To dye for…

Mention tie-dye and immediately you’ll think of Haight Asbury, free love, patchouli and the hippie movement. The process involves folding the fabric and binding or tying it in place, and then applying dye. The ties prevent the entire surface of the fabric from being dyed, and creates the patterns. Many cultures around the world from Peru to Africa have used tie-dye, or resist dyeing, to color and create patterns on fabric. In Japan it’s called Shibori, and in India it’s called bandhna. One of Mr. Peacock’s favorite shirts uses fabric created with resist dyeing techniques (see below No. 7). Tie-dye gets a bad rap because it's frequently associated with tacky apparel, but there are many interesting and beautiful textiles created using the resist dyeing technique. Here are a few tie-dye goodies, or things inspired by tie-dye...

(click image above to enlarge)
1) The pattern of these tie-dye napkins reminds me of blue dandelions ready to blow their seeds into the wind. They would be perfect for leisure evening cookouts this summer.

2) Mr. Peacock likes the painterly pattern of subtle swirls of color on this hand knotted silk rug—it looks like a large tie-dye or abstract painting.

3) Summer is flying by, but you still have time to wear summery shirts like this slim cut resist dyed cotton shirt in a green ombre color (it's on sale too).

4) This little melting bud vase isn’t tie-dyed, but the pattern of the colors remind me of a piece of tie-dye fabric.

5) I remember laying my jeans in the the bath tub in high school and splattering bleach all over them to achieve this look. These deep indigo colored slim jeans aren't tie-dyed, but still have that DIY aesthetic, and they won't smell like bleach for weeks (like my jeans in high school did).

6) This silk-screened tie-dye t-shirt with an iconic black & white image of Patti Smith is given a new twist with tie-dye colors.

7) Mr. Peacock likes to wear this Agnes B. tie-dye shirt (at right), from a few years back, on warm days in San Francisco.


You can make your own tie-dye shirt too (or napkins)!

Do you have any tie-dye items hiding in your home or wardrobe?