Color Samples

So, as I made some dyes today, I took a few samples.

• I had to test how much black was necessary
• Tried to make Rit Blue 438 (1 TBS Royal Blue, 1 tsp Black, 1 c. water, 1/2 cup salt), but it was too dark
• Berry (2 1/2 tsp. Purple, 2 tsp. Fuschia), I think I went light on the purple
• Sunspot Orange - now I can't remember if this is straight orange or not, think it is
• lemon orange - this was supposed to be a sunspot yellow, but orange is too strong
• lemon yellow - straight
• Zen Green (3 tsp. lemon, 1/2 tsp. kelly green, 1 c. water, 1/2 cup salt) *I love this one

 the blue did not look like this, might try again

Uh Oh, the problem with RIT dye

only use Rit for hot dip dye

Skirts & Dresses Inspiration

Dharma Trading has these skirts and dresses in white:
Skirts
Spaghetti Strap Dresses

Tank Dresses

Shortsleeve Dresses

Long Sleeve Dresses

Four Type Palettes in designs

Spiral in Type 1 Tints

Spirals in Type 2 Tones, better with less variety to blend more

Spiral with Type 3 Shades

Type 4 colors, but a spiral isn't really chic enough for T4

Rit Dyes on different fabrics

click for larger

Uh Oh, the problem with RIT dye

only use Rit for hot dip dye

challenge: rasta shirt

Dharma Trading has a "my palette" tool, where you can pull colors off their list and see if they make the combination you want. http://www.dharmatrading.com/html/eng/3796-AA.shtml?lnav=dyes.html

Here I've chosen chinese red, deep yellow and forest green.

I will post when I try this shirt.

How to Mix Your Own Custom Colors

it's hard to find aubergine, try purple instead

Color Mixing

Simple rules:

• a lot of fuchsia and a little yellow make red
• red and yellow make orange
• yellow and turquoise^* make green
• a lot of turquoise^* plus a little fuchsia makes blue
• turquoise^* plus fuchsia makes purple^*(remember to double the amounts of turquoise as compared to other colors)

Rit Colors

Here is the range of Rit colors available.  

But you can also mix them to create up to 500 colors.

http://www.ritdye.com/store/

Here's a sample of the Blue-Green shades you can mix.

Here's the Red-Violet Shades.  Visit the page to view the full range.

http://www.ritdye.com/colorit_color_formula_guide

Uh Oh, the problem with RIT dye

only use Rit for hot dip dye

Dip Dye vs. Squeeze Bottles

When I did tie dye before as a teen, or when I've dyed clothes, I have always used the dip dye method.  So the new methods using squeeze bottles are a cool new idea.  But they don't always prove to be the best method, certainly aren't always as even, if that's what you're going for.

HOT So only use RIT for hot dip dye

COLD For cold dye in a squeeze bottle, use Dharma Trading, Jacquard, Dylon,  orTulip Dharma Fiber Reactive Procion Dyes

Challenge: Clover

I also really want to figure out how to make a four leaf clover:
like in this video

The rainbow is probably done by folding the shirt in half and doing accordion folds... and maybe the clovers are done with dental floss, like the mickey head?

Here's a tutorial using a different folding pattern:

http://tie-dyewiki.com/wikinew/index.php?title=Shamrock

Ok, so here are my very first beginning efforts:

the colors are all wrong, but what I did here was to hand draw the leaves of the clover and then bunch up each section and rubber band them off

here I decided to actually use the dye as paint and use a paint brush to create a shamrock, only problem is it runs

Challenge: Sunflower

I really want to figure out how to make this:

inspiration pic found online,
but no tutorial

So I think it's a bullseye with a brown center (you mix the 3 primary colors?) and yellow surrounding that, leaving a bit of white and then marbled green everywhere else.

Here's my first attempt and I am way disappointed, but it give me ideas about what to do next.

1. use better dyes, these were from a cheap kit
2. accordion the petals better and maybe double dye them with 2 shades of yellow?
3. avoid a white line around the center brown spot by dip dying it without banding there
4. create more of the white light effect around the petals by using more rubber bands?

5/24/13 attempt 1
now that's just sad :(

I'm working on try two, and using this try #1 to experiment with making shamrocks.

5/25/13 attempt 2
still pretty sad :(

Wow, did not work.  This time what I learned is:

1. I need to use a lot more dye.
2. I forgot that I wanted the yellow to go partway and the white to be only on the edge.
3. Maybe I will try doing the brown center after the yellow has completely dried?
4. And the brown is still wrong.  Maybe I will try coffee?

Welcome

I started this blog after I went to my first tie dye party 5/18/13.  It was so fun, I thought I'd start to collect simple tie dye instructions here.  Because, really, how the heck do you do these?

To start, here's a cool diagram:

Thanks for visiting,