
Denim Shirt Upcycle
I was so bummed out when I somehow got bleach on one of my favorite J Crew denim shirts! I decided to upcycle instead of throw it out because it had a lot of life left. I first tried using bleach to see if it would make pattern. It lightened it, but not enough so I decided to bring out the big guns- my favorite, Indigo. I do think the first dip in the bleach water increased the contrast of the fabric and indigo, which was a good thing. I used about one cup of bleach for a gallon and a half.
I washed and dried the shirt after dipping in the bleach solution. I wanted to make sure the bleach didn't keep eating at the fibers so I used soap. Then I folded into a vertical rectangle and used multiple sets of blocks to bind it from collar to hem. I like to use multiple blocks for a very crisp resist. You could try using less, but it might be a bit more square looking. I also was careful to not let any fabric stick out from the sides of the blocks. I wanted the resist to be as much of a stripe as I could get. Next I dipped it back into the indigo vat and let it dry. I washed it with synthrapol and dried it. Now I can wear it again, and it's a great shirt to wear when actually dyeing!
Synthrapol link:
https://www.dharmatrading.com/chemicals/synthrapol-detergent.html