Getting Vibrant Colors with Tie-dying

When I tell most people that I make tie-dye clothing, I usually get responses like, "Yeah, I used to do that in the sixties." People think of camp projects where you take rubberbands and place them randomly on a shirt and dump the shirt into a big pot of dye. The colors were weak and usually faded after a few washings.

Times have changed.

I started experimenting with tie-dying to make gifts for my husband, using tie-dye kits from a craft store. These are great when working with kids or for experimenting, as they have simple instructions. The dyes didn't fade as much as the old school tie-dyes I did in college, but still they weren't of professional quality.

I since have done a lot of research to find out how to get the best results. It starts with the fabric. We use only 100% cotton clothing bought from Dharma Trading Company, a company specializing in clothing blanks and fabric arts. Most clothing is treated with chemicals which make them more resistant to dying, so it is important to buy clothing that is chemical free. We also wash our clothing in Synthrapol, a fabric detergent, to remove any dirt and oils from the clothing prior to dying to prevent uneven color where we don't want it. The clothing is then soaked in soda ash solution, a mild alkali, for at least 20 minutes which enables the bonding of the dye with the fabric.

We use only Procion MX dyes to give our clothing more lasting color. The dye is mixed with urea which is a moisture drawing agent. This helps keep the clothing damp during the curing process, leading to more brilliant colors. We also mix a small amount of sodium alginate in with the dye to thicken it. This gives us more control over where the dye goes on the fabric. After dying, the clothing must stay damp for at least 12 hours for the fabric to bond with the dye. Longer times are needed in colder climates. ALL DYING SHOULD BE DONE IN A WELL VENTILATED AREA. While the chemicals used are not known to cause severe harm, it is always important to have adequate ventilation when mixing or working with any chemicals.

After the color has set, the clothing is rinsed in very hot water to remove excess dye. Most amateur tie-dyers make the mistake of rinsing in cold water to prevent color fading. However, cold water will not remove excess dye and will lead to bleed out in future washings and on skin. If the proper procedure and chemicals were used for dying, the color will not wash out with hot water. After the clothing is rinsed, we then wash the items with Synthrapol in the washing machine, also using hot water. This further removes excess dyes. After the clothing is washed and dried, it is washed yet another time with vinegar in hot water. This helps prevent dye from bleeding when coming into contact with other chemicals from perspiration and precipitation.

You can witness the bright colors of our clothing by checking out our store at http://www.kizmetkreations.com/