Introduction

There are many techniques to the tie-dyeing process. If you want to hear the history and some techniques to the patterns of tie-dye, I think that you should check out my website. You never know what type of pattern you are definitely going to come out with, but there are never any mistakes in tie-dyeing.

History of Tie-dyeing

The traditions of the dye-resist process involved tying, knotting, and binding, of the fabric before the die immerges. The earliest surviving examples of pre-Columbian tie-dye were found in Peru somewhere from 500-800A.D. Tie-dyeing became a fashion trend in the West in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Then, tie-dyeing was part of the hippie style.

Step-by-step Symmetrical Shape Pattern

1. Fold your shirt in half.
2. Lightly outline half of the symmetrical shape starting at the fold of
the shirt and going outwards to the center of the shirt

3. Carefully pinch/gather the material together following the line that
you have just made
4. When all of the material is together, tie it together tightly with a
rubber band or a string
5. Die the inside of the pattern a different color than the outside of the
pattern so that you can tell what the shape is.

Step-by-step Circle Pattern

1. Pick up the fabric with your thumb and your forefinger at the point
where you want your circle to start.
2. Tie a rubber band at that exact point.
3. Twirl and twist the shirt so it is in a thin twisted line.
4. Continue tying rubber bands down the shirt however far apart
you want your rings/circles on your shirt to turn out.
5. The further apart your rubber bands are, the further apart the
rings/circles on your shirt are going to be. (Vice versa)

Step-by-step Swirl Pattern

1. Lay the shirt out on a flat surface.
2. Pinch the exact spot where you want your swirl to begin.
3. Continue pinching the shirt and begin twisting your center pinch in a
circle.
4. When the shirt is spun as much as you can, keep it flat on the table,
and make sure that your swirl stays in its shape.
5. Take a few rubber bands and tie them completely around the whole
swirl.
6. Make sure that your swirl hasn’t messed up, and changed its shape.
7. If your shape has messed up, you should re-do all of the steps until
the swirl has turned out just right
8. If your swirl has messed up and you don’t re-do it, your result will
probably turn out as a mixed up pattern.