A fabric treatment changes the colour or surface of cloth, or of a finished trouser. Washes soften and fade denim; dyeing and overdyeing change colour; resist techniques such as tie-dye, bandhani, leheriya and shibori make patterns by stopping dye from reaching parts of the cloth; indigo has a story of its own. Some of these are safe in a studio or at home, some need care, and some belong only in a factory. Each is labelled honestly here.

Teacher to check: dye amounts and times follow the dye maker’s instructions, which come first. Safety notes are general; read the label and safety sheet of every product.

Five resist-dye samples, each a 4 inch square with its tying method drawn beside it: spiral tie-dye with the cloth twisted from the centre and bound in three bands; bandhani dots, tiny pinched points tied with thread in a 1/4 inch grid; leheriya diagonal stripes from cloth rolled on the diagonal and tied every inch; itajime-style fold and clamp, accordion folded into a triangle and clamped between two wooden blocks; and pole wrap, cloth wound on a pipe, bound with string and pushed down
Five resist samples and how each is tied.
Photo: The four honesty labels used for every treatment.
Four honesty-label badges with icons: studio-safe with a house, studio with care with gloves and a window, factory only with a factory, and short-lived with a wash tub and a downward arrow, each with its one-line meaning
The four honesty labels used for every treatment.

What you’ll learn

  • Four honesty labels for every treatment.
  • What denim washes do, and which are safe.
  • Garment dyeing, piece dyeing and overdyeing.
  • Tie-dye, bandhani, leheriya, shibori and indigo, and how to place them on trousers.

The four honesty labels

  • Studio-safe: can be done at home or in a studio with ordinary care.
  • Studio with care: needs gloves, ventilation, a mask for powders, and separate tools never used for food.
  • Factory only: needs industrial machines or chemicals; order it from a specialist unit.
  • Short-lived: looks good new but fades or wears off in washing; tell the client.

Washes (mainly denim and cotton twill)

Wash What it does Label
Rinse or soft wash Removes stiffness, little fading Studio-safe
Stone wash Pumice stones rub the cloth; faded, worn look Factory only
Enzyme wash Enzymes soften and fade, with less damage than stones Factory only
Acid wash Stones soaked in a strong oxidising chemical give high-contrast marbling Factory only
Bleach wash Lightens the colour overall or in patches Studio with care

Sandblasting, once used for a worn look, caused serious lung disease (silicosis) among workers. Many brands and some countries have banned it. D&D does not recommend it. Laser finishing is the usual safer alternative (see the next lesson).

Dyeing and overdyeing

  • Piece dyeing: the cloth is dyed before cutting. Even colour; the usual way.
  • Garment dyeing: the finished trouser is dyed. Seams and edges take dye differently, giving a soft, lived-in look. Polyester thread does not take cotton dyes, so stitching stays its original colour: a design effect if planned.
  • Overdyeing: dyeing over an existing colour. The result is a mix (yellow under blue gives green). Useful for refreshing faded trousers.
  • Label: fibre-reactive and other cold-water dyes for cotton are studio with care; dyes for polyester need high heat and are mostly factory only.

Resist dyeing: tie-dye, bandhani, leheriya and shibori

  • Tie-dye (general): cloth is twisted, folded or bunched and bound; the bound parts resist dye. Studio-safe to studio with care, by dye type.
  • Bandhani (Gujarat and Rajasthan): thousands of tiny points of cloth are pinched and tied with thread before dyeing, giving dots in patterns. A highly skilled hand craft.
  • Leheriya (Rajasthan): cloth is rolled on the diagonal and tied at intervals, giving wave-like diagonal stripes; mothra is a crossed version.
  • Shibori (Japan): a family of shaped-resist methods: folding and clamping, stitching and pulling, binding, and wrapping on a pole.

Indigo

Indigo is a blue dye from plants (in India, mainly Indigofera tinctoria) and also made synthetically. It is not soluble in water, so it is used in a “vat” in which it is chemically reduced; the cloth comes out yellow-green and turns blue in the air. Each dip adds depth. Indigo is the dye of denim, and of many Indian textiles. Natural fermentation vats are studio with care; vats reduced with strong chemical reducers are studio with care at best and need training.

