After & before of our curtains.
The speckles on the blue panel are not caused by paint malfunction
or camera issues.
Kristal added a special effect to her paint, but isn't inclined to share what it is.
When we bought our 1979 Airstream, it was our hope that
we could save as much original stuff as possible. The curtains certainly fell
into that category. Like many things on vintage trailers, they aren’t
inexpensive to replace, whether custom-made or ordered from a specialty vendor.
(In the case of Airstreams, you can still get items from the trailer
manufacturer, although the vintage of your trailer may eliminate them as a
source for parts. But the makers of many vintage trailers went out of business
a long time ago.)
Kristal does sew, but didn’t relish the notion of making
reproductions of our curtains. Granted, the old curtains could have been
dismantled and used as patterns. But the whole process would have been labor
intensive. The original curtains are lined, with pleats on both the top and
bottom. A lot of measuring and marking would have been needed to properly space
the pleats, not to mention putting all the tabs/G-guides on. (Airstream curtains
are mounted over the windows with metal tracks above and below.)
Our curtains weren’t in terrible condition. There is a
small amount of fraying on two of them, and a few G-glides were missing here
and there. Other than needing a good cleaning, there was only one major problem
with them. Kristal didn’t care for their 1970s “natural” white color. Usually,
when one thinks of changing a fabric color, dye is the first thing you reach
for. We’re going on the record to tell you, “Don’t waste your money on dye.” It
won’t work. (Kristal knows because she tried it first on a couple of panels.)
Here’s the problem with dye and original curtains in an older
Airstream. In order for any kind of dye to work, you really need to know the
fiber content. Kristal couldn’t find a label on any of the panels. Without that
information it’s virtually impossible to get the results you want, though she
did her best to make an educated guess. Plant fibers such as cotton require a
different mordant than animal fibers like wool. Synthetic fibers are a
different critter altogether. Other than i-Dye Poly (for polyester), she
doesn’t know of any dyes available to the DIYer formulated to work on them. She
tried RIT dye using the directions for cotton, and i-Dye Poly. Neither gave her
the dark, saturated color she wanted even though she purchased dark hues. There
were also spots where the dye didn’t take very well. It’s possible the fabric
had been chemically treated, and even though she washed the curtains before
doing anything with them, it didn’t wash out enough to make dying a satisfying
venture.
To be honest, if you want good results with dye, you
pretty much have to purchase the stuff designed for professionals or fiber
artists. Then you need a scale to get an accurate weight of your fabric, plus
the various chemicals needed to make your dye work properly. There will be
other equipment, too; such as a dedicated dye vat, large non-reactive spoons,
tongs etc. Don’t forget protective eye wear, gloves and coverings for your
clothing. The cost of all these items add up, meaning it’s not the most
economical option.
“OK, if dye is a waste of my time, what’s the solution?”
We can hear some asking. Well, that would be fabric paint, because the
technical complexity required by dye is removed. You will need at least 2-3
gallons worth. (Yes, you read that correctly.) How much you’re actually going
to need will depend on how many panels are being painted, desired intensity of color, and if
you’re doing a solid or pattern . Our trailer was actually missing 3 curtain
panels from the living area that covered the curb-side picture window and 2
street-side windows. However, there were still 7 panels left; 2 over the front
windows and 5 in the bedroom. Kristal wanted the final color to be dark blue,
and since she knew the paint would bleed thru to the lining side anyway, she
added both sides of the curtains in her yardage calculations to determine
amount of paint needed.
We are not always going to recommend specific products on
this blog, but if we do, it’s not because we’re being paid to do so. Kristal
has a definite favorite when it comes to fabric paints. She prefers Jacquard
products. They have at least 3 different paints – Lumiere (multi-purpose pearls
and metallics), Neopaque and Textile Color. Kristal used Textile Color, and at
this time knows of only 2 venders who sell it in the gallon size, and it’s not
available in brick & mortar stores. They are Dharma Trading and Jerry’s
Artarama. Where you get the best deal will be determined by different factors.
One of those is shipping. Gallon-size jars of paint are drop-shipped from the
manufacturer, and it’s not cheap. If someone is offering free shipping on
orders over a certain amount that’s your time to pounce. It’s also a good idea
to take advantage of discounts offered to new customers who sign up for email
notices. If you can combine the two, a significant amount of money could be
saved. Please be aware that Jerry’s Artarama requires a minimum of 2 gallons
for an order. But with the right offers, your paint could become very
affordable.
