and-stay-2-ounces.html
Prevent your distressed denim from unraveling too much. Create a
fringe you like and then keep it! With Fray & Stay no additional
fraying will occur.
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Best regards,
tlspiegel |
