Re: Do it yourself T-shirts (Class B's) - how-to info (long)
Cheryl Singhal (csinghal@CAPACCESS.ORG)
Fri, 29 Aug 1997 15:36:04 -0400
On Fri, 29 Aug 1997, Nathan Mann wrote:
some very excellent tips and hints deleted for brevity...
> Crayon - One of our Day Camps had an outline of a pattern on all the kid's
> shirts. They were supposed to color them themselves with the special crayons
> provided, then, the colored shirt was supposed to be IRONED (wax paper between
> shirt and iron) to set the colors. I don't know any more specifics on this.
Maybe I can help.
Remember a few key points: (1) 100% cotton works best; (2) NEVER put
these into the dryer or use water hotter than tepid in the washer; (3)
WATCH that heat setting carefully, or you'll get iron-shaped logos. <g>
For Ironing down, use DRY heat at the LINEN setting, and watch Carefully.
While the special crayons are fine, this can be done with regular,
off the shelf at the cheapest price around, ones as well. It's
difficult to stretch the fabric as taut as necessary, and the
pressure on the crayons needed to get enough wax into the shirt will
break a lot of crayons. I've used foil instead of waxed paper to get
more heat faster.
You can make psychedlic Ts by using up discarded crayons; "sharpen" the
crayons with a sharpener, or peel them with a carrot scraper. Arrange
these shavings artistically, and iron them down.
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Tie-dye - Can't say I remember how, though I do remember the '60's <grin>.
> Experiment and have fun. (My fingers are tired of tying)
This is decidedly an out-of-doors experience, IMO. The 60s directions
involve large pots of HOT dye. The directions are almost as hard to do
as they are to explain. Take a handful of Tshirt (singlet, to the
Euros<g>), and twist it tightly, as if wringing out the last bit of
water. Holding it twisted tightly, wrap rubber bands or gimp (plastic
cord) around it even more tightly. Dip in the lightest color dye you
want to use. Remove from dye, dry. Unwrap. Wrap another section AND
the already colored section. Dip in next lightest color. repeat until
you're either tired, out of dye or out of Tshirt, whichever comes first.
SOME people dye the whole shirt the light color, then just twist off the
parts they don't want to recolor. This gives deeper darks, but
odd-flavored lights (put light blue over yellow and get an unexpected
green, or put red over yellow and get orange...)
As a variation, when you're finished, dip the whole thing into melted
parafin. When the parafin has set, crinkle it slightly, and dip the
entire shirt into black dye. You get a kind of batik effect if it's done
right, and a black shirt if it isn't. <G>
Cheryl -- who knows too many fabric artists.
Terry Howerton Sakima Group, Inc. SCOUTER Magazine Kansas City | 
