Flowy ice dye on thin shirts
Flowy video demo, for getting blooming effects on thinner fabrics. It was previously rare to see large watercolor effects on thin shirts. This innovation changes the ice dye game!
Intro to polyester fleece for flowy ice dye:
Flowy Ice Dye Steps
How to Fold
Flowy ice dye on thin fabrics requires one or two layers of polyester fleece placed behind the shirt. Scrunch the shirt and fleece together into three to five tall bunches. The fleece must be synthetic (cotton doesn't work) and can be upcycled or new, as long as it’s not much smaller than the shirt.
Soda Ash Presoak
Pre-soak the shirt in soda ash water to help the dye bond to the fabric. Mix 1 cup of soda ash per 1 gallon of water, soak the shirts, then wring the shirt out by hand. Sprinkling soda ash over the ice tends to block the washed-out watercolor effect. Pre-soaking gives better flowy results.
Rack Setup
Set up the shirt on a rack so melted ice and dye can drain through the bottom. This downward flow helps create the smooth, flowy lines. Avoid containers where the fabric sits in pooled dye because it will block the movement that creates flowing dye lines.
Applying Dye
Sprinkle powdered fiber-reactive dye over a generous layer of ice. Use two or three colors, applied randomly, with about ½ teaspoon per color for one shirt. Take a photo of your dye placement and color choices to compare with your final results.
Batching
Let the shirt sit for 18 to 24 hours at room temperature after the ice melts. This gives the dye and soda ash enough time to react with the fabric. Flowy ice dye doesn’t respond well to rushed batching.
Troubleshooting
Blotchiness can happen when soda ash is sprinkled on with the dye, because it keeps dissolving at the surface instead of washing through at the same rate as the dye. If your ice melts too fast, the tops of the peaks may rinse out while the color pools and darkens between them.
If your design turns out too busy, you might have made too many small scrunches. Stick to three to five tall peaks.
Poly Fleece FAQs
Where do I get fleece?
Fleece can be purchased online or in person, at craft stores. I usually buy it locally since it doesn’t need to have any particular technical features. I go to Joann Fabrics, but you might be able to find what you need at hobby lobby or wal-mart. What kind of fleece? You want fabric that is polyester, and thick. Anti pill or blizzard fleece are the most common/available options, locally. Blizzard is usually the cheapest option. Anti-pill is a little nicer quality, so I get that in case I decide I would rather sew something with a part of it. If you find an obscure polyester fabric that is bulky and cheap, in the clearance section, it could be worth a try.
I wouldn’t recommend using cotton or other natural fiber fabrics for this purpose. I have used craft felt with success but I don’t know how well that would hold up for long term use.
Sometimes, Anti-pill fleece can cost as much as $12/yard. At that price, I grumble and only get what I need. When it’s $5-6/yard, I will get 3-4 yards to have plenty to play with.
How much fabric should I get?
I would recommend starting with 1-2 yards. Fabric is stored on “bolts” and they cut the amount that you want before you buy it. Take it to the cutting counter and tell them how much you want. You can cut it into smaller chunks when you get home. It’s okay to use a piece that is bigger than necessary. It just gets scrunched into the bin. If you can fit two full shirts onto your piece of fleece, it might be worth cutting it in half, so you can dye 2 items at the same time. But if it’s only big enough for 1 shirt with some extra fleece hanging off, I would just leave the extra. Don’t trim it down. You might like to have that extra for a bigger item in the future.
Do I need to prewash it before dyeing with it?
No, I don’t prewash it.
Do I need to wash it between uses?
When I’m in a hurry to dye more things, I just rinse the fleece in my utility sink, and then spin out the excess water with my spin dryer. I will immediately reuse it damp, without washing/drying. I have not noticed any unintended dye transfer doing this. You CAN wash/dry it between uses if it makes your process easier. You can use 1 or 2 layers depending on how much you want to bulk up the thin fabric that you are dyeing.