HOW TO TIE DYE
T-SHIRTS

If you were to watch a thousand people each hand dyeing  t-shirts the odds are you'll undercover a thousand different ways to artistically craft a tie dye t-shirt.

Although the many one of a kind tie dye designs on the "blank canvass" of the t-shirt may differ somewhat in outcome artist by artist, the skillful use of tie techniques, or dye by hand processes used by a skilled artesian all follow a similar path.

Follow these  steps to complete a  tie dye project:

The element of surprise is often one of the guest stars upon the completion of every tie dye  t-shirt  project because every tie-dyed t-shirt will turn out different,  no matter what folding technique or dye it is that you use.

Let's get started:

Protect the work area you'll perform your tie dye project in. 

Use tarp to cover a good size table that will allow you to lay t-shirts flat upon it.  You may use plastic sheeting, along with  newspapers or old towels.

- keep extra towels, clean rags, sponges, and paper towels  nearby to protect from spills and other clean up needs.

- Wear old clothes or garments that you willl not mind discarding if they get stained during the dye process. A full body plastic or rubber apron can help prevent splash damage to what you do elect to wear.

- If the weather is warm, consider doing your project outside,  the end results are often better.

-  Never allow kids to  mix the ddye. Some dyes are harmful if swallowed.

- Wear rubber gloves to prevent your hands and nails from being stained.

- Have all materials you'll need ready p;to go before beginning to tie dye. If dye gets in eyes, immediately flush several times with clean water. Be prepared for errors..  use a pair of safety glasses if possible. Remember to always wash hands  thoroughly after handling dyes.

- Pre wash your selected fabric before starrting the tie dye process . This can  often be done days in advance.  Pre wash your fabric to remove any sizing from the manufacturer or anything else seen or unseen that may have gotten on it.

Unwashed fabric may not dye well. Do not use softeners or fabric sheets when pre washing.

- When mixing dye only use hot water.

Rinse your project after dyeing with warm water, followed by a cool water rinse.  Always follow the manufacturers instructions on garment. The Length of time  your project  is in dye will determine the depth of color.

 Plan how many t-shirts you'll dye in your first project and what colors you'll dye them.

-  Four to six pieces may be a good starting point. Try and make your tie dye t-shirt project as broad of an experience as possible.  Add a med weight and at least two heavy weight white t-shirts. See the difference they each may make with  tie and dye techniques

100% cotton fabrics work best.

 You can use 50 percent cotton and 50 percent polyester t-shirts, but beware of short lived results with these type of t-shirt blends.  The immediate results for pastel colors with 50-50 t-shirts are often quite good.

- You should rinse your project before  you untie it to keep color off / out of  tied areas.  Do not use dye in a fiberglass or plastic sink as it may stain the surfaces permanently.

 

There are several fabric dyes available: Both powdered and liquid dyes can usually be located at craft,  art supply stores, and  outlets online..  don't forget you'll need a  dust mask.

- Some dyes need salt or soda ash added.  Remember to read  all instructions before purchasing  a dye to see exactly what is needed.

- Rubber bands are the most common tie tool used. You can also try using heavy gage fishing line as an experiment or more common ties such as  artificial sinew, or cord.

Whatever you use to tie your t-shirt with remember that the goal is to do it  tightly so that the dye will not seep in under the tie.  You'll need a pair of scissors to cut the ties after the dye sets in the t-shirt.

- Plan to use plastic buckets (large unusedd plastic flower pots are useful too..) or stainless steel pots for the dye bath.  Clean containers and sinks immediately after dyeing by scrubbing with hot water and a powdered cleanser like ajax, or bleach.

- One of the best  ways to dye t-shirtts is by dipping them in a bucket of dye.  Be sure that the t-shirts to be dipped can be removed easily from the pots or vats if they are in a ball or rolled shape.  A pair of tongs can work nicely for removal.

