Fi got invited to play at a friend's house one afternoon last week for a swim and Tie Dye play date. Fi excitedly accepted but also wondered where did the art of tie dyeing come from. Tie Dye is actually a type of resist-dyeing technique due to the manipulations of the fabric prior to the application of the dye. The earliest version of this was in Peru and then later in Japan. The art of Shibori in Japan is a type of resistant dyeing that involves labor intensive preparation such as stitching fabric together in patterns before the dyeing process.The process moved to the United States in the 1920's and 30's as a way to revitalize old clothing but hit major popularity in the 1960's as it became used as protest art against the war. This was the incarnation that used bright colors to contrast the traditional conservative clothing colors in order to protest the Vietnam War. In this way, you could tell if someone protested the war from far away due to their clothing.
They began by making a flower crown. Although they've been around for centuries, flower crowns were popularized in the 1960's as a way of being connected with nature and were often used as symbols for peace and love.
The girls had a blast and the shirts look fantastic! We used this kit and it was great! I can't wait to see what they choose to do for their next play date!