World Wide Quilting Page

Question of the Week

Question for the week of August 16, 1999:

Our question this week comes from Deb Miller

I'm considering tea-dying a white and navy blue quilt top and the backing. Does anyone have "hands on" knowledge they could pass on to me?

Caroline Rogers :
When I am dyeing any type of fibre, I sample first. If you know what fabric is in the quilt, i.e. cotton, then sample with cotton fabric. I don't think the tannin would harm the fibre, as tannin is found in natural dyes that have been used for centuries. If I were about to worry re tannin, I would try to consult someone who worked in textiles in a museum with textiles.

Marnie Luckman :
I often tea dye because I like the
vintage look to my quilts. I let it soak longer, knowing it will dry lighter. I fill up my kitchen sink with hot water (as hot as I can) and just throw about 12-20 tea bags in and let it soak. Because you have a whole quilt, you might want to use your washing machine. Just be sure to rinse out after soaking with vinegar so as not to stain clothes. I've also tried Rit dyes and if using this method, buy the tan in liquid form, not powder. Hope this helps. Good Luck!

Catherine, London, England :
I have tea dyed some white and blue fabric before, and have found it very effective. I was dyeing strips oof fabric. My advice would be ensure you add salt as it still works as a normal dye, also you do not need to leave it in very long as it works very quickly. If you are not careful it can look dirty. I hope this works for you.

Nancy :
I've recently heard of women using coffee, not tea, for a better overall dye. look. i drink neither and have never dyed fabric.

Jane from Montreal :
I have tea dyed a quilt with success, however since then I have read that the tannic acid in the tea can harm the fabric over time. You would be better off using a tan coloured fabric dye instead. Such as Rit or Dylon. I haven't tryed that method, but I would over using tea.

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