How To Tie Dye A 'V' Pattern
Brad Garrett
How to Tie Dye A 'V' Pattern Category: Arts and Crafts Author: Brad Garrett Published on: 10/20/2008 Refference to: Tie Dye Instructional DVD
Making tie dyes can be very fun, but you need to take precautions when working with the chemicals. Make sure to wear a dust mask when working with the chemicals and use some kind of gloves to prevent the chemicals getting on your hands.
Choose a good work environment where an accident won't destroy something. Spilling one jar of dye can leave permanent splash stains many feet away.
To tie dye a basic swirl design begins by soaking your 100% cotton into the soda ash solution that comes with your tie dye kit. Wring out the cotton and reserve the soda ash solution for other garments.
Lay the shirt on the folding surface with the tag facing you. Fold the shirt in half, so the sleeves are together. Use a washable marker to draw a slow arching line from the shoulder area to the navel area.
Create pleats or fan folds by pinching the cotton between your fingers along the line. To do this, place your thumbs on either side of the line where the shirt starts. Each thumb should be about 1 inch away from the line. Your thumbs will hold the cotton down, use your index fingers, at the same time, to "pinch an inch" of the cotton.
Don't let go of the cotton you just pinched. Push your index finger tips into the cotton so it will not slide. Now use your middle fingers, at the same time, to "pinch another inch" of cotton.
The pattern for the holds is to use your thumbs and index fingers to hold the folds you have already created. Use the fingernail side of your index finger and your middle fingers to "pinch" in the new cotton.
The pleats can be any size, but typically they are around 3/4 to 1 inch tall. The smaller the pleats the more folds and "tie dye" effect you will get.
Continue to create the fan folds along the line you drew on the shirt. When you are done folding along the line you should have a bunch of fan folds and a straight line going down the middle.
Use two or three rubber bands to hold the folds together. Place the rubber bands 2 to 3 inches apart. Make sure to use rubber bands that are large enough so they won't make the fan folds collapse under the pressure.
So far you would have a series of fan folds in the middle of the shirt, and the rest of the shirt is not folded or organized in any way.
You can finish the tie dye in any number of ways. You could dip the remaining cotton, which would give a solid color. Or you could fan fold the remaining cotton and secure it with rubber bands.
Mix your dyes according to the distributer's instructions. You can make the dyes in buckets, jars, squirt bottles, or what ever meets your needs. Knowing how you're going to apply the dyes can help you determine the best way to make the dyes.
You can apply the dyes to the cotton in many different ways. Turkey basters, eye droppers, squirt bottles, sponge brushes, dipping or what ever meets your needs.
You can place your cotton over some kind of grate the dyes can drip through or just flat on the table. Be careful if you go with on the table because you might look down and see the dyes running off the table.
Apply the first color along the line that runs down the middle of the fan folds that you drew. Make the color stripe about 1/2 to 1 inch wide. This is the direction all of the dyes will be applied in. Apply the next color to either the left or the right of the first color. You will continue this pattern until the entire shirt, on this side, has color on it.
Flip the shirt over and repeat this process. You can place the exact same colors in the exact same location or you can mix it up and change the color pattern and placement.
Once the entire shirt has been colored, let it set for a while. The dyes will bond better with the cotton the longer they have to set. If the dyes rub off on your gloves you might want to wait a while longer.
Fill your washer up with warm or hot water. Use 1 tablespoon of detergent for each shirt. Use at least 2 tablespoons. The dyes will continue to wash out for at least a couple more washes, so make sure to separate with like colors. http://www.phatdyes.com/howto/video.htm
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