TIE-DYE

Tie-Dye History
•
Tie-dye, long before the 70's,
was known as Shibori, a Japanese
term that encompasses a wide
variety of resist-dyeing
techniques, which have been
utilized by different cultures for
over 6000 years.
 What year was tie dye popular?
• Unlike regular resist-dyeing
techniques, tie-dye is characterized by
the use of bright, saturated primary
colours and bold patterns. These
patterns, including the spiral,
mandala, and peace sign, and the use
of multiple bold colours, have become
cliched since the peak popularity of
tie-dye in the 1960s and 1970s.
 Equipment you will need:
• Dyeing Surface: Disposable work
surfaces such as cardboard or plastic
tarp work well.
• Work space protection: Plastic
sheets covered with newspaper
provide good workspace protection.
• Personal protection: rubber
gloves to protect skin from fixer
irritation and dye staining; eye
protection to protect eyes from
splashing fixer water; dust masks
to prevent breathing powders.
• “Paint shirts” to protect clothing.
 Equipment you will need cont.
• Bucket to mix fixer solution
• Pitcher or jar to mix chemical
water or hot water
• Cups, bottles or other containers
in which to mix dye colors.
• Ties: Big, thin rubber bands,
twine, sinew, zip ties, etc. all work
well to tie fabric.
• Pipettes, squeeze bottles, or other
tools to apply dye.
• Measuring cups and measuring
teaspoons.
 Dyeing process
• Step 1: Wash fabric to remove any
sizing or oils on the fabric that may
interfere with the dye
• Step 2: Prepare fixer water - In a
plastic bucket, or other suitable
container, mix ¾ cup dye fixer per
gallon of warm water. Expand recipe
as needed.
• Step 3: Soak Fabric - Soak the material
to be dyed in the dye fixer solution. Let
the fabric soak in the solution for 5 to
10 minutes, or until the fabric is
completely saturated.
• Step 4: Fold, Twist or Tie - Wring out
excess fixer water back into the fixer
water bucket. Place the “fixed” fabric on
dyeing surface and fold, twist or tie it
into the pattern you want to dye.
• Step 5: Mix dye colors - In this
stage, you are not making big
buckets full of dye. You will be
mixing dye powder with plain warm
water in cups, bottles, or other
containers in small, concentrated
batches.
• Step 6: Apply the dye - With fabric on
dyeing surface, apply dye to fabric by
squirting dye onto the fabric with a
squeeze bottle tool. Most dyeing patterns
call for saturating the fabric with dye.
The mistake most beginners make is to
not squirt enough dye into the fabric.
Apply all the different colors at this time.
Flip the fabric over and apply dye to both
sides of the fabric, saturating each side
of the fabric
• Step 7: After you dye - After you are
done dyeing the fabric, leave it
alone. Do not untie it. Do not hang it
up to dry. Leave it tied up, and leave
it alone. Let the fabric sit for 2-24
hours.
• Step 8: Wash loose dye from fabric -
Wear gloves while handling the
fabric, as the dye will still stain your
hands until after it has been
washed. Place fabric under cold
running water and rinse until no
more dye comes out of the fabric.
 Tie Dye
Folding
Techniques
 Sunburst Tie Dye Technique
• Lay the fabric flat.
• Fold the fabric in half.
• Fold the fabric in half, again, lengthwise.
• To create the sunbursts pinch the fabric and
pull upward, 1 to 2 inches. Secure the
fabric with a rubber band and repeat for
the desired number of sunbursts.
• Apply the dye to the outer edges of the
fabric, the fabric between each sunburst and
the center of each sunburst.
 Stripes Tie Dye Technique
• Lay the fabric flat.
• Accordion fold the fabric from the bottom up.
• Secure with rubber bands.
• Apply the dye to the fabric.
• Flip the fabric over and repeat on the
backside.
• Read only
• *For this particular design only two colors of
dye were used. Black dye was applied to
the ends, completely saturating the fabric up
to the rubber bands. Then green dye was
applied to the center section – completely
saturating the fabric, up to the rubber bands.
The fabric was then flipped over and the dye
was repeated on the backside. As the dye
processes it will seep through the fabric and
create the ombre effect, as shown above.
 Spiral Tie Dye Technique
• Lay the fabric flat.
• Pinch the fabric in the center.
• Begin twisting the fabric in a circular motion and
continue until all of the fabric is in a spiral shape.
• Secure the spiral with three rubber bands,
creating a wedge effect, as shown above.
• Apply the dye to the fabric.
• Flip the fabric over and repeat on the
backside.
 Read only
• * For this particular design three different colors
of dye were used. Yellow dye was applied to
three consecutive wedges. Then, overlapping one
of the yellow wedges, magenta dye was applied
to three consecutive wedges. Lastly, overlapping
two of the magenta wedges, green dye was
applied to three consecutive wedges, with a
heavy concentration on the center wedge – as
shown above. The fabric was then flipped over
and the dye was repeated on the backside.
 Bullseye Tie Dye Technique
• Lay the fabric flat.
• Pinch the fabric in the center.
• Pull the fabric upward into a cone shape.
• Secure with rubber bands.
• Apply the dye in sections.
• Flip the fabric over and repeat on the
backside.
 Read only
• * For this particular design one color of dye
was used. Dye was applied to each section,
leaving the fabric near each of the rubber
bands untouched. The fabric was then flipped
over and the dye was repeated on the
backside. As the dye processes, it will seep
through the fabric and create the ombre
effect, shown above.
Material/Equipmen
t needed for the
Tie Dye Process
• Something to Dye - The first thing you need is
the item you wish to dye. You just need to
make sure it is at least 60% cotton.
• Something to Tie With - You also need rubber
bands or string to tie up the item you will be
dyeing.
• Fabric Dye - When it comes to dye, you have a
few options. RIT brand dye, Dylon dye, etc.
• Protective clothing – Anything will do (an old
t-shirt or even a large plastic bag) just as
long as it covers your cloth.
• Rubber Gloves - To protect your hands from the
dye.
• Squirt or Spray Bottles - Can be used to apply
some brands of dye.
• Salt - Used with RIT dye to help make darker
colors more vibrant.
• Newspaper and/or Plastic Garbage Bag - Used
to protect your work area.
• Rags, Paper Towels, Cleanser - For quick
cleanup