Tea Dyed Lace

I love the "tea dyed" look of certain fabrics; especially laces and linens. Tea dying is a way of artificially aging textiles, and I have done it on several occasions.
Of course, some items are just naturally aged, and have the tea-dyed look. It is basically a brown-ish hue; or kind of a real life "sepia". Ecru. Off white. Ivory.

I just call it all tea-dyed.

You can age a white garment or linen - or any textile - by brewing a good pot or two of black tea and dipping and soaking the item in the tea; then drying it. Instant "age".


A hat box of my great Grandmother's lace scraps from the turn of the century - 20s. One of my most treasured possessions.




More laces from my Great Grandmother; except I organized these into bundles, and display them in a wooden tray.


Blouses in my closet:












100% Silk. I love this blouse. It's my "Downton Abbey Blouse".



This Gunne Sax Blouse is for sale here.








I salvaged these old ruffled cuffs from the hat box of linens and lace from my Great Grandmother, and sewed them into a new, but vintage styled, Levi's jacket. It gives a little vintage femininity to an otherwise masculine-inspired garment. I wear it all the time.


This vintage lace bustier/corset is for sale here.


This vintage wedding dress is for sale here.

To me, nothing says vintage romance like tea dyed lace.