I've never heard of an antiquing spray for fabrics and I have used fabric spray paint, but it may exist.

Why could you not paint on a tea stain? I did this with a bi-fold screen that had the fabric tightly stapled to the frame and trimmed. There was no way it could be removed and replaced. The tea did not darken enough and I then painted on strong coffee.

I would think you could paint on enough to soak the fabric and not saturate the stuffing. Maybe use two or three coats? Since it is an old map on the fabric, not having it come out "evenly" would not be a determent.

I did not respond in the other thread but want to add, that is a GREAT ottoman!

I know when I paint with acrylics and then use a clear spray on the top it makes the colors "pop", although I've never done it on fabric. If you have some clear spray, try it on a light colored "rag" and see if it makes a difference.

you could possibly use shoe polish. Wipe on with a terry towel...and let it sit for a second and then buff it off.

I have one that you can use on fabric (in the garage pile) oh spray paint I mean. It's an antiquing paint and goes on really thin...

I am running off to a board meeting in a few, but when I get back I'll see if I can find a can of it to share the name. It comes in a few colors (all brown type tones). Someone recommended it to me here when I was working on making that antique wallpaper (golf posters). I tried it, and it was ok, but didn't give me enough saturated color without making the dyes run (since many were from the 30's they weren't the same quality as today). I think it would work wonderfully on fabric. If you'd like, I could even spray some tomorrow for you (fabric I mean) and see how it comes out so you don't have to ruin yours...let me know!

Ah Reno.......you have such a darling house, don't waste time tweaking that ottomon. Buy some gorgeous something, maybe velvet, perhaps chenille, it won't take too much, and recover it. You can always slipcover later if you like!

Red

Thanks all! Igloo, that would be swell if you could test a bit on the fabric.

The only problem I have with tea/coffee staining is that I'm afraid it would run if it got wet. Occasionally, one of my hounds will go for a swim, and then plop their wet selves on something soft, like my bed, the couch, etc. I can only imagine walking into the living room and wondering why it smelled like coffee, then seeing one of the beasts resting on the now watery and splotchy ottoman!

I may tinker with a few options, including the shoe polish like lukkiirish mentioned.

Red, I totally had plans to just ditch the fabric and recover it, but there's something vaguely comforting about it. I know I'm going to make a few different slipcovers for it, but the globe thing next to the fire and piano makes me feel like I'm in Indiana Jones' den or something! My whole family *loves* the fabric; so much so that my 16 year old SON has requested the ottoman for himself. (He has a very large bedroom, with a vintage 70's sectional, and he thinks the globe ottoman would be perfect up there. Shoot, he's right, but not 'till I can find a replacement!)

It's very, very rare that I bring something home that my family has a strong reaction toward. Usually my little bargains are met with casual indifference, but this one seems to have struck a chord with all of us.

Very cool ottoman, Reno. The only way I know of to antique fabric was mentioned, strong coffee or tea.

I know there is a medium you can buy, you it add to craft paint to make it useable on fabric. Maybe make up very light coat, like a glaze and brush it over the fabric? I'd try it on a piece of scrap before hand to see if you liked the effect first though. See link below ..

On an OT note, can your Bassets swim? Our boys are deathly afraid of the pool and stay far away from the edge. I'm not sure about Daisy yet since she was pretty ill when the pool was open last year.

Here is a link that might be useful: Textile Medium

My first thought was a strong coffee/tea stain in a spray bottle, mist over the ottoman, let it dry, and repeat until it's the degree of darkness you like. This should give a natural aged look with out making a mess with complete control of the saturation and easy to refresh anytine.

Hmmmm. Interesting options. I may practice a few techniques on a small section of one of the continents, where any mistake won't show up too badly!

Zip, Bella can swim, but she's a *very* petite Basset girl. So petite that we wonder if she's just a poorly bred Basset, or if she has something else mixed in. She's not nearly as heavy as Daisy, and can swim, but *hates* it. Without being cruel, we wanted to teach her how to get out of the pool if she were ever knocked in (the Lab is a big fat oaf who frequently barrels past her and knocks her over.), so we worked with her to at least be able to get to the stairs.

