Anyone here do tie-dye?

[Eireann]

I tie-dyed four shirts yesterday, and left them overnight (in plastic bags) to let the dye set. I rinsed them out, and they were gorgeous. Then I washed them - now, they're pinkish-gray in the white areas. What should I do? And what should I do differently with the next batch?

[blas]

I'm curious to hear the responses here. I despise white clothing, but I do own two white shirts that I want to tie-dye so I can wear them. One is a shirt my parents got me from Canada, but I'm afraid to wear it because it's white and white gets dirty.

[Ree]

Someone told me once that rinsing in vinegar after dyeing neutralizes the dye and keeps the colours from running.

I don't know.

Never mind...a google search says it isn't effective on cotton and can change the colour results on certain fabrics.

[Riesie]

It's been a while since I did it, but I'm pretty sure doing the first wash in cold salty water fixed the dye.

[Draper Mel]

Both salt and vinegar will set dye. Vinegar is acidic, so you need to rinse it thoroughly. Also anything you dye should be washed in cold water, to slow the fading; dyed cotton is going to fade, it's just a fact of life.

[Eireann]

It looks like two errors were made:

1. The shirts weren't rinsed thoroughly enough.
2. Too many shirts were washed together at the same time.

So what do I do with them now?

[Seraph]

Dye them over completely, or like a black? And then just wear them. I mean, no sense in wasting shirts.

[Parrothead]

There is a company called dharma trading (or something like that) that has a bunch of tie-dye info and supplies.

[Draper Mel]

Yes, Dharma Trading Company is awesome! Every shop I've worked at has used them at one time or another.

http://www.dharmatrading.com/

[Eireann]

I looked at their site; they didn't cover the issue that happened to me. I'm going to keep looking - but in the meantime, please feel free to suggest options!

[Cookie]

Maybe if the colors are beyond repair, it would still make a fun variegated tshirt yarn. I plan on trying to make this kind of yarn with some old tees myself.

[Eireann]

It looks like the kit I bought had entirely the wrong dyes. Next time I try tie-dyeing, I'll go with Dharma.