dragonskin fold

[ktaltre]

The back is very much like the front.
I will look to see if I still have that shirt.
Those shirts are lightweight Hanes T's with a printed logo instead of a tag - from walmart - inexpensive and take the dye well.
I fold wet/damp from the washing machine, dye with soda ash in the dye, using little squirt bottles - I dye the fabric damp. I dye on newspapers, always moving the tied item to clean parts, then roll up in more clean newspaper and put in a plastic bag to batch.
I use sinew or string as tight as I can tie it; sometimes I tie like Michael - sometimes I tie like Tom&Martine - sometimes like Phatdyes - sometimes I mix tying techniques.
PhatDyes has a good chapter on his dvd where he shows different progressions of color on each side of fan folded cloth.
I'm always in awe of the production tie-ers (I'm not a production tie-er). They seem so good, but it's just that they have done it so much and when you do your art continually (whatever it is) you usually keep getting better - understand the process better - and the art starts to talk to you (try this, try that).
I'm so grateful that Fowler, Tom&Martine, and Phatdyes put out dvd's for us to learn from!
k. taltre

[Rebekah]

Those are absolutely gorgeous!!  I can't take my eyes off that first one; beautiful work! 

I've never tried mixing the soda ash water into the dye; great suggestion.  I may have to give that a try.  Up until now, I've always soaked in soda ash.  I tie-dye wet, because I'm too impatient to wait until it dries.   

[ktaltre]

Here's this fold but folded on the the side, not the middle.
This is an extra large Bella ladies shirt that only measured 36 inches around the chest.
But, my goodness, it was sewn with cotton thread! Nice surprise.

k. taltre

[tiedyejudy]

Nice!  Yeah, Bella is definitely a 'junior-sized' brand.  I like them, but they are for tiny people!  I just got some Hanes ladies t-shirts, and they are a little better sized for women, although I needed to go a size larger for myself than if I had used a 'unisex' shirt.
Judy