UPDATED TO INCLUDE BLOTCHY BROWN SHIRTS!!
So, here’s the deal. For Harold’s Mom and Dad for Christmas, we’re getting together to take family pictures. His two brothers, their families and the four of us. We decided that it would be fun to put each of the three families in their own color. Dean’s family is going to wear burgundy, Dale’s in something yet to be decided (only because I haven’t talked to Tammy about it), and we’re going to wear chocolate brown.
Chocolate brown. It’s popular. You would think I could manage to find four chocolate brown shirts that were matching in color, because style didn’t really matter all that much. But. No. Nine stores, seventeen purchased (and returned) shirts, and no. Enter BRILLIANT plan…
Buy white shirts and DYE THEM! BRILLIANT!
Turns out, that dying four shirts at once isn’t a good plan. Splotchy, sort of tye-dy-ie. Fail.
But all is not lost…the brown was a beautiful chocolate…
I’ll try again. With new white shirts. And this time, I’ll dye them one at a time.
Are you sure you weren’t making blood soup in that 3rd picture?
That seems like alot of work….would considering a new color be easier?
Can we see the finished result? Pretty please with vanilla vodka on top??
Use your washer to dye. It’s a LOT easier and does an even dye job. Just remember to run it empty a few times before washing anything. Then wash a big dark blanket a couple of times. Then remember that RIT Dye Remover works wonders when your whites turn pink. http://bradaptation.com/?p=268
At least they are all blotchy brown! You could be the blotchy brown family!
I’m with Jill!! Finished result!
I’m with Brad. I do all my dying in the washing machine. I like to extend the life of my navy pants by dying them a few times before they’re really worn out…
Oh, but my laundry is fine after just one cycle to wash out the machine.
I thought about that…but didn’t you mention that yours ended up looking sort of uneven…like leather? Doesn’t that mean it’s not an even dye job?
Huh. I do remember saying that. Still, the effect was subtle.
I wouldn’t think regular clothes would do that though. The couch cover was giant and made of stiff material. I would think a small lump of soft shirts would dye better. Maybe do a practice run with a thrift store sheet or something?
It would be expensive to keep trying different things though… so do what you want.
Try re-dying these shirts before you buy new ones…try them which ever way, but a second soak might even them out. What do you have to lose?
Thank you! I especially love the one with your non-blotchy son.
You funny.
I wonder if you could just re-die the ones you already died, instead of starting fresh. Maybe they just need a round two. (in the washer.)
Thanks! They look…blotchy.
Tim’s nice and even, though, so you have that going for you.
You could buy chocolate brown fabric (or dye one big piece) and sew the shirts yourself. You have a sewing machine, don’t you?
As long as you do better than Denise Huxtable.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=crnPfls0fHw
That is my favorite Cosby show episode! The Gordon Gartrell shirt!
What a BRILLIANT idea! I meant to dye the white shirts to match the color. I will keep that in mind next time when we take family portraits. It is always a pain to try to get the same color shirts for everyone!