Tie Dye Using Dharma Fiber Reactive Dyes

Traditionally, tie-dye was a pattern of color made by preventing the dye from reaching some areas of the material while soaking the whole thing in a tub of one color. Folding, tieing, stitching, crumpling or otherwise preparing the fabric inhibits the flow of the dye and leaves a pattern. Nowadays, to get the multi-colored tie-dyes you see everywhere, the following methods are used: Most folding, scrunching & twisting is done starting with the wet shirt flat on a plastic covered table. The pattern of the folds and ties, and where the colors are squirted dictates the resulting design. Figure maybe 4 oz of dye liquid per average T-shirt if you want it completely colored with little white left. With experience, the end result can be predicted and controlled to some extent, but surprise is part of what makes tie-dye an exciting and interesting art form - and there will be plenty of surprises.

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1. Fold and/or tie the fabric into the desired patterns.The designs will be more defined if you wet the shirt and squeeze or spin out excess water before folding.	2. Wear your dust mask and dissolve 1 cup (8 oz.) of Soda Ash Fixer per gallon of warm water. Soak the tied garments about 5-15 minutes (until saturated). Reuse solution until gone. Squeeze out excess so garment is just damp, not dripping. 1 gallon of soak enough for ~10 adult T-shirts.	3. 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. Easiest to use a funnel to pour dissolved dye into squeeze bottles. Dye Formula: 8 oz. cup of warm water (Enough to dye ~2 adult T-shirts) (not hot, body temperature) 2 to 8 teaspoons of Dharma Fiber Reactive Dye Some colors are noted with * on the Fiber Reactive dye page (Colors with no * = 2 teaspoons) (One * = 4 teaspoons) (Two ** = 8 teaspoons) 1 tablespoon Urea (dissolve in hot water first). 1/4 teaspoon water softener (if needed) Sodium Alginate Thickener (A little to slow spreading, and control color, if desired.)
4. Put fabric (still tied) in a plastic bag (the idea is to keep it wet and chemically active - any method of keeping it wet is O.K.) and let sit for at least 4 hours but preferably 24 hours to "cure". Shorter times work better in summer, and longer times are needed when it is cold. (over 70ºF best)	5. Remove from bag 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 garments are untied, until water runs fairly clear. Have your washing machine pre-filled with hot water with Synthrapol and throw in the clothing as soon as it is rinsed, running it through a full cycle.

• Dye shirt a solid color first using Tub Dyeing Method, then tie-dye using above method.
• After step 4, untie and re-tie in contrasting pattern.
• After tie-dyeing item, re-tie and use Discharge paste to bleach out a contrasting pattern.
• Sprinkle pure Procion powder onto tied and pre-soaked item for different effect (super intense color. Use a salt shaker with lots of salt and some dye for a lighter application)
• Put a small amount of Sodium Alginate thickener into dye mixture (step 3) to slow down the rate that the dye spreads and to create sharper edges.
• In step 4 any method keeping the fabric wet is OK, needn't be a plastic bag - cover many with plastic drop cloth, wrap in plastic wrap, etc. The warmer the temperature where you lay out your tie-dyes to cure, the quicker the chemical reaction. (over 70ºF is best!)
• Use Water Softener if you suspect you have "hard" water.
• DON'T USE HOT WATER. The dyes work best in warm water (105 degrees) except #25, which can be used slightly warmer. #250 does like hot water and doesn't do well for tie-dye.
• SODA ASH IS HARD ON SILK AND SILK BLENDS LIKE RAYON/SILK VELVET. We have separate directions for tie dying silk in the microwave with vinegar. For silk blends, you can use baking soda as mentioned below. You can use Soda Ash at room temperature if you use less Soda Ash per gallon, soak only until wet, and cure no longer than 4-6 hours. Silks and silk blends vary in their sensitivity, so sometimes you have to experiment with how much Soda Ash exposure you can get away with and not have the fabric "rot" or tear easily.
• Urea helps dye to dissolve, so dissolve the Urea in water first. Add this water to the dye powder gradually and paste it up to avoid lumps. Undisolved dye makes "explosions" of color or "freckles", so if a color is difficult to dissolve, straining through some light fabric might be necessary. Coffee filters only work if the dye is really liquid. Otherwise, they filter out too much of the dye.
• If you have trouble making a paste of the colors, a little Calsolene Oil can help because it breaks the surface tension.
• Cover your work surfaces with old newspapers or folded paper towels to absorb extra dye. Wear old clothes! After applying dye to one side, flip garment over and repeat the process. Inject the tip of the squeeze bottle into the folds for best dye penetration and less white on the final product.
• With this dye, there is always lots of "excess dye" to be washed out. Don't crowd your washing machine with too much tie-dye or the water gets too muddy and so will your tie-dyes. Delicate items, especially rayon, are better hand washed or should go into a mesh bag on a gentle cycle so the agitation doesn't shred them.
• Planning a tie-dye party? We can make it easier with our Group Tie-Dye Instructions.