Tie Dyeing 5 Ways – Part 2 – Dip Dyed Denim Waistcoat

Next up was a cropped denim waistcoat. We wanted to dip dye it. This method can be used for a huge variety of garments.

• First we gave the complete waistcoat a good soak in a bowl of water.

• Mix 1 teaspoon of Procion MX Turquoise into 100ml of tepid water.

• Dissolve 3 tablespoons of table salt into 1.5 litres of water.

• Dissolve 2 tablespoons of Soda Ash into the Salty water.

• Mix the Dye Solution into the Soda Ash/Salty water solution.

• Squeeze the excess water from the waistcoat and then put on a hanger. You need to allow the bottom 5cm of the waistcoat to sit in the dye solution. The waistcoat will need to stay in the solution for at least two hours. The dye will gradually creep up the waistcoat. When it has reached your desired level it can be removed.

• After two hours the fibres should have reacted with the dyes. Remove the waistcoat from the dye and rinse the excess dye out under cold running water. Be careful at this stage not to allow the excess dye to touch undyed areas as the dye could stain. Rinse until the water runs clear.

• After the water runs clear you can wash the waistcoat in a washing machine. We would recommend using Metapex on a 60’c wash. Metapex will remove the any remaining excess dye. (If you don’t have any Metapex you can use a non-biological washing powder/liquid).