SUPPLIES & TOOLS:
• White 100% cotton shorts
• Rit All-Purpose Liquid Dye: Evening Blue & Navy
• Rubber bands
• 15.5 Litres (4-Gallon) plastic tub or bucket
DIRECTIONS:
1. Cover table with plastic. Gather supplies.
Spruce up plain white shorts with Shibori dyeing techniques, adding a refreshing splash of colour and style to your wardrobe.
• Measuring cup
• Plastic or metal stirring spoon
• Salt
• Liquid dish de
• Rubber gloves
• Scissors
2. Pre-wash shorts with detergent, rinse and leave wet.
3. Accordion fold or “fan fold” the shorts lengthwise in approximately 2” wide folds down the length of the shorts.
4. Then wrap rubber bands tightly at spaced intervals (about 1” apart or spaced as desired) along the length of the folded shorts.
5. Set aside rubber-banded shorts to prepare the dyebath.
6. To prepare dyebath: Fill large dye container with 11.4 litres (3 gallons) very hot water tap water (60ºC or 140F). If water is not hot enough, heat some water in a cook pot or teapot. Shake dye bottles before pouring. Wearing rubber gloves, add ½ cup of Evening Blue dye and approximately 2 tablespoons Navy dye to hot water. Stir well.
7. For cotton fabrics, add 1 cup of salt to dyebath. This helps to intensify the colour. Then add a squirt of liquid dish detergent. Stir well.
8. Test dye colour by dipping a paper towel into the dyebath. If colour is too light, add more dye (add more Navy for a darker blue); if colour is too dark, add more water.
9. Immerse the rubber-banded shorts into the dyebath. For a high contrast pattern, keep the shorts in the dye for about 3 to 5 minutes to keep the bound up part dye-free. For more colour and less white areas, let the shorts in the dyebath for 10 to 20 minutes.
• Paper towels
• Plastic table cover
• Mild detergent
11. Recommended: To enhance the colour and reduce colour bleeding, use Rit ColorStay Dye Fixative immediately after dyeing and before washing, following package instructions. Leave shorts in fixative for 20 minutes
12. Remove shorts from fixative. Squeeze out excess water. Carefully cut rubber bands from the shorts and unfold.
13. Rinse shorts in cool water until rinse water begins to run clear.
14. Then wash the shorts in warm water with mild detergent by hand or in your washing machine with an old towel, rinse and dry.