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How To Make A Tie-Dye
- Pre-wash and tumble dry your white 100% cotton (or otherwise all natural fiber) garments.
- Soak fabric in soda ash water for several hours (overnight's okay, but no less than an hour). Mix 1 cup soda ash (pool supply store) to every gallon of water, using heavy-duty long rubber gloves -- soda ash really dries out the skin and will get into cuts. Stir or smoosh fabric around from time to time.
- Dye Workshop Preparation: Now might be a good time to prepare the "workshop". You will need:
- A clean (preferably white) work surface, large enough to fold your tie-dyes. (note: make your workplaces as comfortable as possible -- you may be working in one position and under some tension for extended periods of time.) Make sure your work area is well lighted.
- A smaller surface for dying the folded fabric (keep in mind that this step will probably leave stains when you're done).
- Procion® fiber reactive dyes. I mix the dye in jars or bottles, but I use 8 oz. squirt bottles for applying the dye. Honey bear bottles are my favorite. Note: although using the dye is relatively safe, it will color your hands. You might want to wear latex gloves. I don't like wearing gloves and if clean-up is a necessity, I use a little bit of bleach while washing up.
Super Secret Dye Recipe
- Fill a jar 1/4 with water -- mix in 1 heaping tablespoon of (white) urea (farm & garden center) to every 4 oz. of water. Swoosh around.
- In a little mixing cup, measure out 1 teaspoon+ of dye for every 4 oz. of water you're gonna mix up. Black, turquoise and Cerulean Blue require double portions of dye. You will learn proportions through experience. The idea is to use as much dye as the fabric will eagerly suck-up. Too much dye - and it will glump up.
- Measure all your dye at one time (batch process is a theme throughout tie-dye). Be extremely careful. Wash your measuring spoon and dry it between every operation. You DO NOT want to spread dye particles around your work area (oopses are cumulative).
- Fill the mixing cup 1/2 full with water (room temp) and smoosh dye around with your finger (or mixing spoon if dye dissolves 100% on its own) until every particle of dye is dissolved. Clumps will bring you woe and clogged squirt bottles later. You may want to use latex gloves for this step.
- Swoosh water in jar one more time before pouring in dye mixture. Add dye -- rinse out the mixing cup adding that water into the dye jar (don't waste dye). Cover jar and shake well -- fill to desired volume with water (cold). Shake again (and again later when you think about it). Pour into squirt bottles before using.
- And the following tools and supplies:
- Scissors (for cutting string). Rubberbands are really messy, and I don't use them.
- Cotton string (sturdy, but not too sturdy)
- A fork (for tucking under string ends)
- Sewing (non-permanent) pencil (yellow or blue)
- Disposable (I use gardener's) glove(s) with the fingertips cut off (for your tying hand. It reduces cuts from string.)
- Ring fabric out (use heavy-duty gloves) and lay out on (clean) work surface. You may want to use a sewing pencil to help with designs. Fold design. (I may cover folding techniques at some future time).
- Tie fabric (pay attention to white space if batiking - also covered later). I like to use lots of ties, but you may want to use less depending on the desired outcome. I pre-cut the string -- wrap the fabric at least 4 or 5 times -- tuck the loose end under the wrap with a fork -- and snip off the string, leaving about 1/4 inch with which to release the string later on. Put folded dyes in a plastic bag, folding all items at one time (batch process).
- Place folded item on a few sheets of newpaper folded in half. Arrange attractively (remember: EVERYthing reflects the finished product). Liberally squirt dye on fabric -- you can't lose if you follow the rainbow when placing and blending colors. Don't leave any white spots in blend areas. I like to keep my rainbows tight and focused, but hey... You may want to squeeze excess dyewater off the ends (over sink, be careful) -- this will push dye further into the fabric -- be careful not to squeeze too close to tied areas. Place on several layers of newspaper to dry.
- Drying should not happen too quickly. You may let the garment dry folded up, or you may want to wrap it in plastic wrap and leave sit for a day. I usually let shirts remain wet for 24 hours before I remove the ties and open the tie-dye for drying.
- When opening up a tie-dye, use supreme care not to spread dye, make fingerprints, or to open a piece sloppily. Wash your hands in-between every operation. Spread newspaper on the floor on which to lay the opened dyes (do this before you start opening them). Thoroughly dry tie-dyes before washing (or batiking).
- Before washing, fill up the washer with cold water. Fill up both of the laundry tubs. How extensive you prep for washing will depend on the size of the batch you're working with. I generally fill up several 5-gallon buckets to quick-fill the washer after the first rinse. Rinse the tie-dyes well before putting them in the washer -- when the dye appears to have stopped running. Wash dyes as many times as it takes for them to wash clean. At least 3 or 4 washes (including one warm rinse). Rather than let a load go through the rinse cycle the 1st time, I reset the load. I'll even put my hands in the washer (be careful) and manually swoosh the fabric around to make sure of good water circulation. Do not overload the washer. Dry on warm or hot until dry (keep an eye on your stuff - if it wasn't washed good enough, you may experience dye smear) -- and ~voila~ you have tie-dyes.
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