Tie Dye Designs: Comparing Ice Dye and Hot Water Irrigation [HWI] Tie Dye Experiment

[@Wingnutwendy686]

This was incredibly helpful to see how different the two different methods turn out! Thanks for walking us through it.

[@FunEndeavors]

Thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed it! 😀

[@randallharbour6230]

Seeing the two shirts side by side is like the difference in looking at something with your glasses off or on. The ice dye has sharper and cleaner lines.

[@FunEndeavors]

That's a great description for it. The colors seem more distinct on the ice dye. The hot water irrigation colors blend more.

[@marypoxon8218]

I was about to go buy myself a garden sprayer today to try HWI, but after seeing this I think I'll stick with ice dyeing. Thanks so much for posting this experiment.

[@FunEndeavors]

I think HWI is great, especially if you are trying to finish a shirt off quickly. However, I prefer ice dyeing myself.

[@kenjenkins922]

I like the ice dye the most. The color separation gives it more depth. Thanks for the video!

[@FunEndeavors]

Thank you! Ice dyeing is one of my favorite methods. I love the color splits too.

[@anitamiller7169]

Like both but I’m in love with the ice dye.

[@FunEndeavors]

Thank you! I think that one is my favorite too. 😊

[@teresafield]

Loved them both. The HWI looks like stained glass. The ice dye looks more like a traditional traditional tie dye. Cant pick a favorite. But the HWI would be wonderful boho curtains ❤

[@FunEndeavors]

Thank you so much! I'm really glad you like them. 😀

[@marthalove3784]

What a difference!! Thank you so much for showing us this. I definitely like the ice dye better!!!

[@FunEndeavors]

I think so too! I think that one was the favorite. 😀

[@AlienShuttlecraft]

Wow! Thank you so much for doing the same shirt in two different ways. I am not sure which one Iike best. They are both very beautiful. Thank you for another great video. I look forward to seeing more like this. Oh, like the difference between sinew tied and kite string.

[@FunEndeavors]

Thank you! That's a great suggestion for a comparison video. I'm always happy to take suggestions.

[@MM-go4ms]

I am a real fan of the ice dying. I tried my first one last week and I am pleased with the results. The color splits are so fun. You never know what you're going to get. Thank you for all your great videos.

[@FunEndeavors]

Thank you! I'm so glad your ice dye turned out great - I love ice dyeing too.

[@lyndaneal91]

I think the "ICE" have it. Thanks again for the inspiration.

[@FunEndeavors]

I agree - that's my favorite too!

[@bradleach4947]

Wow! The ice dye is so vivid!

[@FunEndeavors]

Thanks! 😀

[@jeanninej224]

You are without a doubt the best dyeing teacher! Thank you for making videos!!!

[@FunEndeavors]

You are too kind. Thank you so much! I'm glad you are enjoying the videos. 😊

[@darrenfinn5145]

I like the Ice Dyed one better. Nice job!

[@FunEndeavors]

Thank you! 😀 I think that one was the majority favorite.

[@CDiebold-z3p]

I love your videos! I prefer the ice dye it looks crisper and more defined somehow.

[@FunEndeavors]

Thank you! 😊

[@josephguarrasi3285]

Excellent presentation :)

[@FunEndeavors]

Thank you, I'm glad you liked it! 😀

[@phillipfalk7627]

Very nice preso! I prefer the vivid color transitions in the Ice Died Method,

[@FunEndeavors]

Thank you! I think the ice dyed one was the crowd favorite. 😀

[@SIGNTEACH]

I sure wish I had seen this video BEFORE I ordered my pump sprayer!!! Oh well, there may be times where the crisp lines won’t be the focal point (scrunch, etc.). For $10 I can be a sport and experiment a bit. Thank you so much for posting this! It was a tremendous help. To think-a video of yours got me started six short months or so ago; now my family scarcely sees me unless they step into my dyeing lair. 😉

[@FunEndeavors]

I think Hot Water Irrigation is a fun technique to experiment with too, but I still prefer ice dyeing. I'm so glad you're having fun tie dyeing! 🙂

[@SIGNTEACH]

@@FunEndeavors I’m having a blast. Thanks for all your inspiration!

