Monochrome tie-dyeing

Tie-dyeing is a lot of fun, but sometimes three or four colors can be a little wild. That's where monochrome tie-dyeing can come in. It's still fun, but calmed down. With extra of work, it can even look somewhat international and sophisticated. The first examples of monochrome tie dye work that I remember seeing were tablecloths sent to my mother from an aunt in China.

You don't need to buy an official kit in order to tie dye. Any dye will work well, even those made from natural sources such as beets or yellow onion skins.However, mordants will be needed.

A mordant is a compound that fixes the dye into the cloth. Salt, alum, and urine are different types of mordants. A store-bought package of dye should list any mordant needed to fix the dye. If you are experimenting with natural dyes, I suggest that you locate a good resource on natural dyeing, especially as different mordants can change the hue of the dye, sometimes significantly. Reader's Digest Back to Basics: How to Learn and Enjoy Traditional American Skills contains a section pertaining to natural dyes. On-line, Textilelinks.com, has a good selection of links to pages on natural dyeing.

Once you have decided on the desired dye and color, it is time to begin the process.

First, read over the directions of the dye. Decide if you wish to make it right away, or after the fabric to be dyed has been prepared.

Most people highly advice using a non-cooking pan or bowl, as dyes or mordants can cause ill effects if ingested. This is a real concern. My grandmother used to use a small drum barrel to do her washing. One day while helping out at a camp, a large container was needed for Kool-Aid. The "washing machine" was produced and used. Not long afterwards, the only one in camp not sick was the one child who didn't like Kool-Aid. Please be careful.

Rubber gloves are also advised to help protect your hands. As to whether or not they are necessary, does depend a little on the dye and mordant, but it is better to err on the side of caution than to suffer skin irritation.

Often rubber bands are used to secure the fabric. Try using different sized ones for different effects. No rubber bands? Hair ties were well. String works does a fairly good job. To get circles on the fabric, pull of nubbins of the fabric and secure. Twisting the nubbins first may give a slightly different result. For stripes, roll the fabric up and secure. Again, twisting may produce different results. For a fancy tie-dyed effect, sew the fabric together in desired shapes.

Immerse fabric in the dye, and let rest for desired length of time. If you are using commercial dye, the instructions will tell you to stir the fabric occasionally. If you desire a uniform color, it would be wise to follow this advice. Otherwise, it is fun to see the different saturation patterns. I recently tie-dyed a shirt with light blue, and the shirt now looks like a sky full of whispy clouds.

If the mordant being used calls for treatment after dyeing, proceed to do so. If not, let the fabric dry (I find that one can usually take off ties now for impatient watchers) before washing.

Enjoy!