Name: Sangeetha

Message: Hi Paula,
Thanks for creating such a fantastic site. My question is: on the Tie Dye 101-202-303 DVD series, sometimes they will pour soda ash solution on the shirt and immediately dye, whereas other times they will presoak a shirt in the soda ash solution bucket, take it out, and let it dry before applying dye. Can you explain the difference?

The soda ash will work equally well if it is still wet in the fabric when you put on the Procion dye, or if you let it dry before you put on the dye. The difference is that letting the shirt dry means that your dye is more concentrated when it hits the fabric, instead of being diluted by additional water. This can make it easier to work on fine details, and it can help you to get even more intense colors, depending on how much dye powder you use when you dissolve your dyes.

The soda ash that is dried in the fabric can be irritating to work with. Some people have had problems with breathing dry soda ash powder that is somehow scattered into the air as they work with the dry soda-soaked fabric. If you can feel any irritation at all while doing this, it is best to wear a properly-fitting dust mask to help prevent breathing any soda ash. ("Properly-fitting" just means that you can't breathe in unfiltered air around the dust mask.) Always make sure that your work area is well ventilated.

Presoaking in soda ash and then line-drying it is particularly useful for dye painting and for printing with Procion dyes. This method is used in Ann Johnston's wonderful book Color by Design.

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