How to Tie Dye
Make a basic spiral., Spread your material out on a flat surface., Pinch the center of the fabric with your thumb and two fingers., Twist the fabric while holding it down with your fingers., Close your spiral with your free hand., Band your spiral...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Make a basic spiral.
The spiral pattern is a classic tie dye look.
The basic spiral collects all your fabric together into a single coil.
Using this method of tying, you'll create a design with your design that corkscrews out from the middle point of your spiral., But before you do, make sure the surface is clean! If you are working on a commonly used surface, like a table you eat meals at, leftover food or oil can get on your fabric and ruin your consistency of the pattern made by your dye.
Crumbs wound in your fabric could create light spots in your dye or flecks of white.
Take a damp cloth and wipe off your surface before laying your fabric on it.
You may want to protect the surface on which you are working by laying down a dye resistant mat or disposable cover to work on.
Some common options include cardboard, plastic, and tarps., You only want to gather a very small amount of fabric between your fingers at this point.
The fabric you grasp in your fingers will form the center point of your fabric.
Gathering too much fabric can lead to a large, blob-like center of your spiral. , Keep your spiral as tight and flat as possible.
To help create a regular spiral, you should flatten your fabric against your surface with each full twist of your hand.As you continue to twist, the fabric should begin to form a spiral shape.
You may want to use a tool to help you coil your fabric to give you the tightest spiral possible.
A tighter spiral will result in more coils in the pattern, making it more elaborate.
Some tools you might use to wind your spiral include a blunt fork or the eraser end of a sturdy pencil., Bring the loose end of your spiral and hold it to the main coiled part with the free hand you aren't using to twist the fabric.
Pull the outside end of your coil tightly so that your spiral is wound as tightly as possible. , Continuing to hold your spiral together with one hand, use your other hand to slide several large rubber bands around the fabric.
You'll want to position them so that they cross at the center of the bundle, stretching from one end of the coil to the opposite side.
Start with four rubber bands and increase the number as you find necessary.
Larger pieces of fabric, fabric wound especially tight, or thicker fabric might need more rubber bands to maintain the spiral. -
Step 2: Spread your material out on a flat surface.
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Step 3: Pinch the center of the fabric with your thumb and two fingers.
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Step 4: Twist the fabric while holding it down with your fingers.
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Step 5: Close your spiral with your free hand.
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Step 6: Band your spiral together.
Detailed Guide
The spiral pattern is a classic tie dye look.
The basic spiral collects all your fabric together into a single coil.
Using this method of tying, you'll create a design with your design that corkscrews out from the middle point of your spiral., But before you do, make sure the surface is clean! If you are working on a commonly used surface, like a table you eat meals at, leftover food or oil can get on your fabric and ruin your consistency of the pattern made by your dye.
Crumbs wound in your fabric could create light spots in your dye or flecks of white.
Take a damp cloth and wipe off your surface before laying your fabric on it.
You may want to protect the surface on which you are working by laying down a dye resistant mat or disposable cover to work on.
Some common options include cardboard, plastic, and tarps., You only want to gather a very small amount of fabric between your fingers at this point.
The fabric you grasp in your fingers will form the center point of your fabric.
Gathering too much fabric can lead to a large, blob-like center of your spiral. , Keep your spiral as tight and flat as possible.
To help create a regular spiral, you should flatten your fabric against your surface with each full twist of your hand.As you continue to twist, the fabric should begin to form a spiral shape.
You may want to use a tool to help you coil your fabric to give you the tightest spiral possible.
A tighter spiral will result in more coils in the pattern, making it more elaborate.
Some tools you might use to wind your spiral include a blunt fork or the eraser end of a sturdy pencil., Bring the loose end of your spiral and hold it to the main coiled part with the free hand you aren't using to twist the fabric.
Pull the outside end of your coil tightly so that your spiral is wound as tightly as possible. , Continuing to hold your spiral together with one hand, use your other hand to slide several large rubber bands around the fabric.
You'll want to position them so that they cross at the center of the bundle, stretching from one end of the coil to the opposite side.
Start with four rubber bands and increase the number as you find necessary.
Larger pieces of fabric, fabric wound especially tight, or thicker fabric might need more rubber bands to maintain the spiral.
About the Author
Karen Knight
Committed to making organization accessible and understandable for everyone.
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