source for cotton mock turtlenecks

[tiedyejudy]

Anyone out there know of a good source for cotton mock turtlenecks, women's sizes, without ribbed cuffs?  JC Penney has a good sale on right now, but as usual, they are out of most sizes in the cool white or the black...

Judy

[tiedyejudy]

Just an update on my previous comment:  I was a J. C. Penny's last night, and they had the cotton mock turtleneck in the store priced 2 for $15.00.  My store had a plentiful supply of white, so I snatched up an armful, and after taking an online survey, I have a coupon for 15% off my next purchase... might just go back and clean them out!  These are cotton with a little spandex in the collar area.  I am laundering them right now, and will post pix when I get some dyed.  BTW, I also purchased a couple of black ones thru their website, and I plan to discharge dye them.

Judy

[tiedyejudy]

I discharge dyed one of the black shirts I mentioned above, and the result is a little different than previous attempts -- I did a rainbow vee, but the blue did not take, and I got a slight outline below the dye line that looks like a stain... but I like the look, so I went back and bought 8 more!  Here's the shirt:

The price on the shirts was down to $6.99... can't find anything like them from wholesalers, so I think I got a bargain!

Judy

[2D4]

That's an awesome shirt Judy...

I sell alot of the discharged, black base up here
in WA. Hope they goes as well down your way!

Jo

[tiedyejudy]

Thanks, Jo.  Yes, I had good response with my first efforts of discharge dyeing this year.  It is something I had wanted to try for awhile, and I'm pleased with the results so far.  Have you had any problems with fiber damage?  I heard from another dyer that the fibers that are bleached become weakened even if you use Sodium Thiosulfate Crystals to stop the bleach action.  So far, I haven't noticed this problem, have you?

Judy 

[2D4]

I've been discharging for about 10 years now and
I haven't found weakened fibers in discharged items
anymore than normal t-shirt wear & tear. I have never heard back from a
customer concerning early breakdown or holes. (Long time customers...)

When using bleach, I dilute 4:1. Which I use outdoors with a garden pump sprayer.
I've been using thioxide as well, for a more controlled discharge on certain garments that
I know won't discharge well with the bleach solution.

I love the effects of discharge dyeing....

Have fun,
Jo

 

[tiedyejudy]

Thanks for your input, Jo.  Wow!  Ten years!  You must have some pix of some of your work hanging around... how about posting to the gallery?  I would love to see someone else's efforts!  One question:  Using a 4:1 ratio, how long would you normally leave the solution on the shirt?  I was using 50/50 with the shirt I posted earlier, using warm to hot water, and it took about 30 minutes to get the bleached area light enough.  I'm also curious about the results you get with a sprayer.  For my second  attempt, I used a spray bottle, and did not get very good saturation.  The end result was a very faint area that received the dye.  Since then, I have tied my shirt, placed baggies over the areas I don't want bleached and secured with heavy rubber bands, and poured the bleach solution over the area to be discharged.  I usually place the shirt in a shallow dish where I can turn the shirt over periodically to get good saturation.  Once it's light enough, I have a bucket of bleach-stop solution ready to plunge the bleached area into for the agitation period.       
On another note, have you done anything with discharge paste?  That's probably going to be my next step in learning.  I did some experiments a few months ago with a bleach pen before I really got into discharge, and I like the control I had over where the bleaching occurred.   
Again, thanks for all your info... I really want to do more in this area, and welcome any suggestions you may have for improving my techniques!

Judy

[2D4]

Hi Judy,
The bleach solution works quicker when the water is warm to hot...but that isn't always the case.
I fill my gallon sprayer and use it until gone, so it cools off. I usually tie up numerous items to be discharged,
set them out on my bleaching table (a plastic, grid, flourescent light cover, 24 x 36, supported by a wood frame),
spray and flip several times, go do something else, come back and check,
times really seem to vary depending on fabric and original dye used.
When to the desired discharge, I place them in stop, for 5 to 10 minutes, lift them out,
place them on another rack and rinse with the garden hose.
In summer, I leave them out to dry before placing in soda solution. In winter, or if I'm in a hurry,
I spin them out in the washer before placing in soda. I usually let them set after
lifting out of soda or spin them out again. Then dye!

