I have a shiny nightgown that I am using as a Halloween prop and I need to make the fabric dull. Can anyone help with suggestions? I am desperate for this.
Thanks.
By Lydia P
Have you tried washing it in warm-hot water?
Can you use the gown inside out? Many shiny fabrics have a dull back.
Why are you using a satin gown as a costume, when there's tons of real costumes. A satin gown is suppose to be shiny. That's like buying gold and saying "How can I take the golden color out of the gold".
I don't think there is any good way to dull a shiny fabric without using paint or some substance to obscure the fabric's finish. Satin gets it's shine from the manufacturing process.
If you don't want to use fabric paint, maybe try scuffing it with sandpaper. The satin will catch and wear but it might still be shiny. Might be better to go to a thrift store and find a different nightgown that suits your purpose better.
Good luck!
Why are there people like you comet on think when your no help I got a coat for chrismas that's shiny I don't want it to shine either dose other people that why were asking for help
No, not all quality satins are shiny. You would use a satin gown because quality costumes might be out of your budget range, are not available in the style you need, or you just want to build the costume yourself. Cheap costumes look cheaper than ultra shiney satins.
I bought a dress that was rather expensive from Middle East for a costume. It's perfect but two things. I thought the colour was green but it's electric blue. The fabric is shiny.. Now this was an over-site. I still want to use it as a costume as it was expensive. I need to dull it down. Ill try the sandpaper but people saying just buy something different is not a good attitude. We should be looking for ways to modify and change what we have (better for environment and budget and our knowhow).
Often, fabrics are given to theatres for free. We, at the theatre, like to use what we have and if there are any shortcuts to create another effect, this is what we strive for. It's not always so easy to run out and buy, say 6 yards when you are on a tight budget.
Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.
I bought a lace cami online that is beautiful, except the photo was deceiving. The fabric appeared to be cotton. Of course it was an impulse buy and I didn't check to see what the fabric actually was made of.
It is 95% polyester and 5% spandex. I love the design of this cami, but I hate the shine, it makes it look cheap. How can I dull the shine of this fabric? Please help I am desperate.I read on a costume site that you could mist it with vinegar then wash it but I have no idea if that's true. I have an overly shiny cami that I feel the same way about. I'll try it and be our guinea pig! :)
Would you still be able to return it or let the store know the inconvenience of your impulse buy that it was false advertisement. :(
I did not know of a polyester to be too shiny.
Per a thread on ThriftyFun,
I found this:
"Removing Shine.- Sometimes, in the construction of woolen garments, certain parts, especially seams and overlapping edges, become shiny or glossy from improper pressing. Also, as is well known, a woolen material that consists of hard or firmly twisted threads is likely to become glossy from hard wear. To remove the shine, first place over it a press cloth that is slightly damper than one needed for ordinary pressing. Then hold a hot iron very close to the press cloth, but not on it, keeping the iron in one position long enough to allow the steam an opportunity to penetrate the fabric. Then lift the press cloth and brush the fabric briskly to roughen its surface a trifle in order to take away the shine.
Credits to: Susan Sanders-Kinzel
Thread: www.thriftyfun.com/
I would not try to remove the shine. You could damage the fabric. Either live with it, donate it or try to return it.
Some fabrics are just shiny and yes, look cheap. If you don't (or can't) return it, try minimizing the impact by wearing a blouse or suit jacket over it so that just a hint of the camisole is visible.
Sometimes fabrics loose shine after they are washed and dried a few times. I would try that.
i just suggested this solution to someone else but you might be interested.
Polyester is probably the most unpredictable "fabric" available.
Here is something that you might try - it was done on a synthetic wig: fabric softener
25.media.tumblr.com/
Does anybody know how I can remove the shine that has developed on several pairs of my dark suit pants? it's driving me crazy and I'd really like to remove it.
Soak and ring out an old, clean piece of material with hydrogen peroxide. Place it on shine suit and steam iron.
