Complexity in Tie Dye

If you've ever tie dyed, then you may be able to look at a design and reverse engineer it to figure out what the artist did to achieve the desired result. Some designs aren't so simple and require a little more than tying a design into a shirt. Did you know you can stitch a complex design into a T-shirt?! That's right! For characters and intricate pictures, stitching is probably your best bet. Stitching requires some planning and patience, but it is always worth the extra work in the end! You'll want to use a strong thread (such as upholstery thread) so that the design will stay intact through the dyeing process. You'll want to map out your design ahead of time and color it in so that when you stitch it all together you will know what is what and where to lay your dye. When the time comes to remove the stitches for wash-out, you'll want to be extremely careful with your seam ripper to remove the thread without damaging the shirt. Stitched designs take longer to map out, longer to "tie" or stitch, and require more precision in the dye application process... but boy are they fun to reveal when it is all said and done!