I've tried so many different techniques and variations over the years
and still use many for differing effects. (I play alot!)
I've tried the paste but I've found the recipe using thiox and thickener
works much better. Also, bleach thickener has a different effect.

I'll try to round up some photos though it's the weakest part
of my operation....I'm trying to remedy that. Shirts are usually off the rack
before I get that darn picture taken. Which is good and bad....
I reget not taking more photos...

Jo

[tiedyejudy]

Thanks for your description!  I guess I just need to play a lot more... as for the pix, I wash my items, hanger dry, press (I know, how anal is that!), and grab my digital camera.  I have a spot in my bathroom right next to a window, which normally has a wall hanging taking the space, but I remove that and use the nail in the wall for my hanger.  Step back, click, do the rest, then go directly to the computer to upload.  I add the item to my inventory (assign a number, fill in the description), then save the enhanced & resized picture using a naming convention that incorporates the inventory number.  Then all I have to do is update my website, tag the item, and I'm done.  It sounds worse than it is, but I'm also doing small batches at a time.   At any rate, I can't wait to see some pix from you soon!

Judy

[tiedyejudy]

Well, I just washed the shirt whose picture I posted above, and sadly, it ended up with several holes in the front.  I guess that indicates that these shirts are not made of strong enough fiber to discharge dye.  Now I have to decide if I want to try something else with them, or return them. 


Oddly enough, the holes only happened in front, but that was the side with the most exposure to the bleach. 

Judy

[pburch]

My sympathy, Judy. What a disappointment! It looked so good.

Why do you think it happened? Maybe there was spandex throughout the knit, not just in the collar area. Spandex is very sensitive to bleach.

I've gotten lots of holes from bleach on 100% cotton, but those were all cases of tiny splashes of undiluted bleach, 5% hypochlorite, that I did not know about until after the clothing had been washed and dried, after spending several unneutralized days in a clothes hamper.

Do you still have some of those shirts, not yet discharged? Perhaps another discharge agent, such as Jacquard Discharge Paste, would work, with less damage to the fabric.

Paula

[tiedyejudy]

Hi, Paula.  Yes, I bought a number of the shirts on sale, and have already pre-laundered them, so I am determined to find a method I can use safely to discharge dye them.  The fiber content says 5% spandex in the collar, but I can't really tell.  The feel of the fabric is very soft, like DT's feminine fit softees.  I suspect that I didn't spend enough time with the bleach-stop.  I may cannibalize the damaged shirt and use the unbleached area to experiment on before doing any of the other shirts...  I have discharge paste... just haven't tried it yet.

Stay tuned...

Judy

[pburch]

Warmth might also be a factor. If chlorine bleach works so much better warm than cold, it's probably also much more damaging warm than cold.

I'm betting on the discharge paste as being the best solution. There's no predicting how well it will work, though, until you try it. It might be great; it might not.

Paula

[2D4]

Wow...Bummer...

Sorry to see that happened.

I do discharge some women's shirts that are cotton/spandex blend
(95/5) with my 4:1 ratio and haven't had any problems. (I actually wear one
that is about 3 years old with no holes yet.)

If I can provide any other input let me know.

Jo

[tiedyejudy]

Thanks for your sympathy, Jo!  I'm just glad I kept the shirt instead of selling it.  I would much rather work out the kinks before I sell any!
Forgive my ignorance, but is the 4:1 ratio 4 parts water to 1 part bleach, or vice versa?  Also, I was just reviewing your earlier description of your process, and it doesn't sound like you agitate the pieces when they are in the bleach-stop.  Is that a correct assumption?

Thanks again,

Judy