About Tie-Dye

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Tie-dye allows you to experiment with color and design. Traditionally, your design takes advantage of your materials and blends colors to achieve your desired effects.

Besides basic tie-die, you can do ice dye, and reverse dye.  You can stencil.

You can apply die with squeeze bottles, or spray bottles or brushes. or sponges

With basic tie-dye the artist folds and ties a fabric item. The artist applies different colors of dyes according to the desired pattern then waits for the chemical reactions that bind the color to the fabric. When the chemistry has completed, the fabric is rinsed to get out the excess die and then washed and dried to be ready to wear.

Ice-Dye is dry dye, at first.  The dye powder is spread on ice. The slow melting of the ice wets the dye and it soaks into the fabric.  You might not tie the fabric at all. You might use fewer colors of die and see the effects of the dye components spread across your fabric.  Different effects and different results are possible with ice dye.

Try to be neat.  We know you make messes sometimes. We let you start with clean stuff and enough space to work and all the stuff ready for work. Saves time, saves mental strain. 

Also, neatness saves money. 

Dyeing uses chemicals.  We can pre-mix they dye so you don't have to.  You don't want to inhale any dye powders or chemical powders. You don't want to get chemicals on your skin either.  Protect your eyes, too.  We have safety equipment for you to borrow, or if you want to own it, you can buy it.

With the hourly rate we supply 3 colors of liquid dye,  and the powdered urea. We supply the soda ash for dyeing plant-based fibers, either as a soak bath or mixed with the dye.  If you need more, you can buy only what you need - you don't need to buy an entire jar - we can sell it by weight or by teaspoon.  

We have printed idea instructions, and screens where you can watch YouTube for ideas and hints.

You can bring your own things to dye, or ask us to get them for you.  Most people dye plain white t-shirts.  You can ask for suggestions too.

Your item needs to be very clean.  Natural oils on your fingers can affect how fabric absorbs the dye. 

The dye we have works with natural fibers. Cotton, linen, rayon, and hemp will give the best results.  Starting with WHITE gives the best colors. We have a washer and strong detergent.

We can dye some other fabrics.  We can get polyester dyes.  They need to be cooked in.  We can dye animal fibers (wool, silk, etc) with different chemical steps.  

You might also want some color science training. We can teach that.