Here are the reasons Kristal opted for fabric paint.
1
Suitable
for any type of fabric. The need to know fiber content was eliminated.
2 There
is a decent-sized pallet of colors available, and paints can be blended to
create new colors. They can also be diluted with water.
3
Jacquard
paints are heat-set to make them permanent. After heat-setting the paint is
also softened considerably. The fabric doesn’t feel like it’s painted.
How you apply your paint will be a matter of
experimentation and personal preference. It is a messy process that takes time
no matter how you choose to do it. According to Jacquard, Textile Color can be
diluted without diminishing the color’s strength, making it possible to treat
the medium like a dye bath. Just bear in mind you’re coloring curtain panels
that have more than a yard of fabric in them. (Double the amount, if
lined.) You will need a container big
enough to hold paint for your panels, plus room for displacement of the liquid.
When removing the curtains from the paint bath, you will want to recapture as
much excess liquid as possible. Otherwise, you may not have enough product to
finish your project. The panels will also need some place to hang and air-dry,
regardless of paint application process. It’s not recommended to heat-set until
the paint is dry.
Kristal didn’t want to dilute her paint since some of her
curtains were no longer off-white. She set up her work space in the second
bathroom shower. Our children are grown, so it’s a space she could use for a
while without inconveniencing anyone. An inexpensive tension shower curtain rod
was set up over the bath tub, and the curtains were draped over it while she
painted them. To minimize as much mess as possible a large plastic storage tub
was placed under the curtains. (We had one with a large crack in the side.
Since it was going to be thrown out any way, there was no guilt or clean-up
necessary afterwards.) The tub not only provided protection from drips. Kristal
used a spray bottle and old rubber cleaning
gloves to apply the paint. The plastic tub provided a place to refill
the spray bottle. It also held the gallon jars of paint after they were opened.
The plastic tub captured at least 85% of the mess. Though she was doing her
best to be tidy, Kristal will be the first to admit that paint is her nemesis.
The good news? This product does wash off hard surfaces with cold water.
Someone may be scratching their head, wondering about the
spray bottle and rubber gloves. Kristal’s customization of our curtains became
an epic finger painting project. She did try using a large sponge brush but
found the paint didn’t go nearly as far. It also took longer. Textile Color has
a consistency which is almost gel-like, making it spray bottle friendly.
However, in undiluted form, it lands on the fabric in large splats requiring
another method to spread it about. Those splats also necessitate developing a
method for holding the fabric at an angle while spraying. Otherwise, some paint
might ricochet elsewhere. The advantages a spray bottle offers? It does get the
paint a lot closer to the end target in a much neater fashion than dipping a
hand into a gallon of paint. You can also put the nozzle between the pleats,
making paint delivery much easier in tight spots. (Unless you have a large
surface where you can lay your curtains flat, this kind of painting is a
two-handed process. One hand behind the curtain for support while the other works
the paint into the fabric.)
For larger projects, heat-setting is easiest to
accomplish in the dryer. Use the hottest setting available. Our dryer is more
than 17 years old, so Kristal wasn’t worried about discolorization of the drum.
Paint left behind to stain something else shouldn’t be an issue when it’s
completely dry. If you have a fancy new dryer with a flat drying rack, you
could probably use it provided your curtain panels aren’t too large for it. A
steam feature would be useful too. Sadly, dryers didn’t come with that option
when we bought ours. An old hand towel was wet down and put into the dryer with
the curtains. Use timed drying. Thirty to forty minutes is enough.
Kristal will be the first to acknowledge this isn’t a
project for everyone. For one thing, most of us have different definitions of
“practical”. Saving and painting our curtains made sense to her, though it
wasn’t “cheap” and was a bit tedious. It was still considerably less than
paying for custom curtains, and didn’t require thinking too hard. Making them
what she wanted eliminated the necessity of disposal, too.
Renovating a vintage RV is a once-in-a-lifetime project
for many who attempt it. Don’t be afraid to try ideas that seem crazy. Fabric
paint fell into the “crazy” category when Kristal first considered it. Until this
point, any projects including it were for embellishment. They certainly didn’t
involve such a large quantity. When the first option didn’t work, she kept
finding herself coming back to the paint. Thanks to a small bottle of the
product, which happened to be in her project stash, she was able to do some
tests on a dyed panel and an original. They tipped the decision. Being able to
try things on a small scale might not be possible for all projects, though.
Find your courage and make a leap of faith!
