Tie-Dye: Dye It, Wear It, Share It

269 Pages·2013·9.36 MB·English

by  Shabd Simon-Alexander

Copyright © 2013 by Shabd Simon-Alexander All rights reserved.
Published in the United States by Potter Craft, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc.,
New York.
www.crownpublishing.com
www.pottercraft.com
POTTER CRAFT and colophon is a registered trademark of Random House, Inc.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Simon-Alexander, Shabd.
Tie-dye: dye it, wear it, share it / Shabd Simon-Alexander.
--First Edition
pages cm
1. Tie-dyeing. I. Title.
TT853.5.S56 2013
746.6′64—d;c23
2012048014
eISBN: 978-0-30796574-5
Still-life photography by Sarah Anne Ward
Photography direction and styling by JoJo Li
Illustrations by JoJo Li
Model and author photography by Paul Mpagi Sepuya
v3.1
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
How to Use This Book
ALL ABOUT TIE-DYE
The Art of Dyeing
Tie-Dye Around the World
MATERIALS
Setting Up
General Tools
Dyes and Additives
Getting to Know Fabrics
DESIGN CHOICES
Easy Color Theory
Playing with Time
Color Mixing
Choosing Colors
Advanced Thinking
HOW TO TIE-DYE
Direct Application Dyeing
Immersion Dyeing
THE PROJECTS
Lightning Tee
Geode Skirt
Cosmic Leggings
Crystalline Scarf
Circle Pillows
Polka-Dot Dress
Spiral Tees
Double Twist Dress
Color-Blocked Socks
Ripple Blanket
Sunshine Tunic
Indigo Button-Down
Classic Striped Tee
Lattice Tablecloth
Kaleidoscope Blouse
Shibori Napkins
Mountain Peaks Tee
Tritik Scarf
Starfish Romper
Watercolor Dress
Dip-Dye Tote
Ombré Day Gown
PROBLEM SOLVING
CHEAT SHEET
DIFFERENT TYPES OF DYE
GLOSSARY
RESOURCES
PHOTO CREDITS
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
INDEX

INTRODUCTION
My introduction to tie-dye happened by chance. I was at a garden party
where the host had set up an area for tie-dyeing with bottles of brightly
colored dye laid out on a picnic table. She gave me a five-minute lesson,
and I was hooked. I knotted up old T-shirts and tie-dyed into the night, long
after everyone else left. I ended up spending the rest of the summer in that
community garden playing with my newfound obsession.
Having studied fine art and photography in school, I was still searching
for a distinctive way to express myself, and something about tie-dye really
spoke to me. I found it to be the perfect medium with which to experiment
and have fun with design. The combination of the planned and the
unpredictable is what makes it so enjoyable. I love the surprises that come
out of it—many of my favorite results have been happy accidents!
Another thing that makes tie-dye so wonderful is that every piece is truly
unique and one-of-a-kind. Patterns can be organic or geometric, colors
bold and vibrant or subtle and sophisticated. The possibilities are truly
endless.
When I first started tie-dyeing, I searched all over for inspiration and
information. I couldn’t find anything new, just the same summer-of-love
designs I had seen a thousand times before. While I appreciate the role that
these patterns played for generations, I knew that tie-dye had potential far
beyond what many people might expect. I was determined to see how far I
could take this exciting hand-dyeing art. I spent a year exploring its many
variations; experimenting with different fabric, color, and pattern
combinations. I found inspiration everywhere from marble crosscuts and
modern art to the architectural elements on skyscrapers and bridges. One
of the things that inspired me the most were pictures of space from NASA’s
Hubble Space Telescope. I used these images of farway nebulas as the
inspiration to create a design for a pair of leggings. I got such a great
response every time I wore them that I decided to start a small line of hand-
dyed jersey basics. Over the years, my dye project developed into a full-
fledged fashion line that is now found in boutiques all over the world.
People had such a positive response, not only to the clothing itself, but
also to the fact that my pieces are made by hand. And what’s more, they
were thrilled by the idea that they could make something similar
themselves. I realized that I didn’t want to keep the knowledge I had gained
to myself so I began to share it in workshops and classes.
I love the look on people’s faces as they see their creations come to life.
Tie-dye is virtually impossible to do incorrectly, so it is the perfect artistic
project for those of us with more enthusiasm than technical skill. It is easy
to learn, and open to interpretation to suit your own personal style. The
more you experiment with it, the more you’ll see that just by tweaking one
simple element, you can achieve vastly different results. Exploring these
endless possibilities is what makes tie-dye so addictive.
My love for tie-dye has grown madly over the years, and I have found
teaching it so rewarding that I want to share it with a wider audience. In this
book, I reveal all of my secrets to you, and I hope to inspire you to share my
love of dyeing and to have fun!
HOW TO USE THIS BOOK
In the first part of this book, I give you a little background on what tie-dye is
and how you do it. This section is packed with information on how to set up
your work area and what materials you need, and provides a step-by-step
overview of the basic dyeing process. It will be helpful to read this section
before you begin dyeing, as the projects later on will refer back to it. Readers
who are ready to tackle more advanced dyeing will also find some color
theory and design concepts to help guide creative choices.
In the second part of the book, I’ll show you some of my favorite project
ideas. I know some of you will want to move straight to this section. These
projects feature different tying methods so you can see how simple changes
can create interesting new patterns. I’ve rated the projects by difficulty,
from beginner-friendly to advanced. There are also several projects,
including the Lightning Tee, the Crystalline Scarf, and the Indigo Button-
Down, that are especially quick and easy. I have included the curing time for
each project, but please keep in mind that for most dyeing projects you
should allow at least an hour for the rest of the process, including setup,
dyeing, and cleanup. In the interest of streamlining the instructions, I’ve
also included a cheat sheet at the back of the book. Download this and use
it while you dye.
While I provide all of the information that you need for each project, I
encourage you to simplify when possible, experiment, and generally enjoy
the process. I note the colors I used for each of the samples photographed,
but feel free to choose your own—that’s one of the best parts of dyeing
things yourself! Experiment with mixing techniques; try a tying method
from one project with the dyeing process of another. Use the lessons in this
book as a jumping-off point, and remember there is no wrong way to tie-
dye. The possibilities are endless; go play!