HOW TO TYE DYE 

Disclaimer: Most of this info. was arrived @ randomly.
Disclaimer2: Not responsible for kitchens/bathrooms that look different
after this!

1. Obtain your dyes/chemicals.  Brooks and Flynn is a good place, their 
number is (800)822-2372, or (707)584-7715.  They will send you a catalog,
along with a color chart (this chart has sample of fabric colored w/the
dyes so you can get an idea what the colors will look like).  A little
dye will go a long way: last batch we made, we bought about 7 colors
X 2 oz.'s per color and made something like 2 dozen multi-color
(<understatement!) shirts, w/leftover dye!  Use the Procion MX Fiber
Reactive Dyes, they're potent!  You can also get the auxilliary
chemicals from B/F.

2. Shirts to dye.  Probably one of the most important things with dying is
to use 100% cotton (avoid material with finishes: stay-pressed, etc.).  I 
dyed two shirts with the same dye once, one that was a 100% cotton, the other
a 50/50.  (It was a shirt from MSG that was undyed, but I couldn't resist the 
screen!)  The 100% cotton came out brillant, the other one looked like a
completely different dye was used (it was pale, like when you use that crap
(RIT) from the supermarket!).  Another example is when you by shirts on tour
that are stitched with poly thread in the seams, the syn-fibres just don't
take the dye well at all! (the stitches stay white).   Also, try sweats,
socks, towels too! (Just as long as its cotton...

3. Patterns.  This is where you have to use your imagination!  Some of the
more common designs:

	a. Electric bunching: Pre-treated (see below) shirt is crumpled into
a ball and the dye applied.  When you take it apart, you get patterns that
look like leaves in the fall.  If you are planning multiple colors, do them
in separate steps, they come out better (no areas of dye blended, good
color separation, although, depending on preference, you may want some blending
of the dyes!).  Start with the darkest colors first.   Use rubber bands or
string to hold the shirt bunched while you apply the dye.

	b. Various pleats.  Its easier if you get someone to help you fold the
shirt.  Basically, you fold it like an accordian, use about one-inch width 
pleats.  You can go up and down the length of the shirt, or go diagonally.
Different colors are applied across the different pleats (one color per pleat.)
You get a shirt that has different bands of colors corresponding to the pleats.

	c. Swirl effect.  Lay the shirt on the work  surface and using your
index finger and thumb, pinch the shirt where you want to have the swirl
start.  Then walk around the table while still holding on.  The fabric 
bunches into a swirl not unlike a jelly roll.  Apply each color to a different
portion of the swirl, but keep a single color on each portion of the swirl.
Don't cross to different portions of the fold (stay on the same fold) or the
individual color won't be continuous throughout the swirl.  Three or four
colors works nicely (try to use colors that contrast when side-by-side).
Now (this is where it gets interesting) put a piece of plastic-lined
cardboard on top and use the plastic lined cardboard bottom piece (you
know, the one I forgot to tell you about that you had to put down _before_
dying the shirt!) to flip the shirt over, taking care not to disturb the
folds in the shirt.  Repeat dying procedure.

	d. Teats.  Pinch the shirt and and pull up, forming a peak.  You can
either 1. smooth out any ridges (smooth cone) and then apply dye in a 
concentric fashion, or 2. Induce ridges (sort of like the pleats from b.
but pointing to the center of where you pinched the shirt).  Apply dye
to the tops of the ridges or use the previous pattern.  If you dye the
ridges, you'll get a circle w/branches growing out from the middle, and
if you dye concentrically, you'll get what looks like a "bulls eye".

	e. Batik.  Caution: you can make a big mess this way, but this
is one of the best effects I've seen.  Essentially, you dye the shirt lightly
using any of the above (lighter colors such as yellow or orange work best).
Then, melt wax is applied to the shirt and allowed to cool.  When you flex
the shirt with the cooled wax on it, it cracks, creating a webb-like 
pattern.  Dye is wiped into these cracks and allowed to penetrate.
The excess dye is rinsed afterwards, and now for the hard part: wax
removal.  Break off as much of the loose, bigger chunks by hand as you can
Then one of several methods: Put the shirt in boiling water (below the 
surface) and the wax will come off and float to the top (repeat several
times).  Dry cleaning can also be used.   People have also told me that
certain solvents will also take the wax off, but I consider this dangerous!
Besides, what do you do with the spent solvent, down the sink? (if you think
bacon grease = clogged drain, try sending some wax down there!).  Good effects,
but again difficult and time consuming!

	f. Reverse dying.  Bleach can be used as a dye also.  Any shirt that 
already has color on it can be formed into any of the patterns above and
bleach used in leiu of dye.  The trick is to use the right concentration of
bleach solution (H20/bleach).  Also, how quick the bleach solution is rinsed
off takes some practice.  Another interesting way to use bleach is to hang
a dyed shirt on a clothes line, get a squirt bottle full of bleach solution
and blast it from about twenty feet away (looks like the milky way when
you're done!).  Finally, bleach, the wonder solution, can be used like an
eraser on a blackboard if the shirt looks so bad that you can't even give
it to your sister! (smile Linda, I'm just kidding :),:))

There's probably dozens of other ways to apply the dyes, these are the ones
that come to mind.  Please let me know if there's something good I missed...