[@FunEndeavors]

@@SIGNTEACH You're welcome! 🙂

[@Jaxom35x]

It's pretty cool how in the hot water dye shirt, it looks almost 3D with the lines seemingly creating shadows among a softer color look. Of the two I would probably choose the hot water shirt because of the cool looking 3D effect.

[@FunEndeavors]

The lines do kind of make it look 3D. Thanks!

[@jfager100]

To me the biggest charm of hand work of any kind is that it's Not perfect. 😊

[@FunEndeavors]

Thank you! I agree - each one turns out very unique!

[@DaydreamColorz]

✨🌈✨Both are beautiful, but I do love color separation and run with the ice dye! ~Laura

[@FunEndeavors]

Thank you - me too!

[@noneofyourbusiness1699]

Ice dye is my fave by far!!

[@FunEndeavors]

I think that was the favorite of most people.

[@angelacharte590]

Both are pretty but my favorite is the ice dye all the way!! 😍💜💙

[@FunEndeavors]

Thank you! I totally agree! 🙂

[@glassygirl58]

I also love the ice dye I I like the look a lot better thanks for doing this video

[@FunEndeavors]

Thank you! 🙂

[@anneo3754]

I am favoring the ice dyed shirt. The hot water irrigated one is very pretty, too!

[@FunEndeavors]

Thank you! That's my favorite too!

[@franv.mccolman6143]

I love your choice of projects and your clear explanations. I learn so much from you and I thank you!!! I like both shirts but prefer the ice dye…

[@FunEndeavors]

Thank you so much - I'm glad you are enjoying the videos! The ice dye is my favorite too! 🙂

[@marypoxon8218]

Ice dye for the win!

[@FunEndeavors]

Thank you so much! 😊

[@SpaceCaptainCreations]

I tend to like the HWI shirt better, I get lots of requests for solids. Great video 👍🏻 maybe a combo experiment between the 2 in the future.

[@FunEndeavors]

You know - I always love a good experiment!!! 🙂

[@LaurieParsons-y2l]

Both shirts have value, but my preference is the ice die.

[@FunEndeavors]

Thank you! I think that seems to be the favorite one.

[@BelladonnaDyesCo]

Both shirts are beautiful. I’m a fan of the ice dye. I prefer the colors splits. The HWI is nice if you’re in a rush. ❤️🌈

[@FunEndeavors]

Thank you! I agree - the ice dye is my favorite too. I was a little surprised how different they were though.

[@GOYOSGardenTiedyes]

Ice dye came out very nice I haven’t tried the incline yet with the h w I and might have to try it out today also when I use the h w I usually do the bottom side of the spiral that’s much tighter once it pushes through that it flows easily to the other side thanks again for the experiment

[@FunEndeavors]

Thank you! 🙂

[@stefandomagalski3722]

Both are great, but ice is just too cool! Great idea to compare the two

[@FunEndeavors]

Thank you! That's my favorite one too!

[@iknowheis]

I like the ice dye much better. One remarkable difference is the center design. The HWI center looks odd. I don’t know what color it was. The center on the ice dye is more detailed and prettier. I did a shirt last week that I ice dyed. Then in the morning after it had been under two layers of ice, I put it in low water immersion with hot water. And washed it out in an hour. It came out great. Had the ice dye spits and I was able to finish the shirt in less than 24 hours.

[@ej551]

Thanks for doing this experiment! I love seeing the differences between dyeing methods. They are both beautiful shirts but the ice dye is my favorite. I love how the incline gives all the movement and the colors are perfect on these. Which is your favorite?

[@FunEndeavors]

Thank you! I love the dye movement of an incline too. The ice is my favorite too!

[@capntresi5706]

what an amazing difference. I've been primarily ice dying bc I love it. Recently bought a pump for HWI but for some reason just can't force myself to use it yet. LOLOL Thanks for the vid, Angie. Another great one, as usual.

