David Coleman

I use primarily Dharma Trading Company products to create my dyes. This includes cold-water fiber-reactive dyes of all colors, sodium alginate thickener, ludigol to protect dyes from degrading at high temperature, urea to hold moisture in the dyed fabric while it batches, sodium carbonate dye fixer, synthrapol detergent, calsolene oil to improve saturation, as well as a variety of items like kona fabrics, bamboo socks, asymmetrical tunics, etc.

I utilize Dharma dyes to create items by traditional liquid dyeing, modern liquid dyeing (thickened dyes batched using pariah method), as well as ice dyeing and hot water irrigation techniques.

I became interested in tie dyeing sometime in the early 90’s. Both my academic life and my personal life collided in amazing swirling colors of fiber reactive dyes...

While working on a PhD in chemistry, I was exposed to the chemistry of dyes in an organic chemistry laboratory. We had a student lab project involving fiber-reactive dyes. I really enjoyed it. The chemistry is fascinating.

About that same time I attended my first Grateful Dead show. The parking lot scene was overflowing with amazing dyes. I realized I could make dyes like those, and set about learning (it was harder than I expected, but it was worth the struggle to learn). I have been an on again, off again tie Dyer ever since. Now that I’m retired, though, I spend much of my time exploring this amazing art form.

My first few dyed shirts were truly terrible, but I still loved them. With lots and lots of practice, my ability to make what I envision has blossomed. Thankfully, though, there’s still so much more to learn. I hope to be dyeing and learning more about this for many years to come.