I recently made this fun shirt based off one I saw at Gorman. I used the Viki Sews Kaia Blouse and a plain rayon from spotlight. Below I’ll go through the process I went through to dye it up, you can do this with any garment or fabric you like!
I used my laundry as if any dye spilt it would be ok in this room. I also covered the floor with towels and wore old clothes.
To keep the ombre even I suggest securing any loose parts of the garment such as sleeves or where it buttons up. I added very loose stitched tacks to the front to keep the button wrap in place, and the sleeves to the sides so the ombre would match the levels along the sleeves and body.
Soak your garment in clean water, it should be wet/damp but not dripping.
1. Fill your bucket (or whatever container you are using) with hot water, as hot as you can without damaging your fabric, I find turning only the hot tap on is usually hot enough. Add enough water so the section of the garment you want to add the 1st colour to can sit fully submerged.
2. Add salt to the water along with your dye, add the dye slowly and use a scrap of fabric to check how the colour is looking. Make sure you shake your dye well and mix it with the water.3. Add the first edge of the garment into the bucket, this is going to be the most saturated section. Depending on how large your garment is and how you want the sections of dye to sit will change how much you add to the bucket. I dipped in approx the first 5cm. It helps to plan out how you want the colours sectioned.
*Any wrinkles and folds will result in a more tie-dye effect, less folds will have a smoother ombre.*
4. Every 5-10 mins dip more of the garment in. Again the amount you dip in will depend on how large the section is you’re dying.
5. For the last couple of sections you may want to add water in to dilute the dye.
6. Once you have finished the first section remove your garment and empty the bucket. Be careful not to get any dye on the undyed section of the garment.
7. Rinse the dyed section until the water runs clear (or at least mostly clear). Again be careful not to run dye water or get dye on the undyed section.
8. The next sections will be done in the same way, keep the 1st section and future sections out of the way. Dip in the first bit and slowly add more as done for the 1st section. When you get to the end of the section slightly overlap the last dip with the last dip of the 1st section.
9. Rinse the second section the same way as the first and repeat the dying steps and rinsing steps until you’ve done as many sections as you like. Keep in mind if you have large sections the ombre won’t be as smooth.
10. Once all sections are dyed wash with detergent, I popped mine in the washing machine but a hand wash will do. Wash until the water is completely clear. Do not wash with anything you don’t want colour to possibly run onto!
11. Once dry remove any tacks, cut the button holes and add fray stop. Now wear your fab garment and get lots of compliments.