[@FunEndeavors]

Thank you! I did the same thing. I probably had my sprayer for a year or so before I finally decided to go for it.

[@pamsmith1635]

They’re both beautiful but I think the ice dye is more eye catching!

[@FunEndeavors]

Thank you - that's my favorite too!

[@auntieann3000]

Love the ice-dyed version...so much more movement & variations on it. Hot water irrigation seems like a lot of trouble for not a lot of impact. Thanks so much for the video!

[@FunEndeavors]

Thank you! I've just started experimenting with the hot water irrigation. It's great if you need a shirt dyed quickly.

[@auntieann3000]

@@FunEndeavors for sure! I do some low water immersion fabric dyeing that way. It's fun & quick & makes some great fabric for projects & quilts. 😊

[@FunEndeavors]

@@auntieann3000 I'm sure your fabric makes beautiful quilts!

[@iknowheis]

I’m back. I like the ice dye much better!

[@FunEndeavors]

That one seems to be the favorite.

[@susanwaggoner4356]

I like the Ice dye so much better.

[@FunEndeavors]

That one is my favorite too! 🙂

[@AdirondackRuby]

So interesting, and beautiful, how such similar shirts can turn out so differently based on method!

[@FunEndeavors]

I totally agree!

[@jessicafurlong4124]

thank you for this experiment. I was just starting down the path of looking into hot water irrigation. I think I still prefer the look of ice dye. I love your videos, they are so helpful.

[@FunEndeavors]

Thank you so much - I'm glad you enjoyed it!

[@pjs4069]

Beautiful design using the ice dye.

[@FunEndeavors]

Thank you so much 😊

[@brettkreider18]

So cool I like the ice dye this time it have really sharp details

[@FunEndeavors]

Thank you! That's my favorite too.

[@India_Adams]

Great side by side.

[@FunEndeavors]

Thank you so much!

[@Uniquelyyours1]

The ice dyed one is my fav:)

[@FunEndeavors]

Thank you - mine too!

[@annavaughn9656]

I like both!!

[@FunEndeavors]

Thank you so much! 😊

[@jenniferdillow3934]

I love the ice dye..personally I don't think anything beats the ice dye.

[@FunEndeavors]

I love ice dye too! 🙂

[@jenniferdillow3934]

I like the ice dye....my fav

[@FunEndeavors]

Thank you! 🙂

[@lysyfloo3268]

Wow hermosos colores!! Beautiful colors, thanks 🙌

[@FunEndeavors]

Thank you so much! 🙂

[@lisastevens3104]

Ice dye! Love the dimension ❤️ I found that prochemicals colors can seriously vary from Dharma’s.

[@FunEndeavors]

Thank you - me too! Yes, normally I make color swatches for both since they can vary quite a bit. However, I somehow overlooked making one for the Blueberry and so I thought I would just try it out.

[@Turandot29]

Both pretty shirts. I am surprised you got that much color on the HWI method - it just looked like a way to flush the dye off the shirt..

[@FunEndeavors]

Thank you! You have to go slow when you apply the water with HWI.

[@zalialyon1853]

Thanks for all the info..why do u use dyes from so many companies? Just nosey..thanks for sharing you takent..they look good..thanks for sharing

[@FunEndeavors]

Thank you! I started buying solely from Dharma years ago. However, in the last couple of years I've started buying from some of the other suppliers. Since most of the dye colors are mixed ones, different suppliers offer different colors. Also, last year it was kind of tough for some of the suppliers to have certain colors available, so most tie dyers resorted to purchasing from who ever had stock available.

[@trentricher4126]

This is fantastic to see. I am experimenting and haven't tried HWI but I am wanting to. I have tried my first Phoenix and most of them use HWI that I have seen. Being fond of ice dying that's the route I went. It's batching now but I have seen some amazing shirts done with HWI. Now I am wondering, if you ice dye something then after 24 or 48 hours hit it with the sprayer might you get something in between? I am temped to try it with this shirt but I am scared as I spent most of the night folding this baby. Again I thank you for your posts and information. Your comments during the video are as important as the test itself!

