Ugh.... Blobs.

[Stephig]

Well, I tried my first hearts and guitar... needless to say they look more like blobs. lol

I looked at the reference on the wiki, but apparently I didn't do it correctly. Does anyone have some tips for making the shapes defined??

Here they are:

[tiedyejudy]

It does take a little practice, but here are a few things I have learned:
Dampen the garment before tracing the design and folding
Work at making the accordion folds uniform, and keep the tracing line straight as you fold.  Be sure you are getting both layers of the garment in the fold.
Tie at the tracing line, then tie again about 1/2 out from the first tie.  If cotton string doesn't do the trick, many people recommend using artificial sinew.
Make your heart shape a little more pronounced; i.e., the point at the top should go down a little more, the arches should be a little wider.
It looks like you are doing toddler sized shirts.  These will be a little harder, because there is not as much fabric to work with, and the jersey often is thicker than adult shirts, but it's doable.  Don't give up! 


Judy

[Stephig]

Yeah, it takes a lot of dye to really get into the fabric.
I have a hard time manipulating the fabric to stay with the lines, but it is probably because they are small. (i'm doing this for my online kiddo store  )
I'm not giving up though! Thanks for the advice! Any more is welcome!

[mysticmountainsmama]

I always do stitching on these designs. Just an easy hand basing around the shape will keep tie tight and the contrasting thread stays in place even with the dye is there confusing things. Use thick dye and a damp, not wet shirt and keep trying!!