How To Crop A Top with Crystal Wash Dyeing

Let's get started!

If using a new garment, pre-wash with Dyer's Detergent and hot dry your top to make sure it is pre-shrunk and ready for cropping and dyeing!

Crop the Top- This can be done before or after dyeing, the choice is yours.

Pro Tip- It helps to do this with a buddy but a mirror works too.

Put on your top and grab the Mark-B-Gone marker. Stand relaxed so the top isn't pulled up.

Have your buddy mark where you would like the center front of the top to hit.

Next mark the side under the arm at the seam.

Finally, mark the center back.

Pro-Tip- you don't have to have a level hem, you can mark out a hi-lo cut path if you want to - it is more cropped in the front than the back of the top. Or you might even want a high cut back.

Remove the top and lay it out flat, but fold the garment down the center front and back. Laying it out this way will let you follow your marks so the top is symmetrical after it is cut. If you want, draw out the cut line more clearly by connecting your marks with a ruler. It is optional, but helps if you are doing the hi-lo version.

Time to crop! - Using your fabric scissors, cut ½ inch BELOW your marks, this will give you a hem allowance to compensate for knit fabric curling up or for turning the hem if you choose to sew it flat. It is another design choice that is up to your creativity. You can alway cut away a little more but it is hard to put it back on!

Crystal Wash Dyeing-

1. Soak 100% cotton top in Soda Soak solution, mixed 1 cup to a gallon of warm water. Wring out excess.

2. Lay the garment flat on a protected surface and use your fingers (in gloves) to scrunch it together into a flat round disc shape. Use a couple of rubber bands to help hold it together.

3. Transfer and cram the garment into the bottom of a very small bucket or other container. It needs to be very tight. Alternatively, put more rubber bands/sinew all around it so it is like a big pie.

4: Squirt on 1 or more colors of Procion Fiber Reactive dye mixed up according to the same recipe as our basic tie-dye instructions.

Pro Tip- If not using a container, apply your colors to alternate sides of the disk so they will bleed towards each other.

5: If you want white in the areas where the dye doesn't penetrate, for strong contrast, just let it sit for 12-24 hours. If you want lighter color (instead of white) in the areas where the dye doesn't penetrate, push on the garment a little with a stick or gloved hands to push some of the dye in deeper.

Once it has batched, rinse under cold running water, to stop the dye reaction. Next rinse in warm water while you untie any rubber bands, keep rinsing until water runs fairly clear. Throw in the machine as soon as it is rinsed, running it through a full cycle with HOT water and the Dharma Dye Detergent.