A couple months ago we produced a small batch of hand-dyed t-shirts using using cutch -- a natural dye that comes from the heartwood of the cutch tree (acacia catechu). Cutch dye produces tones ranging from khaki to dark brown, and has traditionally been used in India, Burma, Indonesia, and Peru.
Due to the natural characteristics of the dye, you'll find beautiful irregularities and varying textures throughout the fabric, ensuring that no two t-shirts are quite alike.
Here are some behind the scenes photos of the process; at the end you'll see the final product...which we lightheartedly called the "Mars Rock" tee... Hope you enjoy!
...cutch extract powder gets dissolved into a dye paste...
...white t-shirts (pre-washed) are mordanted to get them ready for dyeing...
...the dye paste is diluted to make a dye bath...
...the t-shirts are added...
...water is heated gradually, and the t-shirts are rotated regularly...
...the t-shirts are rinsed to remove excess dye, before going through a final wash...
...the results...
Thanks for reading! We're looking forward to making more special edition hand-dyed t-shirts in the coming months, and we'll be going with a different natural dye each time...stay tuned!