- Stirring often will insure the whole t-shirt  is dyed. You can also use a squeeze bottle, spoon,  or paint brush to apply dye to specific areas of the t-shirt while leaving many areas of the t-shirt  a lighter color or white.

- If ordering dye colors on line,  remember that the hue may vary based on your computer monitor.  Order in advance to allow  time for the dye product to ship to your door and for returns.  Check for leaks or package damage before accepting from the carrier.

FOLD AND TIE
YOUR SELECTED T-SHIRTS!

Some Tie Dye craft artist prefer to fold their fabrics dry, while still others prefer to fold the   fabrics wet.  You can try  both methods to discover what technique you may enjoy the most,  there are pro's and con's for doing it either way.

Briefly,  wet tie-dye methods to fold and/or tie the fabric into desired patterns are said to allow the finished designs to be more defined.

If you wet the t-shirt first, and squeeze or spin out excess water before folding and applying your tie design to it the color outlines will be better meshed into the complete tie dye t-shirt finished picture.

In the sixty's many people loved what happens to a t-shirt when you just tied it into knots.. without strings or rubber bands, and simply threw it into a plastic bucket of dye.

There were no debates about wet or dry knotting..  just toss the knotted t-shirts in the dye to obtain  color.. and scoop it out.

If you're planning to tie-dye next week, tie a dry t-shirt or two this week. It may not only be easy for you that way.. but efficient.  It also may give you all the time you need to focus more on folding and tie designs.

 Since the whole point of tie dyeing is to keep the dye from reaching the fabric evenly the places that the dye can't reach on the t-shirt  will stay  lighter.

When you tie in small bundles on the shirt,  it is much easier to handle if you have a lot of t-shirts to do. If you don't tie into small bundles, but just apply the dye directly, you'll need a lot more space and can do fewer t-shirts at a time.

Criss- Cross rubber bands around "ball" that you've made. The next step. will be to dip the entire tied ball into the dye.

- Fold a t-shirt in vertical pleats, and you'll end up with horizontal stripes.

- Diagonal pleats make a nice effect also.&  

- For concentric circles, grab the t-shirt where you want the center to be, and pull, until you've  made a long tube of the garment. Then apply rubber bands at intervals along the fabric.

-  To create a spiral pattern  lay the t-shirt out flat on a smooth surface.  Make a small pleat where you want the center of the design to be . Grab the very center of that pleat with a clothes pin and begin to twist.

 As you twist, pleats will appear farther and farther away from the center; as these pleats get  large,  simple split the pleats with your hands, keeping each fold a uniform distance.

Try different folds to achieve a variety of design effects 

 Try and picture what the outcome of your design will be in your mind.  Gather the t-shirt into accordion-like folds,  into  fan-like folds, or  twist and fold gathered t-shirt  fabric areas into clumps.

 Band  your ideas tightly with cloth strips or rubber bands every 2 or 3 inches, or even every one inch..  explore.

Let's look again at how to complete the steps to craft your Tie Dye T-Shirts:

1. Wear your dust mask and dissolve 1 cup (8 oz.) of Soda Ash Fixer per gallon of warm water. Soak the tied garments until saturated.. allow from 5 to 20 minutes.  Reuse the soda ash fixer solution until it's gone. Squeeze out excess so that the t-shirt garment is just damp, not dripping

Caution! The soda ash solution is mildly caustic - it can and may irritate your skin.  Do wear gloves and eye protection. Rinse off at once to avoid the effects of any eye and skin irritation.

2. Using your dust mask and gloves, combine water with all chemicals except dye. Add liquid to dye gradually, pasting up to avoid lumps. Apply dye with squeeze bottles, paint brushes, sponges, etc., as many colors as you want. Use a funnel to pour dissolved dye into plastic squeeze bottles.

Dye Formula:

* 8 oz. cup of warm water (not hot)

* 2 to 8 tsp. fabric reactive dye

* 1 Tbsp. Urea  (dissolve in hot water first).

