Use Rit Fabric Dye in This New Technique and Get Watercolor Effect

Fall colors are my favorites:

burgundies, browns, burnt oranges, olives.

But I was hardly finding these colors in the stores.

So I decided to dye.

I used Rit fabric dye and Rit ColorStay Dye Fixative.

My imperfect method resulted in easy watercolor effects.

How to Rit Dye white a white t-shirt

to get easy fall colors in a watercolor effect/technique.

Things you need:

*6 pack of white t-shirts

* 6 five-gallon-buckets

*at least 6 colors of Rit Dye

(I had 6 colors, then I added brown to them for fall colors)

*Rit Dye ColorStay Dye Fixative (2-3 bottles)

*A stainless steel long handled stir spoon

* measuring spoons and cups

*Vinegar

*Salt

*Dish liquid

My Method to get a watercolor effect:

1. Pour into each bucket:

* 1 gal of cold water

* 1 tsp of liquid dish soap

* 1/3 cup of vinegar

* 1/3 cup of salt

* 1/2 bottle of liquid dye

2. Stir well

3. Add 1 t-shirt to the first bucket

The Rit instructions say

pre-wet it thoroughly,

but for more of a splotchy/water color effect

just add dry shirt dirctly into dye

and swish around

getting dye thoroughly into the shirt.

4. Repeat for the next 5 shirts.

5. Pull shirt out when preferred color is acheived

6. To get fall colors:

*Allow the first dye color the soak in

*then take out shirt

*and add to that bucket of dye

*1 Tbsp of Dark Brown dye

*stir

*put shirt in

*swish thoroughly

*and pull out when desired color is reached

which may be immediately

or 2-3 minutes later.

7. Dump out each bucket of dye

8. Next, use the Rit Dye ColorStay Dye Fixative with COLD water

To get a more pronounced water color effect, by:

*pouring 1 gallon of COLD water to each bucket

*add 8 Tbs (tablespoons) of ColorStay to each bucket

* put shirt in and swish thoroughly

* let set for 20 minutes

* empty bucket

*squeeze shirt of excess (dye and fixative)

*notice the watercolor effect

*put shirt in washer with very little soap

using cold water

*dry (heat helps set dye)

9. Shirt is done

10. If you want to add a stencilled neckline
*you can use acrylic paints

*and some stencils for shirts

*hang shirt onto a hanger

*tape thick newspaper (to hanger)

between front & back of shirt

so paint does not bleed to back

*cut stencils as you like

*and adhear to places on neckline

*using one color of acrylic paint (preferrably lighter) for the first stencilling

* remove stencils

* wash stencils in sink and pat dry

*let shirt dry

*position stencils slightly different

(can flip the stencil, or use on opposite side, etc.)

* choose a darker acrylic paint

for the second stencilling

*let it dry

*use fabric glitter (a glue with glitter)

can brush it on top of the stencilling

because glitter is magical dust

that makes all things beautiful.