natural tie dyeing

after making a trial run a couple of weeks ago with the rosemary dye bath & exhausted onion dye bath, it was about time we actually tried to tie dye actual size piece of fabric, which in my mind, meant CLOTHES !! We bought four teeshirts (one of the each of us) and a tank top (for me), all in 100% organic cotton, and I also cut a piece of cotton gauze the size of a scarf, and we pre mordanted them with carbonate potassium, to remove that damned chemical "finishing" (sorry I couldn't find a better term for that) that textile industry uses for making clothes "so perfect" on the shelves & in the shops. Then we mixed ten liters of water & one liter of soy milk, and soaked all the teeshirts & scarf in that, and let them there for a whole week. We rinced, and prepared our dye bath with onion skins. (well, actually, two dye baths) After the teeshirts were dry, I tied the boys' & my tank top. The boys wanted stripes, and I wanted to test "circles" (of some sorts) So I experimented. My parents are not hobo, no hippies, and I have never tie dyed in my whole life, not even wore a single tie dyed teeshirt ! So this one a first for me !

I used rubber bands, and also big marbles for my tank top. So here are now the results, all rinced, dry & all ! Happy !!

like our own little clothes shop ! LOL

I love how the scarf turned out !

P's teeshirt

and a close up

U's teeshirt

and a close up

my tank top

... and close ups ...

and finally ... Mr, modelling his teeshirt ! (I have one myself too)

All in all, a good experience. The boys were really excited by the results, and me too (hubby too, of course) to say the least ! We want to do that again sometime soon, but we'll have to get more organic teeshirts first !

Of course the dyes won't last forever, but quite frankly, I won't last forever too !! I can overdye them if I want/can, when it will be needed. And when their lives will be over (as a teeshirt), then I will reuse them, and will keep this memory of tie dyeing our clothes for the first time, very close in my heart.

xoxo

S

Comments

[joanie]

YAY! I've been hoping you would try some dye-resist. Your results are absolutely brilliant! The colour is wonderful too.
Very fun :)
Jx

[Lisa]

They turned out wonderfully, what a good way to preserve a happy family memory too.
hugs from Scotland.
xxx

[sadie]

wow, that looks like such fun! great results too.
so not only do I still have computer problems (laptop being helpful for once, so I'm able to make a few visits), but Twitter will NOT let me tweet! It's infuriating.
I wanted to say well done with the amount you have raised for Japan. Seriously, well done. I'm so proud of you Sonia, the kindness of your heart and the money you have raised.

have a glorious day xxxx

[Ariadne]

These are lovely!Great work!
I love them!
I have dyed cross stitch material with coffee and tea in the past.AriadnefromGreece!

[Darylynn]

Hi Sonia! Great job on the tie-dying! Of course, I was a college student during the hippie era so tie-dyed a lot! The boys shirt came out so nicely patterned and your circles are cute, too! Great job doing it all organic. When my kids were little, IO used to buy them 100% cotton shirts from France- Petit Bauteau. :) Didn't your twitter feed look fantastic on my iPad. I get a lot of content from your flickr, too! (((Hugz)))

[Margaret Oomen]

brilliant for sure
and thoughtful
and gentle on nature
and that is so
important these days

[tara]

All the shirts looks great. And I am absolutely loving your scarf.

[nicole]

Oh my, I LOVE the results!!! Your tanktop, scarf and U's t-shirt are my favourites.

All this natural dying (Margie, Arounna, you etc etc) has really made me want to try my own little experiments.