I wasn't exactly sure wether I should post this here, or in another section of the site......but I will ask in both! Tie Dying......I've been doing it for a while...but simple dyes..such as spirals, spiders, a screw up turning out to be a butterfly instead of a spider....accordian....etc.... But, I have never attempted to put anything on the shirts such as a smiley face or a heart..... I want to attempt dying a heart onto a shirt, but I have no idea how to! I wanted the heart to be a different color than the shirt (i.e. blue shirt, pink heart).........or at LEAST look like a heart (haha) Can anyone help me with the steps in this process?
Hey there, i replied to your PM with some answers to your questions. The three most important things i've learned are: (1) Take your time. A really good shirt can take hours and hours to create. (2) Have fun with it! No matter how crappy you think that shirt turned out, it WILL literally call out to someone, somewhere.. so set free your inner tie-dye artist and don't be afraid to be bold and experiment, and finally (3) between the ties/folds and the dye, there is only so much that is under your control. Every time i unwrap a project, it is a surprise to see what ended up resisting and what didn't; what colors mixed, what colors bled, etc. etc. By its very nature, the medium has a mind of its own. Accept this fact, as it is part of the beauty of the art. Learn to live within those boundaries... learn to tango with the folds and the dyes, and you will create true works of art. Best of luck and make sure to share your creations with us!
Fold the shirt in half. Then lightly trace half of a heart on the fold. Then using really heavy thread sew around this heart with a running stitch. Then pull the stitches up really really tight. This makes the first section of your shirt. You can then do other sections with the rest of the shirt or leave it so the rest of the shirt is one color. Hope this makes sense. It worked for me. Kathi
gee Kathy: you make it sound simple! yes, stitching is the easiest way, and most likely to create a good separation, but you could freehand it. thread will break. expect it and be patient. the tension of the thread will make small white resist spots. I'm a stitcher. soy crayons work best as it washes out well. Other wise, use a color you plan to have on the dye, ie red/pink the rest of the shirt can be folded (radiating designs work best) and banded. www.angelfire.com/biz/TieDyePaul the site I built in college for my sweetie I should get off my butt and finish the book!!!!!
If you use dental floss instead of thread it won't break as easily. I use unwaxed, but in a pinch i've used the waxed type, and it makes tiny dotted resists that are sort of an interesting effect. Some prefer to use artificial sinew. Don't pull so hard that you break whatever you use to bind with... if it's too tight you may end up with more white space than you want... getting the feel for how tight to bind takes some trial and error...
note: sinew is a tie technique, not a stitch technique. I think the best mass-produced hearts come from sinew work. wich I have sparse experience with. I do know it hurts! Dental floss can cut jersey knit like T-shirts. Holes suck. It's good with heavier fabric (I once repaired a canvas tent with floss.)
Iused something like quilting thread and then doubled it. It did break once, but I hadn't done anything else so it was just a matter of restitching it. I like the white line as it sets the heart off. Sinew can really hurt your hands. We made dream catchers as give aways for our wedding. Let me tell you by the time you weave the web for 40 dream catchers your hands are raw. Kathi
I Attempted my first heart last night. It wasn't what I expected it to look like, but is still absolutely beautiful! thank you Aquamarine Starlight, and everyone!
now you see why we stitch! get european threads (swiss/german) its ok if it's on a cone, and make sure it is POLY encased (so it doesn't take the dye or then its a bear to get out) weird things that were meant to be a heart (a new dyer's list of loathesome outcomes) uhhh is it a pig? Oh, cool, an arrowhead! Apples are for computers and salads. so that's where I left my bubble gum!
Hi! I have done a few hearts via the tie method. Here is my latest: I folded a damp shirt in half; traced half a heart centered on the fold line, then accordion folded on the trace line, keeping the line straight. When done folding, I tied with cotton twine at the line, then again about 3/8 inch outside the line. The rest of the shirt was scrunched and dyed with 3 colors. I prefer folding and tying to stitching unless the design is too intricate to be tied. Judy
