Following dstar's lead: I'm self-RESTORING my 05 BG Day

Rere!! what a great project!..looking do good thus far!..as for the zipper fabric..the problem will be that bleaches also make the zipper fabric decay and weaken and a zip takes a LOT of abuse..so perhaps some fiber-reactive paint? or there is a product that removes color without actually bleaching..bleaching would also 'wick' down to the black lining cotton, no? unless you put a stopper line of Resist on to the black lining where it meets the zipper tape..call Dharma or go to their website..I suggest Dharma as those amazing ladies will spend 30 mins with you researching what works best for your project..first you need to research what fiber the zipper tape is..if it is a cotton poly-type mix it will be harder to dye or treat than a cotton or 100% natural fiber.. I am super-impressed by your careful work Rere..CONGRATS!
 
Yes I think so. As long as the dye is DARKER than the zipper lining, it should be okay. But in my case, the dye is somewhat lighter, so it doesn't look good at all. I tried it and failed miserably. Now it just looks like a murky-pink. Back to the drawing board for my project.

But! I think Black over the zipper lining should be fine.

Go for it dirtyvegas!!!

thanks rere!
 
RERE, can you try using bleach on the zipper lining? I think it should work well.

Thank you cola! But I'm very terrified on using bleach. What if I get it on the interior lining as well? Or what if it gets onto my bag?!

Bleach will be an absolute last resort for me. Thank you again, you're very helpful. I'm just too chicken sh*t. :yes:
 
Maybe you can try some gentler color removers (can't be used on some fabrics). I googled "fabric color remover"

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Maybe you can try some gentler color removers (can't be used on some fabrics). I googled "fabric color remover"

Update:

This looks like a great idea. For now, this project has been put on hiatus..................


Because now I'm dying my 07 Black First, BLACK! I purchased her from RDC not too long ago, and when it came, it had this strange sort of coating. It looked like a waxy gloss. The description said that it had a spa treatment from LMB. I haven't ever sent my bags for a spa treatment before, so I didn't know what to expect.

When the Black First came, it "looked" nice, but overall it was shiny and the waxy stuff that it was treated with started flaking off like dry skin. Now, I don't know if this is the result of LMB's spa treatment, but if so - I will never send my bags in for the spa treatment. It was gross.

Anyhow, once the waxy stuff started flaking off, the black started turning gray. I was really disappointed. I didn't want to sell her on ebay since I knew I wouldn't get any from it (since I'm brutally honest with my listing descriptions), so I decided to dye it.

I don't have any before pictures (I couldn't wait once the Tarrago Black #18 was in my hands), but you can imagine what it was like. Faded (though not due to use) gray, and in some areas, that green color that I hate on black bags.

First, I used a sponge to do the primer all over. All over in the corners, the buckles, everywhere. The idea is to get all the waxy crap off, and the leather as "dry" as possible for the dye.

Then, I applied the first coat. After the prelim coating, it already looked MUCH better. And because it was black on black, it was much easier than the beige on pink. I dyed everything, the handles, the whipstitching, everything but the leather that holds the silver tag.

Second coat: the bag looks like a dream! A damn dream come true! JET black and soft after a bit of use. And I mean JET BLACK.

WILL POST PICS LATER TONIGHT OF THE DARKNESS THAT IS MY BLACK FIRST. :heart::heart::heart:
 
Way to go, gal! Can't wait to see your "new" Black First! BTW.....my 07 Black City is not jet Black and I was wondering if I could ship her over to you so you can.........:P GL and please post pics!!
 
Way to go, gal! Can't wait to see your "new" Black First! BTW.....my 07 Black City is not jet Black and I was wondering if I could ship her over to you so you can.........:P GL and please post pics!!

Haha, I should open up shop huh. I would, but Worker's Compensation coverage would be totally expensive since my neck hurts now! It takes a lot of scrutinizing each section of your bag under bright lights. And tons of neck-bending. Maybe I should invest in a neck brace and open up shop.

Any ideas for names? B-Factory. Bestoring your bag (as in Restoring). No.

Kidding of course. :rolleyes:
 
Haha, I should open up shop huh. I would, but Worker's Compensation coverage would be totally expensive since my neck hurts now! It takes a lot of scrutinizing each section of your bag under bright lights. And tons of neck-bending. Maybe I should invest in a neck brace and open up shop.

Any ideas for names? B-Factory. Bestoring your bag (as in Restoring). No.

Kidding of course. :rolleyes:

:lol:
 
Sounds like you got a different kind of B-Bug! Cant wait to see the finished first. I just bought a black work, and it's black, just not jet black. The thought occured to me to dye it, but it's brand new, I dont know if I could do that. But maybe a very thin light coat would do the trick!
Anyway, hope you figure out how to deal with the zipper on the other bag and I cant wait to see the pix of this one!!!