Back to: Jss1 Cultural and Creative Art (C.C.A)

Introduction to Tie and Dye

The technique of “tie and dye” involves tying up a portion of the fabric or textile materials with raffia thread or other dye-resist rope in order to stop the reaction or penetration of the dye on the cloth. Putting it another way, it is a method of producing coloured patterns on fabric by folding, tying, sewing, clamping, or in some other manner prepping the cloth to prevent dye from seeping between the folds. The final design is determined by the fold pattern and the placement of the colours.

Types Of Tie Dye Design

Concentric circle

Fold materials on the cloth’s two diagonals, shape, and wound string firmly at intervals from the centre.

Circle method (concentric circle)

Pick up the fabric from the centre and fold away from the centre point as evenly as you can, tying thread tightly around the fabric at regular intervals. The locations where the threads were knotted will form concentric circles when the material is immersed in dye and retain the colour of the fabric.

clump tying

Interesting effects will be produced by pebbles tied into the fabric.

Pleating method

The material should be tightly knotted after being rolled into a compact cube. Stripes are made by folding the fabric into an accordion shape and securely tying it with threads at regular intervals.

Marbling

This effect is solely one of texture. Simply let the cloth hang loosely, roll it up using no special technique, and secure it with a rope.

Knotting

Make a number of tight knots on the fabric’s edges at regular intervals.

Methods Of Production

1. Tying: In this technique, the cloth is knotted and fastened with cords or water-resistant fibres (raffia) before being dyed. Linear, angular, or circular patterns appear when the material is untied. The popular Ad ire among Yorubas in Nigeria is one example.

2. Clamping: This technique compresses the fabric or cloth by clamping the folded parts together after placing something strong on either end of the bundle. As a result, just a portion of the cloth will be dye-accessible; the other portions will remain uncoloured.

3. Folding: The cloth is imaginatively folded into any desired shape and then knotted together for dye resistance.

4. Knotting: This involves creating little or huge puffs on the fabric’s whole surface and tying them together. To emphasise the knot’s roundness, pebbles might be kept in the puff.

5. Stitching: The surface areas where the textile designer does not want the dye to penetrate must be stitched using a sewing machine. The dye won’t soak into the cloth since the wool from the stitching will stop it.

Tools and Materials For Tie and Dye

i. Dye substance

ii. Chemical (Hydrodoride and Caustic Soda)

iii. Water (Hot and Cold)

iv. Turning Stick

v. Rubber Glove

vi. Fabric

vii. Raffia Thread

viii. Dyeing Pot/Basin

Tie And Dye Processes

• Pre-wash the material in hot water and Synthrapol to get rid of any oil, grime, or other materials that could resist the dye.  
• The cloth should be folded or tied in the appropriate design (s). Make the dye solution.
• Submerge the patterned cloth in the dye and leave it in the dye for approximately five minutes to allow the dye to permeate into the fabric.
• Remove the fabric, lay it on the floor for a few minutes, and rinse it in cold water to stop the chemical reaction. 
• Cut the raffia’s knot 
• Dry the intended cloth in the sun.
• Iron the cloth after starching it