You may be able to get some ideas from here

http://www.costumes.org/advice/costcraftsmanual/tmpjk15.htm


>>> [log in to unmask] 07/21/06 2:44 PM >>>
Hello All:

A colleague is working on an exhibit on cowboys and trail driving, and 
plans to include a mannequin in reproduction 1870s cowboy duds. The staff 
has gone to great trouble to make sure that the period clothing are 
accurate, but are now trying to decide the best way to "dirty" the clothes 
for inclusion in the exhibit. The staff has been washing some of the 
pieces with their laundry for weeks now, trying to achieve a more worn 
appearance. Since wearing the clothes to get them dirty is out because of 
the foreign matter that would be brought into the exhibit, can anyone make 
any suggestions for methods to try or a system they've used in the past to 
soil clothes for an exhibit, and ways to actually make the dirt stay on 
the clothes and not migrate throughout the exhibit? Oh, by the way, we're 
talking about cotton and canvas fabrics and leather boots.

Thanks in advance for any and all help!
Amanda Dyer
Curator
Bell County Museum
Belton, TX

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