Tea-drinking is a national sport here in the UK, but I like it best for dyeing fabric scraps and trimmings.
I thought while I was about it, I might as well dye some thread for the shop as well. I’m often asked for tea-dyed thread, and my usual answer is ‘dip some white thread in a pot of tea’ – it (almost) is that simple. But if you want the convenience of having it done for you, I now have a few tea-dyed threads in the shop. The silk threads have come out particularly nicely, a lovely golden dark cream. The cottons are much paler – in fact that’s how I like them, very subtly coloured – but if you want them darker, just let them steep in some black tea for a while until you get the colour you want.
I have some lovely space-dyed DMC threads still available, in most of the specified colourways:
And still a fair bit of cotton perle 5 too:
Some of the other lines are becoming a little depleted, so I’m in the process of preparing more thread for another dye session, probably later this month. Good job I haven’t got time to sit on this chair, it’s piled high with thread.
Very sadly, shipping to the US is suspended for now – I hope temporarily, but we will have to wait and see what options become available. Royal Mail has issued some rules about collecting the necessary tariffs, but with no clear instructions on how to do that. They also make no mention of the $80 admin/customs/processing fee, which to me is much more of a worry than the 10% tariff. If you’re in the US (or anywhere else, for that matter) and you have friends or family here in the UK, there’s nothing stopping them ordering threads for you as a gift to be sent initially to their UK address. Something to bear in mind for birthdays and Christmas, perhaps.
In the meantime, more thread-winding for me. Have a lovely weekend.
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::cries in American::
ah these are lovely, Karen. I like tea-dying and am considering it for a piece I’m starting soon. haven’t decided yet. but it’s lovely. (one thing that struck me is that you can dye in anything that will stain your clothes, which of course you can. silly me.) we have some very sad little pomegranate bushes here at my apartment but I may just buy a pomegranate I’d feel safe eating as I’m not 100% sure what is happening with spraying and so forth here.
I, too, like the more subtle threads but some of those bolder ones! that green and blue, sea, I =think= I’ve purchased and is here somewhere. (the studio move means I’ve no idea where anything is.) I’ll have to go hunting for it.
they’re all quite lovely and I’m sorry to have missed out for now. I thought I’d have time to order and it turned out I did not! (I do think this will change. what a time for my crystal ball to go missing. 😉 )
in the meantime, I am very grateful to have your threads from past orders and will cheer you on from the sidelines!
thanks so much Em, I’m so glad you have some thread from before but sorry to have had to shut down before you could get over your studio move etc. I love the thought of my thread going all over the world to be made into something beautiful. I agree though, I can’t see the current situation being workable so let’s wait and see. Let me know when you find your crystal ball 🙂
And thanks for the cheerleading! Always appreciated.
Hi Karen, I love tea and tea dying! I just washed lots of sheep wool and I am going to tea die some. Also have some sumac heads and going to try those. Love the colours you do Karen. Hope the weather is not too hot for you, it sure is here in Ontario. Martine
Thanks Martine, that sounds lovely! We’re just coming to the end of our fourth heatwave this summer, so it’s been far too hot for me. I keep looking longingly at my woolly jumpers drawer, looking forward to the day I will need them. Hope we both get cooler weather soon 🙂
After you let the thread steep in the tea, how do you set it so it doesn’t fade? Thanks
It probably will fade eventually, being a natural dye. Some dyers use vinegar to help preserve the colour; there are lots of tea-dyeing tutorials online.
I’d rather drink the tea than dye with it, but I agree – lovely subtle colours!
thanks, they seem to come out differently every time. I imagine all the hardened tea drinkers out there are horrified by this terrible waste of tea bags 😆