Some of the most iconic memories of the youth rebellion of the 60s were tie-dyed dyecrafted T-shirts, dresses and jeans. Well, it’s all the rage again and a beautiful new book by Melanie Brummer, Contemporary Dyecraft, will show you how to bring out your inner hippie.

 Woodstock

Woodstock in 1969 was the defining moment of my generation. The tree days of peace and music had me yearning to bring meaning to my teenage years. From then I wore the message in my heart and on my body – badly.

I grew my hair to my waist and topped it with a bowler emblazoned with peace signs, and acquired an array of very tight floral hipsters and painted boots. But my favourite items were my psychedelic tie-dyed T-shirts. I made Joe Cocker, Janis Joplin, Canned Heat and Country Joe McDonald look like paragons of style.

Tie-dye 

Tie-dyed and dyecrafted clothing were the uniform of the flower-power hippie movement of the 60s and early 70s. Simple T-shirts, dresses and jeans were turned into a riot of colour that mostly hurt the eyes.

As a fashion statement tie-dyed and dyecrafted items have had brief resurgences since then, but are very hot now. And very far removed from my crazed ensemble and what was once the staple of Haight Ashbury.

Now they are central to every major designer collection and, best of all, you can get in on the action, too, by stamping your personal style on your wardrobe. All you need to do is dip into Melanie’s book; then pull out your scarves, dresses and T-shirts and get dyeing.

Marianne Fassler

‘The dyeing of fabric to create interesting surface patterns and colouration is a very ancient craft,’ says designer Marrianne Fassler. ‘Fabric dyes have been harvested over the centuries from remote locations.

‘I use dying techniques to evoke the timelessness of ancient fabric adornment, to somehow imbue my garments with history and exoticism. I love natural dyes and the unpredictability and irregularity of the medium as well as the nuance and delicacy of faded colours and dipped edges.’  

Melanie Brummer

Melanie Brummer started experimenting with dye in the early 90s. A decade later she began to sell custom finishes to the fashion industry and went on to supply designers like Fassler, Stoned Cherrie Black Coffee.

She has produced custom dyed fabrics that have gone all the way to the New York Fashion Week. Currently she is teaching leading designers about production requirements for dyeing and printing so that they can produce their own custom finishes.

Contemporary Dyecraft

With Contemporary Dyecraft (Metz Press), Melanie unlocks the infinite possibilities of dyed cloth for the layperson, using simple techniques, household equipment and ready-made garments. Bringing the dye-resist technique of the hippie era into the 21^st century, she shows you how to dye T-shirts for fun, recycle your old clothes with colour, make the most gorgeous silk scarves or make a bold fashion statement.

With more than 50 projects to choose from, all graded according to the level of experience required, there is more than enough for both the beginner and the technically advanced crafter. Each project is explained clearly with step-by-step instructions and photographs, showing you how to create a wide range of stunning colour effects.

If you like stamping your own style on your fashion identity, then Contemporary Dyecraft by Melanie Brummer is to die for.