Hi Fred,
Here is a remedy from vintagesewing.info/
"Removing Shine.- Sometimes, in the construction of woolen garments, certain parts, especially seams and overlapping edges, become shiny or glossy from improper pressing. Also, as is well known, a woolen material that consists of hard or firmly twisted threads is likely to become glossy from hard wear. To remove the shine, first place over it a press cloth that is slightly damper than one needed for ordinary pressing. Then hold a hot iron very close to the press cloth, but not on it, keeping the iron in one position long enough to allow the steam an opportunity to penetrate the fabric. Then lift the press cloth and brush the fabric briskly to roughen its surface a trifle in order to take away the shine. Repeat this process until every trace of the shine is removed. Then, dry the steamed material thoroughly, holding the iron close enough to the press cloth so that the fabric will appear to have been carefully pressed, although the iron has not touched it."
The hydrogen peroxide may also work but I'd try this first. The peroxide might bleach the fabric. A press cloth is a clean cotton cloth that has been slightly dampened. When you use a press cloth, the wool or suit fabric never comes directly in contact with the iron.
Susan from ThriftyFun
Does anyone know a way to get rid of the shine on the fabric of men's suits that comes with age and wear? I know that one answer is to not send suits to the cleaner too often. Ideas? Thanks.
Fred
Guys, when you need to remove shine from your pants or suit jackets, it helps to mix up some vinegar and water, 1 part vinegar to 3 parts water, and spray it lightly on the shiny pants and suits. I learned this trick a while back and it's pretty good, though not permanent. When your pants are worn enough so that they're shining you'll have to stay after them. There doesn't seem to be a one-stop fix until you buy another pair of pants or suit. (I'm still looking for a one-time fix). Because the shininess shows up mostly on navy blue and black pants I don't worry about brown, green or khaki pants that have some shine. Actually, I don't care one way or another about the shine, but I'm a lawyer and work in the same firm as my girlfriend. Periodically she gets after me about needing to invest in a new wardrobe. Instead of going to Brooks Bros. and pulling out my credit card, I reach for the vinegar.
Peroxide can bleach colors sometimes. I only use peroxide on whites.
Interesting that you mentioned Brooks Brothers...it is my blue Brooks Brothers jacket that is shining.
Hello Dan.Your question is totally appropriate and very logical.My suggestion how to remove the shine on the pants would be to maybe wash the shiny spots with hot water?Maybe you can go to a tailor and ask them what you can do.I would gently scrunch the spots with hot water.But be careful.As you do not want to mess up you good pants.Good luck.Be well.
Don't be surprised if some day your girlfriend reaches for a new fella. Don't be so cheap. But some new good quality clothes and you'll have her for life.
Funny, It'all my Brooks Brothers suits and pants that shine too
Vinger causes bad smell to the clothes and to you eventually !
I bought fabric to make a skirt and it's too shiny. It's for a play and the lights will make it even worse. How do I make the fabric less shiny? Please help.
What does the back or wrong side of the fabric look like? Any chance that would work? Or put some netting or organza over the front.
You can't change the shine factor of the fabric.
Could you flip the fabric and use the other side?
There is a thread Making Fabric Less Shiny:
www.thriftyfun.com/
One response mentioned:
Hi Fred,
Here is a remedy from http://vintages 33-pt/pt-01.html
"Removing Shine.- Sometimes, in the construction of woolen garments, certain parts, especially seams and overlapping edges, become shiny or glossy from improper pressing. Also, as is well known, a woolen material that consists of hard or firmly twisted threads is likely to become glossy from hard wear. To remove the shine, first place over it a press cloth that is slightly damper than one needed for ordinary pressing. Then hold a hot iron very close to the press cloth, but not on it, keeping the iron in one position long enough to allow the steam an opportunity to penetrate the fabric. Then lift the press cloth and brush the fabric briskly to roughen its surface a trifle in order to take away the shine.
Repeat this process until every trace of the shine is removed. Then, dry the steamed material thoroughly, holding the iron close enough to the press cloth so that the fabric will appear to have been carefully pressed, although the iron has not touched it."