The pool was closed when we got Daisy, but I'll bet she doesn't like the water and probably can't swim. She has these enormous 4x4 paws, and is very clumsy and lazy. She's also a LOT heavier than Bella, and I doubt she'd logistically be able to keep her head up with her big fat rump dragging her down!

>>

This is our boys too! They are so stocky and so heavy, they sink like stones. We've tried to teach them how to swim, but they just can't. Plus they're basket cases if you get them near the water.

I think it's great that you have Bella so she can get out if she needs to. We'll be trying to teach our Daisy this summer. She's much slighter than the boys and her chest isn't nearly as deep .. but her paws are enormous and she's fairly clumsy too, so I'm not sure how she'll do.

Basset anchors! Bwaahahaa!

I remember reading that Bassets are intrinsically afraid of water as a sort of built-in safety device, since they're awkward body build is not conducive to swimming.

I would just feel horrible, though, if the Lab knocked one of them in and they couldn't get out! We try to never leave the dogs with open access to the pool when it's open, but accidents can happen, even if we're home.

The Lab can obviously swim, but he has epilepsy, so we need to make sure he doesn't have a seizure in or near the water.

Thankfully our Daisy is the *laziest* creature on the planet, and really only goes outside when it's time to potty. I doubt she'll be lingering by the pool anyway!

After I posted I was thinking the same thing as bodica - spray bottle. I was also thinking of the coffee odor issue that could be a problem with something that you sit on and pick up the odor in your clothing. I thought maybe using vanilla would leave a light stain and leave a pleasant aroma.

Iodine is used for staining in labs and would give an antique look but now that you mention the wet dog that would not be a good idea. Even diluting Rit may not work because of the wet dog issue. Rit is colorfast if the fabric is boiled. Cold water won't work as well.

Maybe as Gracie01 said, a light clear spray would make the colors pop.

Here is a link that might be useful: Matte Spray

Well, this is going to sound crazy, but i experienced a mishap on a chair when a floor installer accidentally spilled tung oil on the fabric. I used every stain removal solution possible (till my hands were raw), but that stain never did come out. It left a permanent darker splotch where the spill was (as if it had been varnished!).

At one time, i actually entertained the notion of coating the fabric in its entirety in tung oil, rubbing it off, and cleaning it repeatedly so it would be supple but uniformly stained. Not surprisingly, i decided having it reupholstered at some point would be a better solution for me.

Still, your post brings my original, admittedly wacky notion to mind, though i'm not sure how it would weather a wet dog attack.

After using tea or coffee stain and it has dried, add a vinegar wash over it. Vinegar will set the color. Any smell of these will disppear. There are also water based stains at craft shops which you could dilute, they would be permanent when dried.

Interesting! Estreya, did the tung oil stain feel stiff? I know that when I've used tung oil in the past, it hardens.

Emagineer, thanks for the vinegar tip!

Andee, good point about the staining *not* coming out.

Dilly, I suppose what I'm really wanting is to mute and darken the colors, and not so much make the colors pop. As it stands, the colors are just a bit too bright for my tastes, but when the fabric was wet, it calmed all of the colors down considerably. (Or at least it calmed down the vast expanse of light blue, which is really the part I'm not too fond of.)

reno,

From one experimenter to another. I do a lot of coffee and tea dying for my crafts. What I would PERSONALLY do here is to mix up some RIT 'tan' dye, put it in a spray bottle, and experiment with other fabric first, to see if your sprayer is working evenly, and to test the color when it dries. It would be permanent, and no worry about foodie smells that we can't detect but the dogs might be able to. You might even be able to brush it on with a foam brush.

Reno, the texture of the fabric is the same on the spot as it is on the rest of the chair, undoubtedly because i spot-removed it to the point where only the stain was left behind. Note, though, that my fabric is silk, and in perfect condition, so it held up to my repeated stain removal attempts. Your fabric may be more fragile.

If you have a scrap of a similar fabric type around, it might be worth trying the "oops" solution to see if you like the effect.

Here's an off the wall idea.

Why not carefully remove the fabric, sew scrap fabric all around the edges so that when you re-upholster with the map fabric (which is very cool, BTW) you have a larger piece of fabric to work with.

Then you can actually dip the fabric right into the coffee or tea mixture (after soaking the fabric in water first) and see what you get. You can dip and dry until you like what you have.