[@FunEndeavors]

Thank you - I'm glad you liked it! I haven't ice dyed and then HWI afterwards, but I have heard several tie dyers discuss using that method to make sure the dye bonds well. Especially if they don't want to wait as long for the shirt to process.

[@trentricher4126]

@@FunEndeavors Thank you ! I'll give it a try, nothing ventured nothing gained. However I still live my ice dying and I do wait 48+ hours as the washouts are faster :-)

[@FunEndeavors]

@@trentricher4126 Absolutely! It's always fun to try something new.

[@parkerkat7309]

Thanks for the comparison. Someone mentioned ice dui overnight then HWI. What do you think

[@FunEndeavors]

That works! If you ice dye the shirt first, it will have more of the ice dyed look. The HWI is just to finish it off with a burst of hot water to make sure the dye bonds properly with the shirt.

[@alexclaar475]

Thats freakin awesome 👌

[@FunEndeavors]

Thank you! 🙂

[@mariechase6156]

Wow what a difference

[@FunEndeavors]

I know - I was surprised how different they turned out too!

[@am4448]

Thank you for your amazing videos. I personally like the hot water one better cause the center of the ice-dye turned out too blotchy for my taste. I think the white gap made a huge difference on the ice-dye, I suspect it to be better without the white. I think for the hot water one it was way better though as the colours might mix too much without the gap. Thanks for showing us the difference.

[@FunEndeavors]

Awesome - I'm glad you like it! I'll have to try the gap experiment - I'm curious to see how much difference it makes. Thank you! 🙂

[@am4448]

Thank you. Can't wait to see it.

[@katehagstrom7226]

I love the look of the ice dye, but where did you find that heater? Love all your videos

[@FunEndeavors]

Thank you! It is a sous vide wand. Here are links to the wand and the container to heat the water. Sous Vide Wand: amzn.to/2SNdhS0 Rubbermaid 18 quart Container: amzn.to/2TJ9vct

[@SamiAbbas-g6p]

Hey im completely new to this . Can you tell what types of dye is used in this process . I mean reactive dye are used or some other dye

[@FunEndeavors]

Hi! I use fiber reactive dyes. If you are in the United States, you can purchase them from Dharma Trading Company, Pro Chemical and Dye, Dyespin, Grateful Dyes or Custom Colours. All of these companies have websites.

[@dixiestovall7787]

I like the right one

[@FunEndeavors]

Thank you!

[@kelsieteal1223]

So to dye things like polyester I know you have to use a special dye that works only with hot water. Would the hot water irrigation method work for this?

[@FunEndeavors]

I'm not entirely sure. I personally haven't ever dyed polyester items. You might be able to find some information about the topic on either Paula Burch's website or on Dharma Trading Company's website.

[@laurab4652]

Ice dye rules!

[@FunEndeavors]

Thank you! 🙂

[@SpaceCaptainCreations]

Still love it. ✌🏻

[@FunEndeavors]

Thank you! 🙂

[@safetychamp]

I’m too impatient haha the only way I do it is HWI. Never tried inclining it before through. Could get interesting.

[@FunEndeavors]

I love HWI too for a quick turn around. I know that sometimes the wait is hard, but I usually just make another shirt to help keep me busy.

[@keithmiller8283]

I think that hot water irrigation is a bit splotchier, and doesn't have the subtlety of ice dyes...but it works ! Do you think that there weren't any color splits on the h.w i. shirts because of time needed for them to happen or because ice dye has more water in the process which to facilitate them? I like your comparison of methods and dyes side-by-side. How about one on Dui vs Doi? Thanks for posting! Sincerely. Keith M.

[@FunEndeavors]

I agree with you, I don't see as many color splits in my HWI shirts as I do in ice dyed shirts. I'm not entirely sure why, but I think the dye doesn't have the ability to slowly split when the water is added with HWI like it does with ice. With ice dyeing, the dye can gradually mix with the slowly melting ice and split before it bonds with the shirt. In the HWI method, since the water is so hot the dye bonds almost immediately when the water hits it. I am actually working on a new video for DUI vs. DOI. I did that experiment, but it was a long time ago. I'm redoing a few of my older experiments using some colors that have very pronounced color splits.

