Recycling My Blouse

I bought this blouse two years ago and have probably only worn it twice. Feeling the need for something new, but also feeling the pinch of our economic times, I decided to give this blouse a new lease on life.

I bought a package of Rit dye in Cocoa Brown. Gee, I can't even remember the last time I bought Rit dye!

Following the instructions on the box, I heated up my brew on the stove, constantly swirling my once off-white blouse around with an old wooden spoon I found in my studio.

After about 5 minutes, my blouse was "cooked" to perfection, so I draped it over a rack to dry.

I was so excited to do the stenciling part that I forgot to take pics during that process... but I did take the final results!

I used Royal Designs Kimono Allover stencil.

This close up shot is a truer color than the previous shot.  I used a bronze metallic fabric paint as well as a blue metallic.

...and here's the back! Since I already had this stencil and the paints on hand, I have myself a new little frock for just the cost of a box of dye.