Tie Dye, Part One

I love to tie dye. If I could establish a lucrative career creating clothing and accessories out of hand-dyed fabric, I would do it in a heartbeat. But since no one is beating my door down to buy my creations as of yet, I guess I will stick to just doing it for fun.

I had so many pictures that I decided to divide my tie dye projects into two parts. This post will cover the basics, and part two is going to be how to tie dye onesies for babies. Even divided into two parts, this post is really long. Hopefully some of my trial and error will be helpful to you so that you are happy with your results.

I have tried two kinds of dye. One is the basic powdered Rit dye which has been around for as long as I can remember. It is very inexpensive and can be found at Walmart as well as most grocery stores. Rit dye is very intense and concentrated. It also comes in a liquid, which I haven't tried yet, but plan to. It seems more convenient and easier to mix to create other colors. Rit has a fabulous website which gives tutorials on various techniques and recipes for your own color creations. You can order from this site as well. Go here to see it.

There are also Tie Dye kits by Tulip, which are very convenient. They offer a variety of colors, such as turquoise, fuschia, and lime green. These are available at Walmart, Michaels, Hobby Lobby, and Hancock.


Tulip recommends soda ash to soak your shirts in before dyeing them. It is supposed to make the color adhere better. I honestly can't tell that it helps. And it smells weird. Whether you use soda ash or not, your shirt should be prewashed and damp before you tie dye.

Be sure to cover your surface with large plastic bags. The dye can leave permanent stains.

Have plenty of zip lock bags or saran wrap handy. You will need to let you shirts sit and cure for several hours. This is hard to do, by the way. I am always so curious to see how they turned out and I rarely wait as long as I should.

So, the items you will need are:

t-shirt, etc to dye (prewashed and damp)
dye of choice
rubber bands
rubber gloves
squirt bottles (Walmart-kitchen section-99¢)
large garbage bags to protect counter or table
ziplock bags or saran wrap


One easy thing I've done is just to dye a t-shirt all one color. I poured the whole package of dye into a large pot of boiling water and dissolved it. Then I dipped the shirt into the dye. The two factors that determine the intensity of the color are how hot the water is and how long you leave the shirt in the dye. I always save some of the dye I make and pour it into squirt bottles because it is reusable and it keeps for a long time.

Here is a shirt that I dyed pink. I left it in the dyebath for about 30 minutes. It is just a Hanes t-shirt (men's small) that I got in a pack of 5 at Walmart. I love how it turned out. It is really soft and comfy and looks cute with jeans.


I bought a plain beige t-shirt at Hancock (they are in the tie dye section) and decided to dye it orange. I left it in the water for about 15 minutes, stirring it every once in a while.

I took it out of the water and squeezed it out in the sink, being careful not to burn my fingers. It seemed a little boring to me, so with the middle of the shirt as my starting point, I placed rubber bands around it about an inch apart for a total of 6.


I filled a squirt bottle with 1 part clorox and 1 part water and shook it up really well. Then I squirted it onto every other space between the rubber bands. I let it sit for about 8 hours, then rinsed and washed it.


This is how it turned out. Very funky.

I had a plain white t-shirt that I got on a trip. I livened it up a little by dyeing it turquoise. I liberally squirted the Tulip dye onto it while scrunching it up in my hands.

As you can see, it ends up a much lighter color once it dries. I really like it, though. Much better than the white.


I have dyed several tank tops. Hancock has these nice simple white ones. They usually run $3.99-$4.99.

I divided it into 3 sections with rubber banding and added a different color to each section.


Here is how it looked. This is also after several washings. If I do this color combination again, I will put the purple in the middle. The turquoise and green are a little too similar and blended into each other a little too well.

This is another Hanes t-shirt.

The spiral technique is one of my favorites and it's very easy to do. First decide on where you want to center the inner circle. Then place a fork on that spot.

Begin to turn the fork clock-wise, twisting the fabric along with you.

Continue turning the fork...


...until you have a circle, kind of like a cinnamon roll.

Place rubber bands across the circle and divide the shirt into 4 or 6 sections.

Color each section on the top, them flip it over and color the bottom as well.

This is how that shirt turned out.

This is a cool shirt that Amby made for me. It is one of my favorites.

You can also dye a shirt to match something. I had some army green shorts and I dyed this tank top to match them. I used camo colors, but added a touch of purple to make it more girly.

Most importantly, be careful washing any clothing that has been dyed. I always hand wash mine a couple of times first. Then I wash in cold water only with like colors. The color can bleed onto your other clothes.

I hope that this lengthy tutorial is helpful. Stay tuned for more.

Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies

I found this recipe in the Grilling 2010 issue of Penzey's Spices catalog. I have always loved peanut butter cookies and this is a very easy version. It is flourless and butterless. These cookies are moist, slightly chewy, and full of peanut butter flavor. Plus they have the yummy addition of chocolate chips.

Peanut Butter Cookies

1 cup peanut butter (I used crunchy)
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tbsp wheat germ
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350°. Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and mix by hand. Spoon out in rounded tablespoon-sized balls onto a greased cookie sheet. Press down with a fork. Bake for about 10 minutes.

