Arts and Crafts **Tie Dye Mickey ears shirts directions**NEW NEW PICS LAST PAGE**

[pumpkinpatchquilter]

Here's my first attempt. Not bad, but not great. Learned some things, and will make attempt #2 tonight.

1) I used the "Caurosel" Tulip Kit. Didn't purchase the soda ash, since another post mentioned it was in the dye powder already.
2) Used the Tulip Dye Resist, and painted on the Mickey outlines. (Make sure you use a paint brush and make the lines thick!) Let this dry for 24 hours.
3) I wanted pastels, so I dumped out the dye powder that was in the bottles (into ziplock bags for another batch), and then only put back in about 1/3 of the dye powder into the bottle.3
4) I wanted Mickey to be a darker purple, so I only filled the purple bottle halfway with water. I dyed the Mickeys first, then after I bagged those with plastic, filled the purple dye bottle up with more water so the purple would be a pastel like the fushia and teal.
5) I only left the dye on for 3 hours (okay, I admit it, the wait was killing me!), and received a nice shade of light pink, blue and purple. (They came out more like baby pink and baby blue.)
6) I obviously didn't fill in the larger Mickey enough, and put too much on the smaller one! Going to try and fix that tonight and just dab on some more purple into the larger one.

So excited to see your shirts but the pic isn't working

 

[ksromack]

PumpkinpatchQuilter: I loved your outfit! Isn't the waiting the hardest part? I found a tie-dye kit in my closet (I had forgotten I purchased that a couple years ago to give to my step-daughter for christmas that year)....but I really don't have suitable shirts to dye at the moment. I love the website someone posted earlier (jiffyshirts.com)....I think I'm going to order a long-sleeve and short-sleeve white shirts for hubby and I (we're going in december so may be happy to have a long-sleeve shirt)! I'm going to make a camo/neutral shirt and a christmassy shirt for dh and myself and a few more fun ones for me.

What color do you think I should make the christmassy ones? I hate relying on the typical red and green.......do they make metallic dyes? I have some colors saved in the dharma cart....i'll have to look at those again.

And Craftychick, we want to see your shirts!

 

[pumpkinpatchquilter]

PumpkinpatchQuilter: I loved your outfit! Isn't the waiting the hardest part? I found a tie-dye kit in my closet (I had forgotten I purchased that a couple years ago to give to my step-daughter for christmas that year)....but I really don't have suitable shirts to dye at the moment. I love the website someone posted earlier (jiffyshirts.com)....I think I'm going to order a long-sleeve and short-sleeve white shirts for hubby and I (we're going in december so may be happy to have a long-sleeve shirt)! I'm going to make a camo/neutral shirt and a christmassy shirt for dh and myself and a few more fun ones for me.

What color do you think I should make the christmassy ones? I hate relying on the typical red and green.......do they make metallic dyes? I have some colors saved in the dharma cart....i'll have to look at those again.

And Craftychick, we want to see your shirts!

Thank you SO much!!! Holy cow, YES, waiting is SO TOUGH!

This is my total first attempt so I don't know if they make metallic dyes - maybe? I really like the whole red and green tie dye personally but you could maybe do more modern colors like a bright red or even pink and a lime green or something? I don't know if that's your thing...also I was looking up tie dye and saw somebody used blue's and did snowmen!!! How cool!

Good luck with Jiffyshirts, can't wait to see how you like them, please report back!

 

[handustmom]

Ok, last post, sorry for hogging/bombarding this thread! Lol* Here's my shirts for my three daughters...this is after running them under cold water, and two washes...and they are still wet and STILL rubbing off dye so I threw them in and they are washing again...so I'm going to assume they'll get lighter...but I'm still so happy!!! I've talked Hubster into letting me order from Dharma...yay!

Here's a coupla pictures...

Your shirts look great!!

 

[pumpkinpatchquilter]

Your shirts look great!!

Thank you!!

 

[craftychick]

Here's my first attempt. Not bad, but not great. Learned some things, and will make attempt #2 tonight.

