Instant Antique
 

Hi! I have a spray bottle of Instant Antique made by Primitive Gatherings and wondered if it is permanent and will withstand occasional washing? Thanks much! Kim

I've never used it, but why not contact Primitive Gatherings directly. They are really great about responding to questions right away. Everything I've ever bought from them has been washable (including their hand dyed wool), but I can't say for sure that you can wash quilts treated with Instant Antique.

Here's a link to their Contact page: https://www.primitivegatherings.us/contact-us.html

What is "Instant Antique"?

Thanks! Done!

Instant Antique is a spray that gives fabric that "antiqued" look - kind of like if you tea stained a fabric.

I have a friend who didn't like the brightness of one of her quilts, so she tea-dyed the whole quilt in a bathtub. She was very happy with the results. I did not see the quilt, but was interested in the possibility of using her method.

A funny story about Tea Staining. several years ago I was visiting my family and my SIL was making cloth dolls for a lady. She brought the fabric. Well before us girls could take off for a week end camp out we had to make 200 dolls -the fabric felt weird-kind of like a dry -sticky yuk and it looked nasty. We washed and bleached the day lights out of it. On our way out for our week end we dropped the dolls off and the lady could not believe what we had done-she spent a whole day tea staining all that fabric. She only paid my SIL 1/2 of the deal. When this lady got back from her flea mkt travels -she called and wanted more of the bleached dolls. She only sold 1 tea doll and 200 bleached one's. She doubled the money on those and future dolls and paid her to bleach the 199 dolls she could not sell. We ended up camping for 5 days to recuperate- I did most of the sewing while SIL painted the faces and hands on each doll -then we stuffed them and hand stitched them closed all in 4 days.

What a great story! I am still laughing about it. Can just imagine the crow that woman had to eat.

That's a hoot, Stitchit123. It reminds me that we crafters don't always know what people actually want. Sometimes the ugliest thing in the booth sells first.

I have used fabric paint (seta color) in a spray bottle to tone down or alter the tones of fabric.

That is a hilarious tale! I have tea-dyed fabrics for years with no ill effects. Keep up the good work. Guess you all need a vacation now.

Coffee works for tea staining, too.

I just wonder what's in it vs using tea or coffee to stain the fabric.

Years ago. I went to a local quilt show, where one of the local guilds had a tea stain challenge. It was very interesting..some were lighter, some were very dark(achieved by strength of tea and how long you soak). There is also a method where you soak the muslin, then sprinkle salt on it to give it a mottled look.From what I remember the ladies telling me at the time, it is "semi-permanant"...meaning, once it is rinsed, then dried, it will keep most of it's color, but just like some other dyed fabrics, will lose some color over time.

I tea dyed some curtains and when washed it all came out.
I noticed some "tea dye" color in Ritz dye I think it was some time ago. I don't know how it compares to the other product mentioned.

Did she pay you the other half of the money?? She should have and then some as you did her favor!!