Then just re-upholster the ottoman and cut off the scrap fabric.

or

you might just find another fabric out there that works better for you.

There's a link below to one I found on e-bay.

Here is a link that might be useful: Map fabric on e-bay

Thanks for all the suggestions!

My3Dogs, would the RIT dye be permanent, even without the water being boiling? Or are you suggesting putting boiling water into the spray bottle? It's been years since I used RIT, and I don't remember the technique I used way back then.

Estreya, I have some tung oil left over from another project, so I can maybe test a small, inconspicuous spot.

However, I like the idea of using something permanent, that could be sprayed on. That way I could darken certain areas, like an old map.

Homemaker, I'm hesitant to remove the fabric for a few reasons. One, removing it is a beast. Tons of staples, etc. Two, I really like it for the most part. It's just the vast expanse of baby blue that I have a problem with, and that's a very, very slight problem at best.
Three, recovering it would be difficult. It's done *very* well, with cording and upholstery edging. I honestly don't know if I could re-do it to my own picky standards as well as it's currently done. Round pieces are hard to upholster without puckering, which is why I was going to go with the slipcovers.

I'll tinker around with a few options. If I could get the blue to be darker and older looking, I'd be pretty pleased.

Yes, it would be permanent. I'd mix up either some of the powder form or the liquid tan RIT in a small bowl, and fool around with it on some muslin first. Then, I do think you could apply it with a foam brush. It would soak in a bit and I don't think you'd see any lap marks. Put it in a warm place to dry, and if it's still too light for your taste, just put another coat on. I'm assuming the map fabric is cotton, and it ought to work nicely.

OK don't tinker with it until tomorrow. I found the sprays (I have three colors so I'll try them all and share pics after they dry). I'll try to find a cotton that is close in color to the tones I see in your map and give them a shot. This spray is permanent and it does say it's appropriate for fabric and silk florals. So let me give it a try before you go nuts!

I have done rit with cold water...you need to do the vinegar to set it or your dogs will make it run when they come in wet.

Anyway...let's see what this suff does. My main worry is not the color so much but the texture of the fabric after it's sprayed. I personally wouldn't want it to be all stiff and yucky :o(

I'll be curious to see how igloo's spray works.....
:o)

I was a bit slow yesterday because DS is ill again. But I just sprayed a couple fabric samples and am waiting for them to dry. I had three colors, all in browns (because I was looking for a softening of bright colors). One of them I just LOVE and can see that with practice to get your spray technique right, it will be fabulous. One was way too dark, and the other was very good. I'll post pics and the info this afternoon, but I think it's going to work well. It appears not to be stiffening the fabric at all, but let's let it dry. I did a pretty thick coat (two actually) because I wanted to see if it would stiffen.

My spray technique was...run to the garage like a frantic idiot. Spray while resting fabric on a box of paper towels...run down and deal with DS, take dog for walk, run up and spray another color, rinse and repeat LOL So, my results will be a bit sloppy, but I can see that the spray will work wonderfully if you give it more than 3 seconds.

Since we've probably ALL experienced dropping a bit of salad oil on us, how about trying olive oil? I know it dries on clothing, and there shouldn't be a residue~hence the use of Spray 'n Wash.

FYI, i've never personally tried this, so let me know if you do, and if it works! LOL

I'd caution using any oils. They go rancid even in small amounts. I've thrown out linens with oil that can't be removed due to the smell, and you'd have the added issue that the oil will soak into the padding, and that's definately gonna smell after time.

Ok I'm going to post pics, but the pics don't help too much unfortunately, but I will say, the product definately did! Oddly enough the one I thought I'd hate was the best, it's "Design Master, Glossy Wood Tone 757, Glossy stain, fast drying glossy finish color" (It's not glossy at all on the fabric).

It's a spray paint, but be sure you're getting the wood tone spray stain verses a solid paint, this stuff is translucent.

This is a silk sample. The darker blotchy spots are from the other colors which were just too dark
{{!gwi}}
The lighter side is the one I liked with the Glossy. It's very subtle but you can see the tone of the fabric has changed (it's background was white) due to the light spraying.

