Uncertainty & Tie-Dye

I have a long 2 weeks ahead of me.  I'm potentially up for a promotion at work, & waiting to hear back is excruciating.  In times like these, there's no better way to forget the stress than a messy tie-dye project!

I love dyeing fabric; it's like a grown-up version of dyeing Easter eggs.  So simple, but there are so many ways to manipulate the dye and create something really amazing...OR amusing, if you consider the crazy tie-dye skinny jeans I made a few years ago!  They were really fun, but were quickly retired to the "clothes to wear while doing laundry or chores" drawer.  It just goes to show that clothes don't last if they're too costumey.  Oh, annnd I should stop wearing things just because they're hilarious...

I think I've learned my lesson from that first attempt.  This time, I'm tie-dyeing a basic white button-up in just one color--a great terracotta/butterscotchy brown.  This is actually inspired by a cardi I saw on Sea of Shoes earlier last summer.  I loved the cardi version, but I wanted something more summery, to pair with shorts or tuck into a full skirt.

This is the top I brought from Old Navy:

A packet of trusty Dylon in Terracotta:

Yep, just me in my garage with a tarp, a bit of butcher paper, a Nalgene full of fabric dye, and a turkey baster.

 The shirt fabric is super thin, so it was really easy to twist sections into little knots and secure everything with rubber bands.  I started with a damp shirt fresh out of the washer, twisted it up, and then applied dye at frequent intervals for a little over an hour.

Finally, after a hosing off in the driveway, a quick rinse in the washer, and a complete air drying:

Perfect!

A lot of the fun in tie-dye comes from the uncertainty, I think.  You have no idea how it will turn out, and it's a total mess while you're doing it, and then you unroll it and it's perfect (unless you really f*ed it up of course!).  Hopefully in a few weeks, everything will be fine and I will wonder why I was so stressed.  And when that happens, maybe we can all go out for a drink, & I'll wear my new shirt!