* 1/4 tsp water softener (if needed)

* Sodium Alginate Thickener  (if slow spreading, and you need to control color, * if desired.)

Urea is a 'moisture drawing' agent which helps to keep the fabric damper longer during the fixing process, thereby making for deeper, brighter colors. You need about 1/4 cup per quart of dye solution for your tie-dye t-shirt project, and about 3/4 cup per quart of chemical water for direct application. Part of the easiest and quickest way to paint with fiber reactive dyes.

 Just mix the dye with water and a little thickener and paint with it on your t-shirt fabric. When the t-shirts are dry, cover the painted area with an After fix by painting it on over the dye.

 After an hour, wash out the After fix and the excess dye and you are done. Works equally well on cotton t-shirts and silk t-shirts if you would like to try those too. Check the acidity / alkalinity of your presoak and your clear waste-water.

From a scotch tape like dispenser. Tear off a strip and dip into any liquid and know the pH by matching the color to the color guide on the dispenser. Works in colored dye baths as well.

Fiber reactive dyes attach permanently to cellulose fibers using a covalent (electron-sharing) bond. These molecules carry a "chromophore" which absorb varying spectrums of the light, allowing only certain spectrums to reflect. Covalent bonding is the one of the most basic and strongest types of chemical reactions. This reaction happens gradually over time depending on temperature and/or the Ph level of the surrounding environment.

 The Soda Ash pre-soak raises the pH level of the garment or fabric to approximately 10.5. Raising the pH level of the solution that the fabric or garment is soaked in raises the level of negative hydrogen ions in the dyeing environment. The chemical bonding process uses these ions in the reaction.

 Pre-soaking in Soda Ash fixer solution is what allows the fiber reactive dyes to work at room temperature. The reaction can also be aided with heat. Some tie-dyers have had success with using baking soda and microwaving their dyed articles. Since baking soda is a weaker alkali than Soda Ash, it must be accompanied by heat. Some people who are "chemically sensitive" choose to use this method.

 

3. Place your t-shirt (still tied) in a plastic bag (the best idea is to keep it wet and chemically active - any method of keeping it wet is O.K. to use..)  let the t-shirts sit for at least 4 hours but preferably 24 hours to "cure". Shorter cure times work a lot better in summer, and longer cure times are needed when the weather is damp or cold.

* If the area in which you live has 'hard' water, calcium and other minerals can interfere with your dyeing process, You can easily avoid the problems by using some water softener . About 1 cup per washing machine load or 1/4 teaspoon per 8 oz. dye solution will do.

* Sodium Alginate is pure kelp (sea weed) - it's commonly used to thicken food. It is the recommended thickener for Fiber reactive dyes and it works as a thickener for other liquids as well.

4. Remove your t-shirts from the bags and while still tied, rinse off the excess dye under cold running water (faucet, hose or shower), then rinse in warmer water while you untie and after the t-shirt garments are untied, until the water runs fairly clear.

 Have your washing machine pre-filled with hot water with a compound like Synthrapol.  Synthrapol is used as both a pre-wash to promote even dyeing by removing impurities from the fabric and as an after wash to remove excess dye in the final washing and to keep your whites and light colors bright.

* Milsoft -  Liquid textile softener  restores the soft feel to fabrics that dyeing sometimes removes.

* Calsolene Oil -  Liquid wetting agent increases evenness of dyeing.

* Alum - Used as a mordant in natural dyeing and for preparing fabrics for marbling.

* Fiber Etch -  dissolves plant fibers like cotton and rayon and linen.

* Ph Test Paper - Use to check the acidity/alkalinity of solutions when dyeing.

Create an entire tie dye t-shirt collection.  

 Why tie dye t-shirts.

 Perhaps the only real reason behind why to tie dye t-shirts is that of having a source of pure creative fun!

 

For Information On How To " TYE DYE " T-Shirts See Next Page.. 

» How To Tye Dye T-Shirts

 

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