Dip Dye and Ombre on Project Runway

Have you been watching Project Runway?
I'm a reluctant viewer. I feel stressed when they have to choose their fabrics in fifteen minutes. It takes me 45 minutes to pick out flannel at Joann's!
I feel stressed they have 8 -10 hours to design it, sew it, fit it and finish it.
I actually excel at the absolute last minute way of doing things but this show adds more stress on top of the usual procrastination.
Anyway - this weeks episode has a bit of dip-dyeing and ombre dyeing which my 4H groupies were playing around with recently. Intriguing.
Project Runway: Season 7 Episode 2 Videos | myLifetime.com

If I was more talented -I could show a still of Amy's dip-dyed flirty skirt.
Try this link to another view of the dress she created out of burlap and a little dip-dyeing:

http://www.mylifetime.com/shows/project-runway/extended-judging/episode-2/video/extended-judging-of-amy-sarabi-episode-2

Tie Dye & Dip Dye, the 4-H WAY

Reporting from the 'Running with Scissors' 4H group:

These  creative girls decided to tackle TieDye and Dip-Dyeing recently. These dyeing methods are two ways to add vibrant color to t-shirts, curtains, hats or any fabric that will yield a pattern depending on technique but will also surprise you every time.
For TieDyeing, they  used a TieDye kit from Jacquard, available from here. "The colors were very vibrant and have withstood multiple washings," explains the 4H leader. "I would get this brand again."

You can see from the above photos they are using rubber bands (tight) to separate sections for the dye. The directions on this kit were good and the following photos show another technique.

 

 

The leader practiced prior with her niece and nephew and used Tulip Dyes bought here. These colors were softer and more muted. The blue is more denim blue and the red is more pink.

Results from the 4H'ers:

Dip Dyeing. These 4H'ers did not use a kit this time. They used idye kits made for the washing machine. Also from Jacquard.
The girls requested certain colors like lime green and aquamarine which Jacquard carries.

The 4H leader says, "They gave a very uniform color which is nice, but we might have gotten different results with another type of dye. I would want to try another type of dye for this project to experiment next time. The idye does give very vibrant color that lasts through multiple washings, we just need to work on our dip dye technique."

No kit for this, thus no exact instructions.

You need a tub big enough to dip your item into. These 4H'ers were dip dyeing tank tops so they needed a medium small container.
The idea is to get a graduated color change from light to dark.

"The 4H girls have received lots of exclamations on their tie dye shirts and they wear them often.
They would like to do this project again. I am keeping a list of tie dye techniques I see or want to try, such as peace designs in the dye or different folding techniques, like the accordion fold."

Hanging Wet
It's easy to discern the color gradients while wet.
Although, when they are dry, they look very subtle.

There are lots of techniques on the internet that can help or confuse you. The basic technique is to experiment to find out which dyes work best, which fiber contents work best ( cotton is a good starting point) and getting the over-all look to be what you envision - or just let your dye imagination loose.


Other links:
1. Paula Burch
2. Martha
3. Dizzy Lettuce
4. a.  Become a 4-H Leader
    b.  OSU Extension:4H