? for seamstresses or crafters...

**lovestoread** · 01-28-2012, 07:34 AM

I bought a canvas bag/purse and I love it...but the color of it is NOT what it looked like online...I bought it from Etsy and the woman who made it is in Taiwan...so I really don't want to return it. It is a fairly bright yellow and I want a softer more mellow yellow...What would your suggestions be to fade it out? It didn't come with washing instructions, but I figured it should be washable...it's canvas after all...thanks in advance!!!

**nuisance26** · 01-28-2012, 08:10 AM

~You should be able to bleach it to remove some of the color. How to fade a blue hat in the washing machine? - Yahoo! Answers ~

**pat in east texas** · 01-28-2012, 08:48 AM

Tea-dye it. It will mute the yellow somewhat.

**peanut** · 01-28-2012, 09:40 AM

If you wash it, it may shrink, depending on the type of canvas, the weight of canvas, and the weave. And it would probably have to be ironed or pressed somehow afterwards.

I would vote for tea dyeing as the easiest and least painful way to dull down the colour. It will take it into the yellowy tan zone.

Otherwise, the artist in me says if you know how to dye, buy a union dye like RIT in a purple and use just a toothpick of dye to overdye the entire bag. That will tone it down just a bit. BUT if you've never dyed fabric or anything before, I'd opt for the tea dye. You could go terribly wrong with the purple if you didn't know what you were doing. It will take the bag into the yellow brown zone. But you only need a very little dye to do it. Union dyes are strong.

**scrap_candles** · 01-28-2012, 02:13 PM

I vote tea dye it also. But if you want to mute it just a little, I would not make the tea too strong. You can always do it again if it wasn't enough.

**shoiji** · 01-28-2012, 02:19 PM

If you can leave it out in the sun try that. The sun can fade items.

**Ramona** · 01-28-2012, 04:58 PM

Originally Posted by shoiji

If you can leave it out in the sun try that. The sun can fade items.

This is what I'd suggest, too.

**Stacia** · 02-06-2012, 09:34 AM

I posted under the wrong topic..lol Sorry~

**Contrary Housewife** · 02-06-2012, 10:10 AM

First, try washing it by hand to see if any of the color bleeds out. Just put it in a sink with some soft soap and swish it around.

If the water isn't turning yellow, rinse it, and run some fresh water. Add half a cup of bleach and stir it around well. DO NOT add bleach into the soapy water, it makes chlorine gas which is poisonous. Soak your bag for a while. You should see the color fade within a few minutes.

Rinse it very well to get any residual bleach out.

Tea dye will make the color browner, but it may also rub off on clothing if you carry the bag on the shoulder or under the arm. And, of course, it will come out if you ever need to launder the bag.