This is an upholstry weight cotton:
{{!gwi}}

I used all three colors in different zones here, but the fabric background color is white. Here's a closeup of the blue flower:
{{!gwi}}

And now with the glossy wood tone...very lightly sprayed here:
{{!gwi}}
and overall in that spot:
{{!gwi}}

It does not photograph well but go out and buy it (Michaels) and give it a try because I know it will work. I had zero time to spend on it to do it right so these are splotchy, but if you sprayed it right, it will be great. In addition, I did check to see if ou could smudge it, and that worked well with a papertowel when I got a bit too much paint on. You're so talented I know you can whip this out in a heartbeat. I really love it, and even on the thick areas, the fabric is still soft and subtle.

Just in case it helps, I saw your map fabric on eBay (you could experiment with dying?):

Here is a link that might be useful: map upholstery fabric :-)

Igloo! OMG, I love it. It's perfect! I'll go to Michaels tomorrow morning and get it! ThankyouThankyouThankyou!!!!

Circus, that's awesome! I'm such a "ready FIRE aim" person though, that I'll likely experiment on the ottoman first, and keep the fabric site as a backup, LOL! Thanks for the link!

I can't wait to see how this is going to come out. That ottoman is so fantastic.

I'm heading out tomorrow to go look at the new house. By the time I'm back I expect you to be done and posted LOL (So you have until Tuesday morning, unless the volcano errupts, then you get more time) heh heh

I think you're going to love it. The one that worked best just took a bit of the brightness away, which is exactly what you need. The one thing I didn't do was to start spraying 12" from the intended target...that's essential so you don't get spots :)

I can't wait to see it!

reno - Do it outside, as I have worked with that Design Master product and the smell will kill ya! It's the worst that I have worked with as far as smells. I have used it on wood only, as I'd worry that fabric would hold that smell, but maybe not. I used it heavily on this pine clock which had a natural finish, to give it this aged look. I sprayed it heavily and blotted with paper towels to end up with a tortoise-y look. It's around $8 a can here in Maine. Rit dye might be $1.50... and it's made for fabric! But that's just me. :-) You do what you want, as you have many ideas to try.

For some reason I thought the print on that stool was on some kind of paper not fabric, so I'm sure my shoe polish suggestion sounded really dingy. Now that I see it's fabric, I totally agree that a tea stain would work the best!

Urf. Not good news on the Reno_fan front.

DH had his yearly review yesterday. Glowing reports. He met or exceeded all of the goals, both locally and nationally.

His "reward" is that he gets to keep his job, but at roughly 80% of his former pay, starting TODAY. (They already cut his pay once this year, so this cut is substantial.) Others were cut even more severely, and a few were let go, so I suppose we should be happy that he still *has* a job.

Unfortunately, this means that I will have to give up real estate for the time being, and get a full time job.

So chances are, I won't have too much time to do any projects, and definitely won't have the budget for even the smallest of decorating "splurges" until I can find gainful employment elsewhere.

I feel like someone punched me right in the stomach. Last year was killer for us, and nearly everything that could come our way DID come our way, and I was really, really hoping that '09 would be brighter. UGH.

I'm sorry to hear that Reno. But, like you said BE THANKFUL HE DOES HAVE A JOB. It is getting really scary all the people that are losing jobs.

Maybe a new job for you will be a door opening for the future. I hope that you find something exciting and challenging.

Good luck and keep us posted!

tina

Dear Reno...I am in the same boat, so I sympathize. Off next month to find the first-full time permanent job I've had in twenty-five years. More for benefits than for money, though we need that, too. I am looking forward to the company and the structure, although losing control of my days feels like a dreadful sacrifice...until I realize how princess-like that sounds.
Perhaps GardenWeb should consider a forum for those of us whose financial needs are changing our lives late in the game? I think I'll post that question for you as a new thread....
Meanwhile, you know a lot of people here will pull for you.

Reno, I'm sorry to hear that. I too have had long periods of time where nearly everything that could go wrong did. Sometimes you don't even regain your equilibrium before the next hit. Those times do eventually end though. As a good friend of mine plastered on the bumper of her pick-up -

This Too Shall Pass

And here's a link for when you are ready to think about house projects again.

Here is a link that might be useful: Community of Dyers