4. How to apply the dye.  There are two ways to apply the dye: one is to create
a dye bath and soak the fabric in it, the other is to apply the dye (in a much
more concentrated form) directly to the fabric (this is the way to truely
achieve deep, rich colors).   The reason for this is that the dye that you
would send down the drain is instead applied directly to the fabric rather
than being thrown out with the remnents of the bath.

I'll talk just about the second method.  For direct dye application, there's 2
ways to prepare the dye/reactant system: 1. One is to apply the dye to fabric
that has been pre-treated with a base solution, while the second is to add the
base directly to the dye before applying to the fabric.  The advantages to the
second is that you eliminate the pre-soak step.  However, the dye must be used
within 4 hours of base addition or it's shot.  Personally, I think the two-step
process produces richer colors, and the dye keeps for about two weeks w/o the
base in it.

To do the two-step process, first prepare a pre-soak solution by adding 1 cup
of soda ash to each gallon of water (luke warm).  Soak the shirts for about
5 minutes, then wring out excess solution.  This is also an important factor
in how much the dye will penetrate.  If you really wring the sh*t out of the 
shirt, then when you go to apply the dye, it will really soak in.  Conversely,
if you leave it relatively soaked with the soda ash solution, the dye won't
be able to penetrate as deeply (into the underlying fabric), sort of like a
full sponge that can't pick up anymore.  Again, T&E (trial and error).
After the pre-treat, apply the dye to the exterior.  The best way to do
this is to use dish soap/hair dye bottles, which give good control of the dye.
B/F gives mixing instructions for the right concentration for each dye, so I
won't talk to that here.  After dye application, put the shirt in a plastic
bag (don't wring it out!) and seal it.  Put it in a warm place (at least room
temp.) for about 24 hours.  Twenty four hours is OK, I wouldn't go less; and if
you go alot longer than that (upwards of two days), you'll get excessive 
penetration into the underlying fabric.  (Just use 24, trust me!).  It's also
important to keep the shirt with the dye moist during the 24 set, again, seal
the bag.

To do the direct application method (with the base added to the dye directly),
mix the dye per instructions to the right concentration, and then add 
about one teaspoon of soda ash to each 8 oz. of concentrated dye solution.
Before dye application, wet the shirt with warm water instead of soda ash
solution.  All else applies.  B/F sells this stuff called "calsolene",
which is a water-prep. chemical.  I've used it sometimes and other times not,
I'm not sure if the water in my area is that bad ("bad" meaning the
particular mineral content).  Some might require this, so it's probably
not a bad idea to get it.

Two things at this point: 1. Wear disposable rubber glooves, the base is
harsh to your hands, and it takes about a week for the dye to wear off
your skin (don't ask why I know that).  Secondly, a persistent problem is 
cross-color contamination.  You just get done making a nice red shirt.  The
next one is going to be pure yellow (or so you thought).  Problem is it picked
up red!  Always change the glooves between colors, and clean whatever work
surface of the previous color or its gonna be on the next shirt!  Disclaimer:
one of my friends made a nice shirt by wiping a shirt across a trash bag that
he was using as a work surface...

5. The rinse.  After the shirts have sat in a bag for 24 hrs., its time to 
rinse the excess dye off (don't be alarmed, alot comes out but there's
enough left behind for a good color).  Before you even untie/cut the rubber
bands or string, wash the outside of the bundle with cold water.  This helps
to eliminate unwanted "backstaining" (dye where it's not supposed to be).  
Then start to take the strings off, again, keeping it under plenty of cold,
running water.  Finally, I put the shirts into my bath tub, which I have
filled with cold water and added a little laundry detergent (use just enough
to get a hint of bubbles, no more).  Let them sit in it for about a half
hour, occasionally stirring.  Then wash cold in the wash machine per normal
way.

6. Misc.Poop: Any spills can be wiped with a mild bleach solution 1 cup per wash
bucket, but keep this solution away from your dyed shirts!  Wipe spills quickly,before they have a chance to take!
The pre- rinsed shirts won't stain your bathtub after the initial rinse
under running water.  The initial rinse should be for at least 5 minutes
or until the water running off the shirt starts to clear, which ever happens
last.  Then go to the bathtub portion of the rinse... 

