Test Your Tie Dye IQ (How many of these do you know?)

Whether you're a seasoned colour lover or just peeking behind the rainbow curtain, here’s your fun glossary of dye lingo — straight from the Sewcial Dyes studio.

Ice Dye
The slow, magical cousin of traditional tie dye. Ice is piled on fabric, powdered dye sprinkled on top — and as it melts, colour blooms and flows in glorious, unpredictable ways.

Spiral
The OG of tie dye techniques. Twist, band, dye, and swirl — retro never looked so good.

Orange
A Sewcial Dyes house joke. Not a real technique — just a personal colour boundary. I’ll do it... but it might cost you a coffee.

Muck Dye
The messy, unexpected beauty from leftover dye puddles or ice run-off. Some of my best pieces were total happy accidents.

Scrunch
No precision, just passion. Scrunch the fabric and let the dye do its wild, chaotic thing.

Batch
Not biscuits — though tempting. Batching means letting the dye set (usually for 24+ hours) so your colours come out bold and beautiful.

Soda Ash
This pre-soak makes sure your colours stick. It's the glue between fibre and colour.

Washout
The big reveal moment. Rinse away the excess dye and see what magic you made.

Resist
Anything that blocks dye from certain areas — like sinew, rubber bands or folds. It’s what creates those dreamy white lines and shapes.

Bullseye
Fold and tie from the centre out — dye in rings. It’s hypnotic, bold, and never boring.

Fibre Reactive Dye
The science behind the colour! It bonds to cotton and natural fibres, making everything bright, washable, and long-lasting. 

Shibori
A traditional Japanese art form using folding and binding to create repeat patterns. Fancy. Elegant. Slightly addictive. Most often used with Indigo dyeing.

Hot Wash
That final, steamy wash that locks in your colours and gets rid of any extra dye. Very important. Don’t skip it.

Tie Marks
Those white streaks left behind by sinew or elastics. Not a flaw — but an intentional badge of handmade honour.

Blooming
When dye touches damp fabric and slowly spreads out like watercolour. Pure magic.

Synthrapol
A pro textile detergent that helps remove excess dye in the first few washes. Keeps your whites white and your rainbows clean.

Have a term you think should be added? Drop it in the comments!

Let’s make this the ultimate little glossary for every tie dye lover.