by WTN Staff 

Industry publisher Janis Badarau has gone into the tea-apparel business.

Based in Lavonia, Ga., Badarau is best known among specialty tea professionals for her online publications The Cat-Tea Corner and TeaGuide Worldwide Tea Directory. But on the side, she's been perfecting a method for dyeing clothing and accessories with tea. Now, she's offering the products to the public and trade via Tea Dyed Tees Web site.

Although the art of dyeing (or, as Badarau says it's more appropriately called, staining) fabric with tea has been around since at least the 19th century, modern techniques often have incorporated artificial dyes and chemicals to stabilize the colors.

"Badarau, however, has developed an all-natural formula for tea dyeing that stabilizes and enhances the full spectrum of tea colors. She never uses commercial dyes of chemical additives," according to a press release, which stresses that her dyes are pure, natural tea.

Most products on the Web site fall within the $20-$50 range of retail prices. Badarau notes that she will do custom work, including for tea room owners. Contact information for the service can be found here.