[@keithmiller8283]

I tried a modified method that is a combo.of ice dye and hot water irrigation. Basically you do your ice dye , and as soon as it has melted, then you proceed to adding your hot water to the fabric. This shortens the time needed by 36-48 hrs. and still has all the gorgeous color splits and dye movement that ice dyeing has.. Happy tie dyeing! Keith M.😂

[@FunEndeavors]

@@keithmiller8283 That's the perfect mix of the two! 😀

[@lucindawelenc2191]

Didn't you do an experiment comparing different shapes of ice? I know *someone* did and I thought it was you, but I can't seem to find it.

[@FunEndeavors]

No, I haven't done one like that.

[@FuzzyFacePlace-Leah]

Prefer the ice dyed shirt for sure! And thank you so much for doing a side by side like this. I had been contemplating trying HWI and wondered if the results would be as dramatic as ice dyes (in general) and this helps me better understand. So again, thank you. I like how you not only explain what you do when you dye, but also why you do what you do. It's geek-ery candy! :)

[@FunEndeavors]

Thank you so much - I'm really glad you like it! It is sometimes difficult to decide whether to speed the videos up and make them short with little explanation, or slow them down a bit and explain more about the process.

[@cathyursulacomrack5653]

all my dyes are hwi. took me quite a while to get good at it .I always dye the back as well. formula 3 sa to 1 to 1 powder saves a lot of money if you buy sa from pool supply 50 lb.for $40. you can also ice dye very well. all hemostat mandalas with the same formula,\.strong clear colors looove your videos!

[@FunEndeavors]

@@cathyursulacomrack5653 awesome!

[@FuzzyFacePlace-Leah]

@@FunEndeavors I think you have a good balance! I'll often speed through other videos because they don't offer the useful info that you do.

[@FunEndeavors]

@@FuzzyFacePlace-Leah Thank you so much! 🙂

[@beaulabix4914]

Hi Angie - Me again. Words fail me. I just guess it is probably a chemical reaction thing, or something. Um... I choose all of the 2 shirts. A girl just can't help herself. =^..^= Thank you. Blessings. *:D

[@FunEndeavors]

Thank you - I'm glad you like them! 🙂

[@Friskyhorton]

I Refer the ice dye.

[@FunEndeavors]

Me too! 🙂

[@patwieckowski9021]

Definitely gotta go with the ice dyed wild that the blueberry came out green. Just never know what your going to get with different dye companies

[@FunEndeavors]

That one is my favorite too!

[@bconsilio3764]

Why do you buy dyes from several suppliers? Where do you get your shirts?

[@FunEndeavors]

Thank you! I started buying solely from Dharma years ago. However, in the last couple of years I've started buying from some of the other suppliers. Since most of the dye colors are mixed ones, different suppliers offer different colors. Also, last year it was kind of tough for some of the suppliers to have certain colors available, so most tie dyers resorted to purchasing from who ever had stock available. I buy my shirts from a wholesale supplier (SanMar).

[@brettbachelder7122]

I like the ice much better.

[@FunEndeavors]

Thank you! 🙂

[@rk100364]

Ice Ice Baby!!! lol

[@FunEndeavors]

I think that was the overall winner!

[@diystylemixmatchbyyainan4781]

I like ice dye shirt

[@FunEndeavors]

Thank you - me too!

[@childofthelight9071]

I like the ice dye better.

[@FunEndeavors]

Thanks - me too!

[@elizabeththorell3616]

Ice dyed all day

[@FunEndeavors]

Ice dye is my favorite too!

[@shellygoodwin7221]

Ice ice baby

[@FunEndeavors]

That one is my favorite too! 🙂

[@gacosta6559]

Like ice 🧊

[@FunEndeavors]

Thank you! 🙂

[@VivianAkers-Thompson]

Ice dye for the win!

[@FunEndeavors]

Thank you! 😀