1) I used the "Caurosel" Tulip Kit. Didn't purchase the soda ash, since another post mentioned it was in the dye powder already.
2) Used the Tulip Dye Resist, and painted on the Mickey outlines. (Make sure you use a paint brush and make the lines thick!) Let this dry for 24 hours.
3) I wanted pastels, so I dumped out the dye powder that was in the bottles (into ziplock bags for another batch), and then only put back in about 1/3 of the dye powder into the bottle.3
4) I wanted Mickey to be a darker purple, so I only filled the purple bottle halfway with water. I dyed the Mickeys first, then after I bagged those with plastic, filled the purple dye bottle up with more water so the purple would be a pastel like the fushia and blue.
5) I only left the dye on for 3 hours (okay, I admit it, the wait was killing me!), and received a nice shade of light pink, blue and purple. (They came out more like baby pink and baby blue.)
6) I obviously didn't fill in the larger Mickey enough, and put too much on the smaller one! Going to try and fix that tonight and just dab on some more purple into the larger one.

Seems I don't have enough postings yet to include photos or links... Hopefully the link I typed to my Google Picasa web album works.

Since I'm a pooh-sized woman, I too had to buy men's shirts in order to fit around my hips, so they are a little too long for me in both the length and arms. I'm going to try to hem both so I don't look like I'm swimming in the shirts. Still have lots of dye left, and have caught the bug, so will order some plus sized women's shirts through the mail. (Dharma.com is having a sale on their dyeable clothing, just got an email today about it!)

But I think this will get me through this year's trip.

Attempt #1
The only thing I'm not happy with is that I accidentally gathered both the back and front of the shirt when I did the Mickeys, but only put the dye resist on the front. So the back of the shirt has a weird dark purple blobs on them. The one on the shoulder isn't bad looking, but the one on the bottom, it's right on my right butt cheek. Not exactly the look I was going for. LOL

Attempt #2
I have a couple little holes where I gathered the thread, so going to add some bling to over those up. Not really happy with how I "tied" the bottom of the shirt, looks kinda funky to me, but then I am always super critical of my end results.

[UPDATE] I've since fixed the #1 shirt, carefully dabbing dye to fix the mickeys, and also using a violet colored sharpie turned out great! I also used a bleach pen to fix the areas that the dye overflowed. I got this shirt at Kohl's, and it is a lightweight material (perfect for FL!), so I am going to wear this one, and the other one will become a nightshirt, since it's really long!

 

[tanyaandallie]

With much help and inspiration from PixieDust32

Required:
Soda ash fixer - this helps the dyes to bond with the fiber.
Urea (optional) - Helps the dye to disolve nicely and keeps the shirt damp so that the colors can set.
Synthrapol (optional) - gets the excess dye out when you wash them. Not necessary but helpful.
dye (or kit)
rubber bands
Mickey Head template (just Google it and you'll find them)
sewing thread or waxed dental floss
sewing needle
pencil or wash out fabric marker (used to trace the Mickey head onto the shirt)
100% cotton t-shirts or other items. You'll be disappointed if you get anything but 100% cotton.

Trace a Mickey Head on your shirt (I draw mine a few inches below the neck line)
Then do baste stitching around the template. I do a lot of small stiches using waxed dental floss. The stitches are probably 1/8"
Pull the thread tight so that the Mickey head puckers up from the shirt. Wrap the excess string around the base of the "pckered Mickey head"
Put rubber bands REALLY tight around the base of the Mickey head. This creates the white outline around the head.

Put a packet of Soda Ash in a bucket of warm water and mix it up. Soda Ash can be bought at most craft stores or at Lowe's\Home Depot in the pool section (listed sodium carbonate or sodium UP)
Put the t-shirts into the mixture for at least 45 minutes.
When time is up, ring out the shirts by hand and get as much water out as you can..
Then create your shirt design. Most people will grab the Mickey haead and start twisiting so that the shirt will form into a danish looking circle,
One the shirt has been twisted into a circle, put rubber bands around the shirt dividing it into pizze type shapes. I normally use 6 rubber bands to help keep the circle formed nicely.

