Mous-ified Tie Dye Instructions!

People from around the country have enjoyed wearing fun and funky tie dyed Mouse shirts. Here are the instructions you need to make these awesome wearable art pieces!


You will need:
absorbent pads (disposable bed or puppy pads)
some kind of "grid" (cookie cooling rack or cat litter mat)
vinyl gloves
rubber bands
waxed dental floss
needle
pattern
pencil
squeeze bottles
dye
soda ash
Synthrapol (color setting detergent from a quilt shop)
small, sharp scissors
100% cotton shirt

Prepare your space by laying out the pads with the grid on top. The idea is to have a place for the dye to go without making a mess and ruining your floor! It's also important to elevate your work to keep the dye from pooling.

Prepare your shirt by pre-washing in a little Synthrapol detergent and dry with NO dryer sheet. Next, trace your pattern in the center of your shirt, being careful not to get it too low or too high. I always "eyeball" it, but 5"-6" below the neck for an adult shirt is about right.

Pull a 36" piece of waxed dental floss and thread your needle. Starting at the center of the top of the head (between the ears), use an up and down stitch and work your way around the pattern. Keeping the stitches a uniform 1/8" helps with the final product.

Once you have completely sewn around the pencil marks, line up the ends of the floss so they are even and gently pull the floss, gathering the fabric to a pouch. Make sure the "ears" and head are all puffed out and tie the floss in a knot. Here is a trick...rather than cutting the floss, hold the pouch you've created and try to get it as even as possible. Carefully wrap the floss around your gathered stitches and pull it tight. While holding the floss in place, use an 1/8" rubberband and band the pouch tightly over the floss.

Add a few more rubberbands around the mouse-y part; I usually have 3 on a larger shirt, 2 on kids' shirts.

turn the shirt over and pinch a bit of fabric in the center. Lift the shirt and compare sleeve seams to make sure you are well centered and rubberband about a 1" pouch for adults and 3/4" for children's.

From this point, continue rubberbanding at about 2" intervals for adults, 1-1 1/2" for children's shirts until you reach the neck area. The front and back will then look like 2 arms. Gather the body of the shirt and rubberband it below the neck area, continuing down the body until you have a "doll", as my girls put it!

Soak the shirt in a solution of hot water and soda ash for 30-45 minutes, then spin out in the washer twice. DO NOT RINSE, spin only.

While the shirts are soaking, prepare the dye per the instructions. Use gloves. Believe me. ;) When lining your dyes up, remember to apply them in rainbow order (ROY G BIV) even if you are only using 3 colors, you'll like the results much better.

Lay the shirts onto the grid you've prepared. Carefully apply die to the mouse-y end, being sure to fully saturate but not OVER saturate. Immediately follow with the next color in the next segment. Once you reach the neck portion, repeat on the opposite "arm". Apply the dye to the neck portion and work down the body from there. The body is a bit harder to judge saturation, esp in larger sizes, so apply the dye and carefully twist the body to see if it's going through. You'd like to see a little actually dripping from the bottom, but not a gush. The dye will "creep" from segment to segment, so working quickly (but don't rush) will improve the final product.

Leave your shirts to rest for at least 8 hours in a warm place. If it's too warm, cover each with a grocery bag (don't place IN the bag, your colors may blend) to try to maintain moisture.

After the rest time is up, fill your washer with cold water and a capful of Synthrapol. Put on fresh gloves and CAREFULLY (voice of experience) use your scissors to cut off the rubber bands. It helps to "lift" them with the tip of the scissor and hold it away from the fabric with your finger before cutting. Once the rubber bands are all removed, carefully cut away the floss you wound around the pouch, then snip one of your stitches to undo the gathering. Wash your shirt in cold, then warm, then hot water, adding a splash of Synthrapol each time. Dry as usual and voila! You have a gorgeous, unique, handmade work of art made by YOU!

The shirt should be colorfast, but to be safe, wash it with like colors the first few times. I just washed my orange/black one with whites with nary a problem.

Enjoy and if you have any questions at all, please don't hesitate to use the Contact Us button...we're happy to help!