| Tie dye - the history of dye...People have practiced the | | | | modern detergents and washing machines for longer |
| art of tie dye for as long as they have been adding | | | | periods than natural dyestuffs. |
| color to cloth. In ancient times, natural dyestuffs were | | | | Reactive dyes bond on a molecular level with plant |
| used such as beetroot and lichen, but colors were | | | | fibers to form a link that is permanent. Dye is not a |
| variable and colors faded over many washes. | | | | paint that adheres to the surface of the fabric, but |
| Large quantities of natural material are needed to | | | | instead it becomes part of the fabric on a molecular |
| generate a small quantity of color. For example, it | | | | level. |
| takes approximately 3kg of lichen to make enough | | | | While the American hippies of the 1970's made the |
| dye to color a T-shirt. Considering it takes lichen years | | | | rainbow spiral famous, the art of resist dyeing goes |
| to grow just a few centimeters, the cost to the | | | | back much further than that. Resist dyeing is a |
| environment is fairly high, even though the by-products | | | | recognized national art form in Japan, dating back |
| are bio-degradable. | | | | many centuries and an industry that attracts |
| Modern reactive dyes were developed and refined in | | | | thousands of visitors to its International Shibori |
| the 1950's. These took over from the natural dyes for | | | | Exhibition. |
| a range of reasons. It is now possible to reliably | | | | The fibre arts are much respected in Europe, India, |
| produce every shade of the rainbow. The random | | | | North and Central Africa, UK, Japan and America. Dye |
| element has been removed from the process and it | | | | will be a global phenomenon as long as people wear |
| now becomes possible to mass produce garments in | | | | clothing. |
| the same colors, again and again. | | | | Try it for yourself today and share the intrigue of The |
| These new dyes are also very robust and color fast | | | | Wow Moment! |
| over many washes. They are able to withstand | | | | |