The essential process consists in dyeing the cloth in a dye-bath after having wound parts of it more or less tightly with string or cord, which serves as a resist to prevent the color from reaching those parts of the fabric. The result is a white or, if the cloth has been previously dyed, a light colored pattern on a darker background.
The method is capable of more elaborate work. There may be several dyeings, beginning with lighter colors and passing to those of darker values, and between the dyeings additional tying or untying or both.
PORTION OF A CHUNDRI SHOWING TIE-DYED WORK DONE IN INDIA
For example, a cloth is dyed light gray, then a [!-- original location of illustration --] pattern tied into it, after which it is put through a light blue dye-bath. This gives a light gray design upon a grayed blue background. But suppose now that a part only of the tying is removed, some additional tying done in the grayed blue field, and a third dye-bath used, this time a light red. The background becomes a grayed purple and in the design are gray, grayed blue and grayed red.
There may be a great variety of designs, depending upon the manner of tying the individual unit and the spacing of these units with relation to each other.
The Oriental work is characterized by very small individual ties and the arrangement of many of these into some geometrical or pictorial pattern. The grouping of these little ties accurately and uniformly into lines and design clusters challenges wonder and admiration. But even with the dexterity acquired by these people the process is slow and laborious.
The illustration (page [110]) shows a piece of tie-dyed work from India. The material is cotton. Careful examination shows it to have been done in the following manner: The cloth, which is very thin, was folded to form four thicknesses. Then at each point where a tie was desired the four thicknesses were pressed or drawn up and wound very tightly with string, the very tip of the fabric being left exposed to take the dye like the background. After dyeing and removing the ties the cloth was unfolded, showing the four repeats. The upper left quadrant was uppermost in the tying, and shows the dark centers very distinctly. Then came in order the upper right showing small dark centers, the lower right showing few dark centers, and the lower left showing none at all.