Not every project we take on has those perfect, shiny results we hope for. And in this case, our results were pretty much as opposite as you can get from the original goal, but as luck would have it, we actually think it worked out pretty alright. More importantly, our “client” and friend Penina (whose bedroom you may remember), actually loved the outcome. Because the last thing we want is an oh-no-situation and asking her to pass the bread over take out while feeling mega guilt. So here’s the short story. She asked me to help her take her lime-colored living room curtains and dye them to the perfect shade of khaki-mustard beige-ish. Having dyed nothing else in my life other than a pair of long johns when I was 10 (what?), I agreed on the premise that she understand I don’t know the first thing in Rit-etiquette. It was a match made in heaven – if only it was opposite day. Here’s where we started: I think we were aiming for something between #364 and #52, or at least something remotely close (hint: that didn’t happen):

Now for the long and not-so-short of it. Because the panels were light in value (albeit bright), we nixed the idea of bleaching them first or using any sort of color remover. (Hence, this post’s title). curtains 57x98Using the color formula guide on Rit Dye’s website, we figured out the highly mathmetical proportions of taupe to yellow in hopes of getting that not-so-bright mustardy color we were aiming for. pvc strip curtains swanseaTen minutes later on a smart phone calculator, we figured that for 3 panels, we’d need 12 oz yellow and 6 oz taupe. eclipse curtains stink(FYI, the formulas are different for liquid vs. powder, and the mixtures are diluted with warm water.)mark fabric shower curtain - blue (70x72 )

We chose the easiest and most convenient method of dying by using the washing machine and allowing for 3 wash cycles. Another highly calculated move on our part was to use the oven timer, reminding us to turn back the dial on the wash load every 12 minutes. white lattice burnout curtain(Again, refer to this post’s title.) blackout curtain linings dunelmRit recommends at least a 30 minute wash, but our washer didn’t have a timed option, and a regular cycle runs for 12 minutes. spring loaded curtain rods argosChaos, I tell ya. Thirty-six minutes later, we found this color. It was certainly yellow. Needless to say, Penina wasn’t thrilled, and we were surprised to see the lack of taupe show through.

(Perhaps this is where step one should have been a color remover?)  After a lot of what now?, we decided to heck with it. Let’s just go for it. If taupe doesn’t show, surely dark brown will. All reason went out the window – which was largely in part due to afternoon cocktails. Two oven-timed beeps later, we got our brown. Of course there was a ton of girly shrieking (surely coming from me), followed by a what’s done is done sort of mentality. We tossed our three very brown panels in the dryer and crossed our fingers they’d come out lighter. They dried, we ironed (okay, she ironed and I totally just watched), and we hung ’em. And you know what? The wet, dark panels turned a pretty chocolate-y shade, and the window light brightened them up even more. While our original intentions were nowhere near the end results, we easily warmed up to the whole ooh-la-la dramatic effect they brought to the room. Penina’s green throw and patterned, colorful rug already add the oomph, and the curtains are now an elegant back drop.

And lucky for me, I received a very happy email from my lady a few days later – well after she’d had the time soak up all the moody goodness. Okay, we know y’all are pretty darn smart, so who out there successfully transformed something with dye? And what was it? Goodness knows my long johns weren’t experience enough, but surprisingly, I learned a thing or two along the way. Or, shall I say, I learned what not to do. Thanks for bringing this review to our attention. The Yellow Pages Guidelines describes the type of content which is not appropriate on the site. We may remove content that we consider to be offensive or otherwise in breach of these guidelines. Please help us respond more quickly by choosing how this content may be inappropriate. Contains inappropriate or unusable content Meant for another business Does not describe a personal consumer experience Contains a call for legal action Other reason (explain in field below) Are you sure you want to remove your review?

Are you sure to delete this memo? You could update your browser right here:Aina UnbleachedCurtain UnbleachedNorth GuestLatex SatinIn LatexMetal CurtainCurtain RodsCurtain HeightCurtain IkeaForwardThe 100% linen curtains are from Ikea. They are Aina - "unbleached." The thin, black metal curtain rods are also from Ikea.Vivian Maier (February 1, 1926 – April 21, 2009) was an American street photographer born in New York City. Although born in the U.S., it was in France that Maier spent most of her youth. Maier returned to the U.S. in 1951 where she took up work as a nanny and care-giver for the rest of her life. In her leisure however, Maier had begun to venture into the art of photography. Consistently taking photos over the course of five decades, she would ultimately leave over 100,000 negatives, most of them shot in Chicago and New York City. Vivian would further indulge in her passionate devotion to documenting the world around her through homemade films, recordings and collections, assembling one of the most fascinating windows into American life in the second half of the twentieth century.

In Finding Vivian Maier, Maloof teams with producer Charlie Siskel to uncover this mystery. Following clues, they trace Maier’s history through New York City, France, and Chicago. Maier was an inveterate wanderer and self-taught photographer, favouring a Rolleiflex twin-lens reflex camera, with an uncanny ability to get close to people from all walks of life. Her artful and comic eye calls to mind the photography of Berenice Abbott and Weegee. Thanks to Maloof’s efforts, critics and galleries have now rallied behind Maier’s work, and The New York Times recognized her as “one of America’s more insightful street photographers.” But as Maloof meets people who knew Vivian, new questions arise about her life and work. The families who employed her as a nanny have mixed memories, and hint at her dark side. Would she have even wanted this attention? Answering that question depends on how you interpret different bits of evidence. Regardless, it’s a wonder to behold the world through Vivan Maier’s eyes.