Tea House Dress - Dyed Hem Black Dress

Hi there! I dyed the hem of the dress black. Have you ever seen the Tea House Dress ?

I bought the PDF pattern (The Tea House Top and Dress from Sew House Seven) in a recent sale. Why is the pattern's name "Tea house top and dress"? Sorry I have no idea. The pattern has variety of options; two different tie belt options (but the dress can be worn without the belt). There are three different length options - hip length, above the knee length and ankle length dresses. I made the ankle length dress version. The pattern has many parts, but it was quicker to make than I expected. Most of the bodice and skirt parts are shapes made of straight lines, so I could cut and sew the parts at a high speed.

Why did I dye the hem? I initially used black-lined beige linen and loved it, but the colour contrast was too strong for me. It looked too busy, so I decided to dye the hem black instead.

Here’s the tutorial.

Note: You will need fabric, dye, duct tape, plastic bag, rubber gloves and a bucket. I recommend hanging out the fabric when you dye the fabric, more details→ (Seren Dress - DIY Half Bleached Summer Dress)

Step 1. Trial the dye on a fabric scrap before dying the actual hem.

Step 2. After the trial, put tape across the dress at the point where you want the dye to stop.

 

Step 3. Protect the rest of the fabric using a plastic bag and tape. Gently place the fabric in a bucket filled halfway with dye.

Step 4. Rinse the fabric quickly, leaving it wrapped with the plastic bag, and then follow the instructions for the dye you are currently using.

I love the cuffed dolman short sleeves! I used linen, and the black dyed hemline looked incredibly natural! The black hem is a good accent. I thought the skirt parts didn't have enough flare, so the skirt was kind of an A-Line. The dress pattern is available size 0-20, and I cut a size 4 based on the finished garment measurement. The instructions were pretty clear, and I followed each step using the illustration without need for the written explanation.

I am glad that I dyed the hem of the dress black. I was a little disappointed at the finished dress before dying because the pattern on the dress looked busy. It wasn't terribly flattering to me. The black dyed hem make the dress look fantastic, so I'm happy with the result now! Next time, I will make a vest using the same pattern for autumn. The hottest season has ended in my country. Do you have any projects for autumn?

Total Time Spent (not include cutting and dyeing time) : 14 hours
Fabric 60" 2 3/4 yd