Yield: about 18

Oatmeal Pie

First of all, I want to apologize for the lack of posts lately. I have been busy working and doing some spring cleaning. I really will try to post more often!

This is a delicious recipe that I found in the Penzy's Spices spring catalog. (To download the catalog and see original recipe, go here.) I love recipes that have old fashioned oats in them, and when I saw that coconut was in it as well, I had to try it. I changed the recipe a little. I decreased the corn syrup, used buttermilk instead of regular milk, and I omitted the cinnamon.

Zac helped me make this pie.


And someone was also on standby to help if needed.

Izzy loves to be in the middle of whatever is going on. She even lays on the floor and watches me iron.
Anyway, back to the recipe...


Oatmeal Pie
2 unbaked 9-inch pie shells (0r All Ready Pie Crust)
1 cup buttermilk
4 eggs
1 -1/2 cups sugar
1/2 stick melted butter
2/3 cup light corn syrup
2 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt
1-1/2 cups old fashioned oats
1 small ( 6-7 oz) pkg coconut

Preheat oven to 350°. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the buttermilk, eggs, sugar, butter, corn syrup, vanilla, and salt. Stir in the oats and coconut. Divide the batter between the 2 pie shells and bake until browned evenly, about 40-45 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes before cutting.


Before baking:
After baking:

This pie is yummy, especially if you like the crunchy chewiness of coconut and oatmeal.

Roasted Pork Tenderloin Sandwiches

This recipe comes from my old roomie, Mimi. We roomed together at the University of Montevallo and have been good friends now for over 30 years. Very simpatico. There is an island named after us called Meama-Vicka Island, but that is another story. She is an amazing cook and I've gotten a lot of ideas from her. She made this pork for us one afternoon when we were at the beach together and I have made it many times since. It is easy and yummy! I don't even remember the exact seasonings she used. Just use your favorites.

Roasted Pork Tenderloin Sandwiches

1 pork tenderloin
Cavender's Greek Seasoning
Colonel Paul's Cajun Seasoning
salt and pepper to taste
Hoagie rolls
favorite sandwich condiments, such as mustard, mayo, banana pepper slices, olives, etc

Line a baking dish with foil. Season the tenderloin with your favorite seasonings. Bake at 450° for about 30 minutes. Let rest for about 10 minutes. Slice.


If you line the baking dish with foil, it cuts out a lot of mess.

Season generously with seasonings on the top and bottom.

Cooking at a high temperature browns it beautifully and really brings out the flavor.

Crusty brown on the outside and moist on the inside. Slice and enjoy!

Easy Baked Rice

This is one of my all time favorite recipes. It has been around for years, but I found this particular version on Cooks.com. You just throw all the ingredients in a baking dish and in a little over an hour, you have the most fabulous tasting rice ever. Seriously. I served it with Chicken that Makes its Own Gravy.

Baked Rice

1 can Campbell's Consomme Soup
1 can Campbell's Onion Soup
1 stick butter
1 cup uncooked long grain white rice
1 can (4 oz) mushrooms

Combine ingredients in a greased 1-1/2 to 2 quart baking dish Bake at 350° for 1 to 1-1/4 hours and stir before serving.

Yield: 6 servings

You might want to double it because everyone will want seconds.

Baked Chicken "That Makes its Own Gravy"

This recipe comes from a book that was given to me by a sweet friend many years ago. The book is a compilation of recipes taken from the backs of boxes, bottles, cans, and jars, such as Campbells, Kellogg's, Tabasco, and Pepperidge Farm There are some really great recipes in this book. Many, such as the recipe I am posting, are nostalgic as well. If you are interested in buying this book, you can check it out on this quick link to Amazon.



This particular recipe came off of the Carnation Evaporated Milk can, circa 1964, and it comes with my personal disclaimer: The chicken does not "make its own gravy." At no time did any of the chicken in this dish make or even assist in the gravy making. I did it all on my own. It does convert from a creamy to a more gravy-like consistency during the baking time, however. I changed a few ingredients from the original, such as cheddar instead of American (gag) cheese.

Baked Chicken that Makes Its Own Gravy

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup melted butter
1 small can Carnation (I actually used Pet!) Evaporated Milk
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1 carton fresh mushrooms
1 small onion, chopped and sauteéd in butter

Coat chicken with flour. Arrange in a single layer in melted butter in a large baking pan. Bake uncovered at 425° for 30 minutes.Turn chicken and bake until brown, about 15-20 minutes longer. Remove from oven and reduce temperature to 325°. Pour off any excess fat. Combine remaining ingredients and pour over chicken. Cover with foil and bake for about 15-20 more minutes.
Yield: 6 servings

Coat each chicken breast with flour. I also added a little salt and pepper.


Combine gravy ingredients. Don't expect any help from the chicken.

Okay, so these pictures do not do this fabulous recipe any justice. The chicken was tender and the gravy was delicious. I highly recommend this for company or for just a family dinner.

I hope you try it!