leaving white

[colorfulsteve]

i have a hard time leaving white in my projects. the other dye always runs on to the white space. are there any tricks to leaving white? ive tried tying it tight with string and tilting the fabric as i dye it trying to control where it spreads but i still cant leave any white very well. any tips?

[ktaltre]

Try thickening the dye a little with sodium alginate:
http://www.dharmatrading.com/html/eng/2008-AA.shtml?lnav=chemicals.html
Here's a paragraph from Dharma:
Sprinkle the thickener into the chemical water or liquid dye slowly, mixing continuously. (You can also use a blender - add the alginate very gradually through the top with the blender going). Let sit for an hour or so, as it will continue to thicken before use. Refrigerate to store. Don't over-thicken, thinner is better. For paint-like consistencies, use ~1 - 4 tsp / quart water, depending on how thick you need it. For tie-dye use ~1/8 -1/2 tsp per 8 oz bottle of dye to slow or stop bleeding. Experiment, because each situation can be unique.

or perhaps Superclear (ready to use thickener):
http://www.dharmatrading.com/html/eng/2052-AA.shtml?lnav=chemicals.html

k. taltre

[liquidrainbowcreations]

colorfulsteve- i use Superclear and i love it i use it for all my dark colors. just dont make your dye to thick i have not tried sodium alginate yet so i dont know what one of the two are better. hope this helps some-LRC

[ezri]

I've used a little sodium alginate before, but more for painting it on, not for regular tie dye. Might try it more often though.

Weight is a big factor for me living in Australia as the freight charges are quite bad. What is the superclear like to work with, and which is better, alginate or superclear? Sodium Alginate I can source in australia, though its not always cheaper here

[Animal]

The weave of the cotton, and how wet it is before folding are the other factors (in addition to the tension of the bindings) that affect how much is left undyed.  You might try switching to a heavier weight t-shirt, or starting with damper material before folding.

[ktaltre]

Yes, starting with damper/wetter fabric before dyeing may give you more white areas.
I've just lately read about soaking a bound item in water for 10 plus minutes, then toweling the surface off  (in a couple of different shibori books) before applying the dye.
In this tie dye application, soaking in soda ash water, squeezing the excess fluid out and then toweling off, could give you more white when dyeing.
k. taltre

[steve]

I actually find that drying my shirts before dying gives me vivid whites. For a while I was folding, soaking, then allow to completely dry out. Crusty patches of soda ash would resist dye unless I really forced it.