Tie Dye For

In the true crafting spirit of the summer, I decided to partake in a little tie dye this weekend. As I don't have a yard or front porch device at my apartment, my lovely sister let me borrow hers for the project. I don't suggest working with dyes inside the house, I've done it before and apparently they actually change the color of some things...

 This shirt is way too nice, let's rough it up a bit...

Start with one shirt (Pillowcase, dish towel, etc), generally it's a good idea to start small so it'll fit into the dye bath easily. Pick a color, I usually default to blue cause it's my favey, but anything's fun.

 Don't drink the waateeeer...

Boil some water and let it cool a little bit, hot water makes the dye seep in better. You could measure how much water per dye packet you're supposed to use, but it always seems to turn up kind of faint when I do this. I boiled a pot of water, and mixed one packet in. You can use less than that, but at least this way the dye will definitely make a mark.
There are lots of fun ways to tie your shirt up, folding in on itself like an accordian, scrunching it up all crazy like, rolling it up from one end and wrapping it in around itself. I went for the classic spiral look, pinching it in the middle and twisting. Observe.

 Ow! You're pinching me!

Doesn't have to be perfect, the funkier the twist the cooler the design.

 Like a record baby, right round round round

Get it nice and tight, the more compact the bundle is the less dye will seep into the middle and the more contrast you'll have between the colored and the undyed white parts.

When it's all bundled up and rubber banded, soak it in water (Not the dye bath) for a few minutes. The dye seeps into cloth easier when it's wet, so squeeze it a couple of times when it's under the water to really get into all the corners.
Plop that bad boy in the dye bath and make sure it stays totally submerged, I weighted it down with a rock that my sis donated to the cause.

I have devised a most elegant solution.

Now onto the important part of the afternoon, wasting time while the dye bath soaks in. Sis and I had been planning a cutthroat game of Cocktail Croquet for awhile, also a fun summer activity.

Side note? Croquet mallets make excellent zombie weapons... Just sayin...

It was more cocktail than croquet, as we couldn't find the actual instructions we ended up just playing prison rules. Which means lots of extra shots, mulligans, and do overs when the dog (or us) would rip out the wickets.
When enough time has passed (The longer it sits, the darker it'll be, up to you), take it out of the dye bath and wash it out. I had a garden hose at my disposal, so I sprayed it off for a bit then dunked it in some clean water.

So wound up, you need to relax.

 

I alternated sloshing it around in clean water until it turned blue, then again in some fresh water until it stayed clear. Again, nice reason to do all this outside. Although if you're inside, a bathtub works great for this step.

 One of these things is not like the other...

Ta daaaaa! Unfurl your masterpiece and let it soak in the sun.

 Excuse me, do you know where the nearest drum circle is?

My favorite part is seeing what kind of cool pattern you get after all the twisting and rubber banding, you never really know until it's finally done.
For the first couple washes don't put it in with a bunch of white t shirts, most likely it's going to run for a bit. You can also run it through the dryer first to heat set the color, but I'd still recommend keeping it away from impressionable young clothes until it's had a chance to mature.
Until next time, happy crafting!