The magic of crepe paper for fabrics

Hello everyone!

As it often happens here, the idea to write this post has come form some conversations with some of you, whom we want to thank once again – you all out there – right for this great “direct line”, that you’ve always been keeping with us!

Casa Cenina has been among the first European online craft stores to carry hand-dyed embroidery fabrics, so to let European stitchers, too, getting to know all the enchanting and unique shades of these fabrics. At present, our range of hand-dyed fabrics is absolutely variegated – in all senses! – and allows you to make your choice between aida, flax or other evenweave fabrics, in a total variety and “unpredictability” of colors:

• Polstitches Designs
• R & R Reproductions
• Weeks Dye Works

Sometimes, however, stitchers and needleworkers (including those working for Casa Cenina, of course!) can be very fussy So, they just can’t find that exact color shade, or that cut, they’re looking for! So, here is the idea: what about trying to make some sort of “do-it-yourself” fabric dying?!?!?

Well, let’s be 100% clear form the very start: we’re talking of something to take like a kind of personal, little game, i.e. something to do for your own satisfaction and amusement and far from being that highly professional process, which the above-mentioned fabrics are based upon. As a matter of fact, the manufacturers of those fabrics can boast years and years of experience and most of them have them have studied industrial and textile chemistry and dying.

Now, after this due premise, just select one or more of the many white fabrics we carry online and go ahead with dying it or them, simply with some crepe paper! How? Just read here following: put on some water, just as if you were going to cook some pasta, and add your crepe paper, after tearing it into pieces (not too large, but certainly not as small as confetti!). As soon as your water starts boiling, add a handful of salt (the more you add, the better the color gets fixed) and let everything boil for about ten minutes or a quarter of an hour, too: depending on the intensity of the color released by the paper into the water). Then, soak your white fabric, lower the flame to its minimum and keep the fabric soaked, while stirring it now and then with a wooden spoon: you are the one deciding how long this step has to last and the longer it’s going to last, the more colored your fabric will be J In any case, it is important to end the whole procedure with a thorough rinse under cold water, until the water flowing is completely crystal clear. And you’re done!

Of course, you can make the color result more intense, using more crepe paper, as well as mix different shades, by simply mixing different-color crepe paper pieces In short… Test, test, test and have fun!

Hear from us soon