carolaug

I have been thinking...in the summer many kids do tie dye shirts...what about piecing together 10 inch white squares and than die dieing the top...oh...I bet that would be so AWESOME. What a neat grandkid project....

Peckish

Piece it first, and then tie dye it? Or dye it first, then piece it?

Either way, make sure those dyes are set before washing!

charsuewilson

I would tie dye the squares first then sew them together. If you are going to tie dye after sewing the squares together, then why cut the fabric in squares? Just tie dye the whole cloth as one piece.

nycquilter

Dyeing the squares first is the way to go--IMHO. Use procion dyes. They actually bond to the fabric to reduce risk of fading and running. Try Dharmatrading.com or prochem (can't remember their site) in Massachusetts to buy the dyes--which are available in tons of colors--even more if you just buy three primaries and mix your own, mordant, synthrapol, soda ash, etc. I love dyeing fabric and with kids, I love teaching them to dye. Look up sites for techniques, such as swirl or mandala. Dharma has many instructions for this on their site, too.