Scrunch dyeing?

[TheGooman7]

Hey, I'm new to this and I'm wondering what would be the best technique to dye a scrunch fold to produce nice results.  I suppose there are some better pointers than "just randomly apply up to three colors that go well together," which is basically what I've found so far.

Gus

[pburch]

I like the trial-and-error experience of cramming a piece of fabric tightly into a small container and just trying different dyes (try one premixed color to see the colors separate out unexpectedly!), but Joyce White Vance has provided much more detailed instructions in an article entitled Crackle Dye on Fabric.

Paula

[TheGooman7]

Thank you!  This is a great low-immersion dye method.  However, I was thinking more something I could do using squirt bottles, in a non-immersed fashion.

[ktaltre]

A good non immersion method for scrunch dyeing is to place the fabric or article of clothing flat on the table and start pinching up the cloth evenly with your fingers. One tries for about a half inch height in the scrunches. I usually try ending up with a round scrunched shape. Then take string or other tyeing material and start going around and around the shape making pie shaped triangles with the string tightening (but not too tight) up at each turn and then tie off.

You can start with wet or dry cloth, soda soaked or not cloth.

If the soda ash is in the cloth, then the dye isn't activated; if the cloth is not soda soaked, then the dye needs to be activated.

Usually the dye is applied with squirt bottles. The first color is usually a light color and subsequent colors can be darker.
The first color is often applied heavily while the subsequent colors are applied sparingly.

All the tie dye dvd's out there show the scrunch done in different ways, wet/dry, with soda ash in the cloth and not, and show the dye applied in different ways. The results are all somewhat different.
k. taltre

[pburch]

Here's another set of illustrated instructions, similar to the above: Dharma's Crystal Wash Technique Tutorial. It's closer to tie-dyeing, with a soda ash presoak, which increases the contrast and decreases the separation of pre-mixed colors.

Paula

[TheGooman7]

Alright!  This definitely helps.  I'm going to make my tie-dye tomorrow and I'll be sure to put up pictures! 

[ktaltre]

Thanks Paula, for your great website and for reminding me about Dharma's various directions.
k. taltre

[TheGooman7]

Ok, I've done my tie-dye and I must say I'm very pleased!  I'm a bit anal retentive so I had to actually go out and do it to start gelling with the fact that tie-dyeing really is an imprecise science of sorts.

I did a combination heart/scrunch using a squeeze bottle for the heart areas, squirting over the top while squeezing the wad some, then stabing the tip into the pleats a little bit, and dunking the rest, tied, in shallow yub of dye, holding it for about 4 or 5 seconds on each side, then gently squeezing out (and into the pleats) the excess dye.
The first wasn't as nice as I'd hoped, but still OK.  I used rubber bands to tie that one, which really defined the heart outline, and used yellow for the center, hoping for a more orange blend.  The second I was sure to really exagerate the heart more and I tied it with a kind of yarn instead, which resisted the dye less (more to my liking) and offered more control over the pleats, but I still used bands for the scrunch as I felt it was easier to keep tight thus.  I used orange for the center of the second instead of yellow and added a surface application of navy blue to the scrunch to give it more depth.
All and all, I'm very happy with my shirts.  The first is for me (the experimental one, of course) as the second is for my girlfriend, a major fan of tie-dye apparel ^__^.

Thanks again!

1st





2nd





**EDIT**
Sorry for the delay, everyone.

These shirts were done at school as something to do during AP Chemistry now that the test has passed and the year is basically over.  Unfortunately, I didn't inquire much as to what supplies were being provided us.  So I asked later, after the fact, to find...brace yourselves...

It was R.I.T. dye 

So I've rinsed my shirts and lost a lot (since we dyed with cold water): gone is the killer contrast provided by the acid dye  ,  and the wonderful white, thanks to bleeding direct dye  (I've already ordered some Retayne to prevent further bleeding).


Rinsed 2nd




Yet, although I much prefer the way they looked before, I'm still happy with my shirts =D.

[Legion]

Pictures not working for me?

Maybe upload them to a photobucket.com account? (free to open)

I would LOVE to see these shirts!

[TheGooman7]

Sorry, I don't know why I hadn't thought to use mine (I linked to my yahoo briefcase instead ^_^;; ).  The edited post should be fine now.

[pburch]

Thanks for fixing the pictures. You did an excellent job of tying. It's a pity about the fading, but since you know what kind of dye to use next time, that won't happen to you again. Was that your first experience of tie-dyeing?

Paula

[TheGooman7]

Your welcome, and thank you!  Yes, it was (but backed by the wealth of information afforded me here  ).

[Releaf]

Ok, I've done my tie-dye and I must say I'm very pleased!  I'm a bit anal retentive so I had to actually go out and do it to start gelling with the fact that tie-dyeing really is an imprecise science of sorts.

I really identified with this statement.  I've been doing tie-dye for a couple of years now and it's taken me almost that long to just let go and let things happen.  There are aspects of it that you can control and other aspects that you will never control.  Of course, that's the beauty of tie-dye, but it's sure hard for us anal-retentive types to let go, isn't it?

By the way, that's a wonderful first attempt!  My first attempt only sees the light of day when I wear it to my workshops to show people what can go wrong if you don't pay attention!!!!

Releaf

[TheGooman7]

Haha, thank you very much.  I gave the better of the two shirts to my girlfriend (a definite tie-dye fan) and she loved it! ^_^

And, yes, it is difficult to let go, but I figure people like us could use that every once in a while *smirk*.