it's summer. time to be chill in the hot hot sun.
a letter from the art barn
Hello there! It's Jocelyn Mathewes from a summer camp in the lush green mountains of Appalachia. I’m volunteering for the week in the “Art Barn” and am reliving my childhood camp experiences. As you can imagine, the “studio” is looking very different!
I love me some tie-dye. You won’t find me wearing it all that often, but I’m definitely enchanted by the magic of the process. Not knowing exactly how something will turn out is part of what keeps me returning to a process. Tie dye is not considered a “fine art” and has a childish association, but dying fabric takes real skill and chemical expertise. Even in this setting, I like to take it seriously to help kids be able to realize a particular outcome, just play around, or help them express their taste in fashion.
And it’s fun to do some experiments on the side—
And in case you need some summer tie dye inspiration: this article has great photos with 17 patterns. I’ve returned to it again and again. I’m not a pro, but here are my tips:
Keep your dying surface clean as a whistle.
Wear gloves. Seriously!
“Inject” the dye into the fabric bundle — don’t just sprinkle it over the surface.
Use a little more than you think you’ll need, BUT ALSO
Careful not to over-saturate and bleed all the colors into much.
Wash with a color-catcher twice before laundering with other colored clothing.
See you on the other side of camp! 🌞
xo,
jocelyn
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