I have the results for my first pair of DIY Urban Outfitters shorts! And let me just tell you, the results are kinda shocking. I ran into some problems along the way and now I gonna have to improvise a solution. But until then, here they are!
These are the shorts that I found at my Goodwill. They fit perfectly and were a great brand too.
I used basic tye dye that I bought at Walmart a few summers ago. I had a lot of dye left over since I only dyed three shirts. So they came in handy for sure.
First I soaked the shorts in water from the hose outside. I read online wetting the fabric will help make the dye spread and look more vibrant. Not sure it that's actually true or not! But I did it anyway.
The technique I used was simple. I just turned the dye bottles upside down and let the dye drip onto the shorts. You don't want to over do it though, because the drops grow bigger once they hit the denim.
Now my problem: I let them lay outside for a couple of hours before throwing them in the wash by themselves. The blue and red came out the way I wanted BUT look at the picture below, the yellow completely washed out!
So, later in the evening, I took the shorts DRY and re-did the yellow portion of the shorts. I figured, the yellow dye didn't adhere to the fibers long enough to stick and the water probably didn't help either. So again, with dry shorts, I let the dye sit over night.
I threw them back in the wash this morning and this is what happens:
THE YELLOW IS GONE AGAIN!
Like, seriously, WTH.
I used two totally different techniques and neither of them worked. So my guess is that the dye is really old and maybe it just "expired" or something. Not sure. Can dye expire?
Nonetheless, I'm just going to keep them the way they are for now. They'll make a good Fourth of July outfit or something.
The back is my favorite. I just like the way the dye turned out.
Tell me if you have ever tried to copy something. Did it work? Did you have problems like me right now?
Have a great Tuesday :)
This is really cool! I've also seen the shorts at Urban and I almost bought them except for the price
ReplyDeleteI know, they are so cute! Thanks! :)
DeleteOh my goodness, please please please try to make these... http://www.urbanoutfitters.com/urban/catalog/productdetail.jsp?id=24703498x
ReplyDeleteI will see what I can do!! :)
DeleteSo, I totally used this same dye last year and had the same results. It washes out like crazy. I did some reading and tried it again. This time, I did a pre-soak in a white vinegar and water solution. Then dyed. I put the dyed items (still wet with dye) in plastic baggies in the sun, flipping a couple times. I left them in the sun all day. Keeping them wet plus adding heat really sets the dye. Then, I did a rinse (with cold water) and a dye (with heat). Now the colors are set and should have very little bleeding. Check out my results: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10150274776684174&set=a.10150238886159174.336949.510989173&type=3&permPage=1 (I actually have no idea if that link will work so let me know if it doesn't). So, it took longer to dye but the results rocked!
ReplyDeleteWow, they look great! Thanks for the tip!
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