Step by step: a tie-dyed trouser hem (studio with care)
  1. Choose the trouser: 100% cotton, linen or viscose, washed to remove finishes.
  2. Plan placement: chalk where the pattern will go: hem band, one leg, side stripe.
  3. Tie: pleat the hem area into accordion folds and bind every 1 in (2.5 cm) with strong thread or rubber bands.
  4. Protect: wrap the rest of the trouser in a plastic bag tied off at the edge of the dye zone.
  5. Dye: follow the dye maker’s instructions; wear gloves and work in an airy place.
  6. Rinse in cold water until clear, then untie and wash warm.
  7. Dry and press. Check the colour in daylight.
Placing treatments on trousers
  • Hem bands: tie-dye or bandhani along the hem draws the eye to the ankle; very common on palazzos and salwars.
  • Ombré legs: dip-dyed, dark at the hem fading up; lengthens the visual line.
  • Side stripes: leheriya or shibori strips set into the outseam.
  • All-over: small bandhani dots or a soft shibori pattern read as texture.
  • Before or after cutting: dye pieces before sewing if pattern must match across seams.
Where you see these in Indian fashion
  • Bandhani on salwars, dupattas and festive palazzos, especially for weddings and festivals in Gujarat and Rajasthan.
  • Leheriya for monsoon and Teej in Rajasthan.
  • Indigo in handloom, block-printed and dabu (mud-resist) textiles; and in denim, much of it made in India.
  • Garment-dyed and washed cottons in contemporary Indian casual wear.
Safety for each method
  • Wear gloves for all dyes and bleach; a dust mask when mixing powders.
  • Never mix bleach with other chemicals.
  • Keep dye tools apart from kitchen tools.
  • Work in a ventilated space; keep children and pets away.
  • Dispose of dye baths as the product label says; ask your local authority about waste water.
  • Children’s trousers: choose dyes that are washed out fully; wash twice before wearing.
Women, men and children
  • Women: bandhani and leheriya palazzos and salwars; tie-dye co-ords.
  • Men: washed and garment-dyed chinos and denim; indigo kurta pyjamas.
  • Children: tie-dye is a favourite family activity; adults handle the dye, children do the tying.
Tips, tricks and hacks
  1. Test on a scrap of the same cloth first.
  2. Wash new cloth to remove finishes before dyeing.
  3. Dye the thread effect on purpose: sew with polyester thread before garment dyeing.
  4. Use a pipe from the hardware shop for pole-wrap patterns.
  5. Bind tighter for crisper resist lines.
  6. Dip lighter first; you can always go darker.
  7. Record recipes (dye, weight of cloth, time) in a notebook.
  8. Professionals dye a whole batch at once for matching colour.
  9. Buy genuine bandhani from craftspeople when you can; it supports the craft.
  10. Tell clients about colour run for the first few washes.
Problems and how to fix them

1 · Patchy colour

  1. Overdye a darker shade.
  2. Make it a deliberate mottled look.
  3. Prevention: wet cloth fully and stir often.

2 · Pattern too faint

  1. Re-tie and dye again.
  2. Use more dye.
  3. Prevention: bind tightly.

3 · Colour runs in washing

  1. Wash again in hot water as the dye label allows.
  2. Use a colour-catcher sheet.
  3. Prevention: rinse until clear.

4 · Polyester blend did not take dye

  1. Accept a heathered look.
  2. Use a dye made for blends.
  3. Prevention: check the fibre label.

5 · Bleach made holes

  1. Patch or darn as a design.
  2. Cut and remake the area.
  3. Prevention: dilute bleach and time it.

6 · Indigo rubs off

  1. Rinse and wash well.
  2. Add more thin dips.
  3. Prevention: many thin dips, not a few long ones.

7 · Seams are a different colour after garment dyeing

  1. Overdye darker.
  2. Call it a design detail.
  3. Prevention: test a sewn sample.
Beginner mistakes and myths
  • Mistake: dyeing without gloves.
  • Mistake: dyeing unwashed cloth.
  • Myth: “Natural dyes are always safe.” Some mordants used with natural dyes are harmful.
  • Myth: “Printed tie-dye is the same as bandhani.” Printed imitation is not tied; real bandhani has tiny raised points.
Practice drills
  1. Beginner: five resist samples on handkerchiefs.
  2. Intermediate: tie-dye a trouser hem band.
  3. Advanced: garment-dye a finished trouser with planned contrast stitching.
As a hobby, for earning, for teaching

As a hobby: tie-dye is joyful, quick and family-friendly.

For earning: overdyeing faded trousers is a useful service; working with bandhani and leheriya craftspeople adds value to a range.

For teaching: a resist-sample workshop is a popular one-day class; plan for safety and clean-up.

Care and finishing
  • Wash dyed trousers separately, cold, inside out, for the first few washes.
  • Dry in shade to slow fading.
Sources and uncertain points
  • D&D ebook ch. 25 (jeans) and ch. 64 (environmental impact); general textile knowledge.
  • Geographical Indication (GI) status exists for some bandhani from Gujarat; check the GI registry for the exact names before quoting.
  • Bans on sandblasting differ by country and brand; described generally.
Check yourself
  1. Can you name the four honesty labels?
  2. Can you say which denim washes are factory only?
  3. Can you explain overdyeing?
  4. Can you tell bandhani, leheriya and shibori apart?
  5. Do you know the safety rules for dyeing?
Key terms
  • Resist dyeing: blocking dye from parts of the cloth.
  • Bandhani: Indian tie-resist dots.
  • Leheriya: Rajasthani diagonal wave stripes.
  • Vat: the dye bath for indigo.
  • Garment dyeing: dyeing after sewing.
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