Now, mix your dyes. There are a varierty of types and they are personal preferences.
Dharma trading Company seemingly produces the best results.
When I mix mine, I use 4oz bottles and I also use urea and mix it with the water. Once the mixture is made, I pour it into the bottles using a funnel.
So the mixing process for me goes like this.
using Dharma dyes, I put 1 TSP of dye into the bottles (unless the specific color requires more dye per the Dharma instructions..i.e, Jet Black required 4 TSP of dye.
Next I put whatever amount of water I need into a bowl (my wife has a Pampered Chef one with a spout...works great)
Then I put in however much urea is needed and mix it all up.
Then I pour the water into the bottles and shake them up.

Once you have the dye mixed, you can begin coloring the shirt.
Some people start with the Mickey head. If you do that is fine. Try not to oversaturate the head or it will run past the rubber bands onto the rest of the shirt and you will end up with a blob instead of a defined Mickey head.
To keep from dripping the dye for the head onto other parts of the shirts, you can over the shirt with a plastic bag, cling wrap, or grocery bag.

I actually do the shirt first and the head last.
I cover the head in cling wrap right away and can then use it as sort of handle to turn the shirt as I dye and do not have to worry about getting the wrong color dye on it by mistake.
I dye the shirt using 4 colors. I use one color for each quarter of the circle.
Make sure to do the top and bottom of your shirt and also make sure to get the tips of the bottle into the folds of the shirt. If you don't get the tip in the folds, you will end up with a lot of white in your shirt.
When I am don with the shirt part, I wrap it in cling wrap.
Next I take the cling wrap off of the head and color it in.
Once the head is completely dyed, I wrap it again with cling wrap.
Let the shirt sit for 24 hours.
Take the shirt out and rinse it in the sink with warm water.
Take the rubber bands and thread out while washing out the extra dye. The rubber bands can be stubborn to get undone, so I use a thread ripper to get the rubber bands off the Micey head.
Wash the shirts with synthrapol if you have it. I wash it on hot. If you don't have synthrapol, I use All.
When done, dry the shirts on low heat or hang up and dry.

Now enjoy your shirts!

Great detailed instructions. Thanks! We made these for our last trip and I'm getting ready to make shirts for our upcoming trip. I couldn't remember some of the details (like how to mix the dye) so this was very helpful!

 

[grumpy&princess]

I just finished mine today! So pumped with the results! Dd and I cannot wait to sport them in August! Thank you all for the clear, easy to follow directions. We may need to make more!

where did you get your dyes from? love the colors

 

[ksromack]

What is the urea for and is it necessary?

 

[grumpy&princess]

What is the urea for and is it necessary?

Recommended for use with Fiber Reactive Dyes when doing tie-dye, painting, printing and other methods of direct application. Urea is a 'moisture drawing' agent which keeps the fabric damper longer during the curing or fixing process, thereby making for deeper, brighter colors. Fiber Reactive dyes won't "fix" if they dry out!

Urea is also a great dissolving agent and helps dissolve those "stubborn" colors that leave a residue or "freckles" of un-dissolved dye on your work. Just use warm Urea water (1 TBS per Cup) to paste up your dye to get it more thoroughly dissolved. Helps to dissolve more solids into less liquids so great for making the really concentrated solutions you need for tie dye and dye painting, especially the darker colors.

You need about 1/4 cup per quart of dye solution for tie-dye, and about 3/4 cup per quart of chemical water for direct application.

this is from dharma website

 

[SAT887]

So I bought tulip dye resist - now, I was trying to find some info on it - is it like a "paint" in where it coats the fibers so they don't absorb? Or does it not leave a paint like residue and work more on the chemical end so they don't bond? Second question - I have had problems finding an 18 month cotton shirt locally - would a 60/40 cotton/poly blend work at at all? I really don't want to pay for shipping and I live in the middle of nowhere I've searched 3 walmarts (because I guess that is the only place to shop in the middle of nowhere - don't they realize we like target too <especially since I despise walmart>) Worst case scenario this can be a test batch I am going in december and hopefully have time to find something that works!

