Anyone ever try tea-staining fabric?

[MaryAnnDVC]

I want to do a quilt that I have, as well as pillow shams and other pillow covers. Considering tea-staining or trying Rit Dye. Any advice? Thanks.

 

[Spinning]

I have tea stained! I do a lot of theorem painting and I would stain the velvet to "age" it.
Depending on the look you want will decide how you want to do it. If you want the crinkles and uneven look you need to let it dry in a ball. Also if you want it to have a slightly greenish tint you can use green tea. I used both instant and fresh brewed coffee. Some times I even added tea bags to the water. Let it soad for a night and then check the color. If too dark immediately rinse in hot water.
I usually did a test piece first.

 

[piratesmate]

I've done it, but only for craft projects that wouldn't be getting washed. Over time, the stain will fade. You'll need something to "set" the stain/dye. You can buy something commercially (I forget what it's called) or you can use salt.

Years ago I did a project on spinning & dyeing for an education course I took. I hadn't planned on washing the items - just keep them around to use for classes I was teaching. I used salt because it was cheap. After a couple years of just sitting in a box, unexposed to light, the colors had faded quite a bit. I don't know whether I just didn't use enough or what.

Deb