John’s Tie-Dye Nirvana
Do you want to dazzle friends and family …
with eye-popping, unique creations? Consider exploring John Norton’s new passion: tie-dye. Yes, tie-dye is back and more popular than ever with high quality, eco-friendly materials. Social media is helping to transform tie-dye from a 60s counterculture statement into a joyful way to add color to anyone’s life today. Be careful though, it can be addictive.
John is the Program Manager at the Cloverleaf Intensive Supports Program in Warburg. In the photo above, Support Workers, Jolene Berg and Flordeliza Sullivan, help display the remarkable variety of designs and colors. His passion for tie-dye was hard to miss at the September leadership and general staff meetings, especially when his multi-colored shirts were paired with equally lively glasses. How did John get interested in tie-dye? And how complicated is it to leap into this colorful world? Fortunately, John has all the answers.
It all began innocently. John was looking online for some new shirts this summer. “I saw some really cool tie-dye clothes, but they were really pricey.” After a little more ‘googling’, he found a tie-dye kit on Amazon. Remembering how relaxing it was to do abstract watercolor painting years ago, he ordered a kit, added a few tee shirts, and his fate was sealed. The process is simple, and, with online videos, success is almost guaranteed. The result? “The first three shirts blew my expectations out of the water.”
How costly is it to get into the world of tie-dye? Not costly at all it turns out. The kit is about $25, and refills are about half that price. Any porous material like cotton or linen can be tie-dyed from tee shirts to pillowcases, to table runners to bed sheets. Your imagination is the limit. And there is no limit to the skills. Websites like Chandye.com give professional guidance and ideas on materials and patterns that can help move anyone from novice to advanced artist levels.
And there is great news about today’s materials. The eco-friendly dyes take about 24 hours to set. After rinsing, washing, and drying, tie-dye items are so stable they can be washed safety with other clothing. Because dyes take 24 hours to set, that means any accidental spills or splashes can be rinsed off with soap and water in the meantime. To keep items (and surroundings) protected, John puts each shirt in separate zip lock bags to set. Then, after 24 hours, it’s time for the ‘big reveal’ which John says is the absolute highlight. And if you don’t like the result? You can just re-dye the item.
The results are so appealing that two managers asked for a tie-dye masterpiece and John came through. Below, check out the totally different designs and color schemes that John created for Lisa Macdonald, Benefits, Payroll, and People Experience Manager, on the left, and Robynn Strikwerda, Clinical Access Team Program Manager, on the right. They don’t have to worry about running into someone wearing a shirt like theirs!
So what’s next? John has another order of shirts coming and he’s ordered more tie-dye tools including bottles with gauges so he can refine the colors and shapes. With each project, he is planning to increase the complexity of the folds. Look out world! Lots of color and creativity coming at you!