 

[kirstie101]

Ok so my SIL and I had a blast dying our first set of shirts (we did not do the mickey heads) and they came out so good that we want to leave them just the way they are! We've decided to do a 2nd batch and have my MIL applique Mickey heads onto those instead. So I'm getting ready to order some dyes from Dharma and I was wondering how far will one of their 2oz bottles of powder get me? Like how much dye do you put in the bottle?
Anyone know?
Thanks!

 

[craftychick]

So I bought tulip dye resist - now, I was trying to find some info on it - is it like a "paint" in where it coats the fibers so they don't absorb? Or does it not leave a paint like residue and work more on the chemical end so they don't bond? Second question - I have had problems finding an 18 month cotton shirt locally - would a 60/40 cotton/poly blend work at at all? I really don't want to pay for shipping and I live in the middle of nowhere I've searched 3 walmarts (because I guess that is the only place to shop in the middle of nowhere - don't they realize we like target too <especially since I despise walmart>) Worst case scenario this can be a test batch I am going in december and hopefully have time to find something that works!

I think the Tulip Dye Resist is more like a paint. The first time I used it, I didn't use enough of it, nor did I use a paintbrush to really 'push' in into the fibers, so the dye 'traveled' underneath the resist, and where I put the resist itself turned a light purple. (Notice the smaller mickey in the photo:

)

And from what I've read about the cotton/poly shirts, is that only the cotton fibers will absorb the dye, so the end result is a much lighter color than what it looks like when the dye is wet. You can always try it out and if you don't like the result, then you have plenty of time to place an order online. DharmaTrading.com has reasonable prices on their clothing.

Good luck!

 

[SAT887]

Ok so mine are in the wash - I needed a little help from the bleach pen (but not bad I must say!!!) The only thing is the areas that should be white are a light light purple - which I don't mind but I wonder if I make another if I could get it to stay white. I think they will turn out well and I will post pictures later. I am pretty excited... and potentially addicted!!! My girls are going to end up with tye dye mickey shirts for every day of the month!!! I also did a heart for a friends daughter - and that came out well too.... I can't wait to see the 100% finished product!

 

[pumpkinpatchquilter]

Ok so mine are in the wash - I needed a little help from the bleach pen (but not bad I must say!!!) The only thing is the areas that should be white are a light light purple - which I don't mind but I wonder if I make another if I could get it to stay white. I think they will turn out well and I will post pictures later. I am pretty excited... and potentially addicted!!! My girls are going to end up with tye dye mickey shirts for every day of the month!!! I also did a heart for a friends daughter - and that came out well too.... I can't wait to see the 100% finished product!

Nice!! Can't wait to see how they turned out!

 

[SAT887]

Nice!! Can't wait to see how they turned out!

Here they are! This thread was amazingly helpful!

The bottom two with the green mickey heads (Haha didn't realize until just now they were LGMH'S!!) are the 60/40 cotton/poly mix. What I learned the light green doesn't stand out enough even with the bleach pen for the mickey head and that the fabric mix works, but not nearly as vibrant the 100% cotton. Oh and 18 month shirts are so small when you try to tie dye them!!!

I had so much fun making these! Even my husband loves them and said we should make ones for all of us on vacation....

 

[party of 3]

Ok ive read all 144 pages and I'm ready to do this!!!!
I have a zillion questions to ask......

I'll start with how do I fold to get the burst look now the swirl look? I like that look better than the pie fold look.
Thanks!

 

[party of 3]

Page 108 # 1617
Can you please tell me the colors used on the green / purple one?

 

[princesscate]

We made ours! I don't know how to post pics but it wasn't too hard! Our neighbor who is Disney crazed like me wants to have a tye die play date! LOL

I used green turq & blue on mine & DH - DD wanted to do her own - she is 8 .... She used yellow turq fushia & purple - not as nice as mine be ause the purple just took over but she is happy! Thank you all on here for all the advice! I want to do more - it is addictive!

 

[Sandi S]

I dyed my shirts at 3am because I have lost my mind...going to unwrap them when I get home with DD from gymnastics. I really hope they turned out good...