Tie Dying With The Masses - How To Group Tie Dye In The Classroom
I’ve loved tie dying ever since I dipped tightly rubber banded t-shirts into tubs of Rit Dye in elementary school. The colors and patterns were magical, but the fun part was wearing my creation!
Several years later and I was in The Brightside Tie Dye Emporium in Brattleboro, VT. Upon checking out with a bag of goodies, I noticed a small sign that announced that the owner was running a class in tie dying. I signed up immediately and soon learned the mysteries of making eye catching, non-fading t-shirts in myriads of colors and patterns. Beyond using the information to create pieces to sell at local farmer’s markets, I also used it in school and summer camp so that kids could make delightful pieces of their own. The pride they showed when wearing shirts they made themselves was justified. They were truly gorgeous.
I’m about to describe the method I used with the groups of kids. I’m sure there are different and better ways, but this worked great for me. The dyes to use are Procion Fiber Reactive Dyes. I always bought mine as a dry powder so that the dye would have a much longer shelf life. If you want to do this on a limited scale, try buying three or so colors. Remember, the colors can be mixed! Dyes, chemicals, and squirt bottles can be bought from the source given at the bottom of the article, though there are several other purveyors, too. Pro just happened to be the company I used. They also sell small booklets detailing how to create certain designs are are well worth the few dollars they cost. Any other materials may be purchased at the local Wal-Mart, K-Mart, or grocery store. The key is that I wanted the shirts to be non-fading and last a long, long, long time. If fading is not an issue, Rit Dyes are far less expensive and much easier to use. If you want to create something that will be regularly worn and still stunning three years from now, here’s the deal…
Here is our method for group tie dying. It’s a lot of work, so roll up those sleeves and enlist the parent volunteers!
1)Buy the shirts on sale. We get Large and Xlarge for sixth graders. I do not take pride into account when we do shirts. No one that I’ve met wants a shirt that looks like Spandex! I put several mothers in 4XL, and though they said they would use them for sleep shirts, they sure looked comfortable!
2)You will now need to wash the shirts to remove any grease that was left on the threads from processing. Wash shirts in HOT water with ¼ cup of washing soda or Pro-Dye Activator and ¼ cup of Synthrapol. Rinse on COLD. Dry shirts
3)Put a different number on the tag of each shirt in permanent marker.
4)Make a solution of 5 gallons of tap water to 3 cups of soda ash or Pro-Dye Activator. You will need four or five batches of this in one tub. I use my large sink for this. Add the shirts; up to 18 at a time, and let sit in the solution for 15 minutes. Wearing rubber gloves, squeeze out and put in washer. Set washer to final spin, and spin with no water coming into tub for rinse. Place shirts in a garbage bag to prevent them from drying.
5)Mix dyes with distilled water up to one week before dying. To one quart of distilled water in an old blender, add the following:
¼ cup of dye
Fuschia
Bright Orange
Golden Yellow
Deep Purple
Raspberry (reddish purple)
½ cup of dye
Turquoise (FOAMS!)
Kelly Green
Cobalt Blue (FOAMS!)
1 cup of dye
Better Black
6)Store the dyes in squirt bottles and clean milk jugs.
7)Keep folded shirts on a "grid table" when dying.
8)Wrap shirts in seran wrap. Get this from a kitchen / restaurant supply firm.
9)Let shirts sit wrapped for two days.
10)While filling washer (top loading only), take rubber bands off clothes (wear rubber gloves) and toss in washer (12 - 18). Wash and rinse on cold. Then wash on HOT with ¼ cup of synthrapol and rinse cold. Dry in drier.
11)Wash with dark clothes the first few times, but shirt will be colorfast.
Dyes and supplies are available from Pro Chemical and Dye Company of Somerset, MA.
Have fun!
How to Tie Dye Shirt | Choose 4 Me Best Online Article SolutionHere is our method for group tie dying. It is numerous work, so roll up these sleeves and enlist the parent volunteers!1) Purchase the shirts on sale. We get Large and Xlarge for sixth graders. I don’t take delight underHow to Tie Dye Shirt DesignsHere is our methodology for group tie dying. It’s a lot of work, so roll up these sleeves and enlist the guardian volunteers! 1) Purchase the shirts on sale. We get Massive and Xlarge for sixth graders. I do not take pleasure under Tie Dying with the masses – How To Tie-Dye group classroom-O I always loved tie die when I dipped rubber bands T-shirt in tanks Rit Dye in primary school. The colors and patterns are magical, but the fun part was.
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The first step to tie-dying underwear is its pre-treatment. This involves washing the underwear to remove anything that might hinder the coloring. At times, certain dyes require the fabric to be chemically treated before it can be dyed. Details for such a treatment are generally printed on the dye container. The next step is to determine a pattern and tie the underwear in the appropriate places to achieve it. The next step is the simplest. With the help of the spray gun, apply the dye on the requisite spots. Once the fabric has dried, the tie-dye underwear is ready for use.
After gathering all the materials that you need, the next step is to spend some time practicing. You don’t want to ruin those shirts, no matter how old they are, so it’s better to practice on some scraps of fabric first. Put on the gloves then try your very first tie dye. You will get different results as you tie dye each and every fabric so you could experiment on how tight or how loose you would want to tie your shirt.
After knowing what your materials are, you have to know how to use these materials. First, take the white shirt and dip it in a bucket of half cup salt. Dip the fabric in the mixture for 7-10 minutes. Remove excess water and afterward dry the shirt. These wrinkled shirts shall be used for your patterns.
1. Get out your bottle to mix the dye. A mustard or mayonnaise bottle would be perfect for the job. Pour the dye concentrate into the bottle and add water. Shake it really well and let it sit. Note: some dye may already come in a bottle and no mixing will be required.
In 2005 South African Fashion Week was alive with tie-dyed finishes, represented in the ranges of Stoned Cherrie, Marion & Lindie, Black Coffee, Sun Goddess, JJ Schoeman and Vino Moodley. Gavin Rajah did his bit at Cape Town Fashion Week.


