tie - dye day

With the settled spell of weather I decided to have the annual dyeing frenzy. Dyeing for me is not an exact science - whatever happens happens - that's half the fun - the outcome is always unpredictable.

Here's a few notes about how I do it. If the fabric is new then it needs to be washed. I cut the fabric into manageable squares of aproximately 40cms x 40cms. Always follow the manufacturers directions regarding, dyeing time, amount of dye, fix and salt. I let the fabric dry in its folded form then rinse with cold water followed by a hand wash in warm soapy water after each dye.

My three favourite dyeing methods are :-

1. Scrunched method. Crumple the fabric into a ball. Push the scrunched fabric into a leg of a pair of tights. Knot tightly at both end. When dry remove from tights rinse, wash. To obtain exciting results repeat the process in a different coloured dye bath.
 

2. Dip dye method. Drape the fabric over the side of the basin so the fabric is partly immersed. When half the dye reaction time is up, lower the fabric further into the dye bath so that slightly more of the fabric is immersed. Repeat this process with a different colour of dye, dipping the fabric at a different angle, creates interesting results.

3. Pleat fold method. Fold fabric into concertina pleats of about 4cms. Iron so that fold creases are sharp. Tie or peg at intervals along the folded fabric. When dry untie and unfold the fabric, rinse and wash. Refold the fabric at 90 degrees from the original folds, which results in a plaid pattern. Diagonal folding is another option