The hydrogen peroxide may also work but I'd try this first. The peroxide might bleach the fabric. A press cloth is a clean cotton cloth that has been slightly dampened. When you use a press cloth, the wool or suit fabric never comes directly in contact with the iron.
Susan from ThriftyFun
I am not sure if it works because I have never tried but if you try it , you can try on a small section of the fabric?
Good luck!
If it is polyester it may be impossible as Polyester is probably the most unpredictable "fabric" available.
Here is something that you might try - fabric softener. This is something that was done with a synthetic wig:
25.media.tumblr.com/
I bought some material that is 38 percent silk and 62 percent wool. The correct side is shiny, the dull side will pill if used on the outside. How can I dull down the shiny side permanently before the fabric is made into clothing? Will using a press cloth help? Washing in hot water shrinks the material a huge amount. The fabric is black. Help.
By Susan L.
Sounds like you bought a beautiful and unique as well as expensive shiny fabric.Buy another fabric because if you try to take out the intended shine of the fabric then you are going to damage it and compromise the whole fabric's integrity.Leave it as is.Shiny.Did you know that shiny is better?
The poor girl doesnt want to waste the fabric. I get it. Velvet can look cheap and I do happen to like velvet but not all velvet is alike. I would try the vinegar and water or the pressing but not too hot. Hood luck!
I've just received my bridesmaids dresses and don't like them at all. They're made of a brown polyester and an ivory acetate lining underneath. I love the colors, but the two fabrics together create this horrible shiny, slinky, dizzy look. Is there any spray or a way to take away the shine without taking the fabric out or buying a new dress?
I bet someone at a fabric shop or craft store may know of something to use. If you can't spray it or something, maybe a seamstress can sew some kind of slip in...I hope it doesn't become too stressful. I got married less than a year ago, and some things that I stressed to the max about just weren't worth it in the end.
Sounds to me as if the underskirt material is the problem.If you have a friend or relative who sews she probably can cut it out from inside and make a new one of a matching brown cotton of soft satin and it should tone it down.If it doesn't really need the extra lining inside and is not too see-through,cut it out and don't use any lining.Bless your heart,little details can sure stress out a Bride.Just remember it's only one day.Let this be the happiest day of your life! GOOD LUCK!!
Shiny is not a dizzy look.Slinky is gorgeous and elegant.The word shine comes from a old Germanic word Shoen.Which means beautiful.My suggestion is to leave the bridesmaids gowns exactly the same, because it you tamper with the satin fabric's intended shineyou are going to damage the gowns and even cause them to loose any retail value if you decide to sell them on an ebay or other site.
I found some polyester curtain panels at Target. They are the perfect color, but they have more of a shine than I like. Is there any way to gently remove the shine? I would like the fabric to have more of a flat finish as opposed to the gloss. A friend mentioned that even some raw silks have a sheen to them to make me like them better now that they are hung. Any thoughts or suggestions?
By Sloan S.
Is the finish less shiny on the reverse side of the curtains? If so, could you unstitch and restitch the hems? 2. Spraying fabrics with vinegar and water can dull shine for a while. Try spraying a panel with 1 part vinegar to 3 parts water (1/4 cup vinegar and 3/4 cup water). Let dry, and if it looks like what you want, do all the panels. Repeat as needed. Hope this helps.
To remove the shine from washable fabrics try use of pumice either powder or stones, it is not for thin delicate fabrics and it may need a few washes. Also use dish soap to wash either with laudry soap or just the dish soap. Adding an a type of acid and or salts. Google fabric dye shops and you can find all
My armchair slipcover fabric is too shiny. The store owner told me that would disappear after washing it in cold water. It didn't. Help please.
By jacky from Los Angeles
If you have a receipt and/or have a good rapport with the store owner I would return the slip cover or simply 'gently' rough up the fabric with a fine grade pumice stone.
If the store owner told you that the shininess would come out and it didn't, then I would take it back.
