HOW TO TIE-DYE SOCKS

MAKE A FASHION STATEMENT

Simone Rocha, known for her voluminous statement-making dresses and romantic, yet rebellious collections, has chosen to jazz up a pair of old socks with a fluoro-marbled tie-dye print, finished with personalised embroidery.

“I often collect old cotton aprons and bibs in flea markets, so in recent weeks, I’ve been able to re-purpose them as tokens for friends, collaborators and family during my downtime,” Rocha said from her home in London. “I like to stitch names on pieces like this because we are in a time where everything human feels the most vulnerable, yet, also the most important. In the evenings, it has been very therapeutic.”

Part 1: How to Tie-dye Socks Your tool kit:

• White cotton socks

• One packet of fabric dye

• Table salt

• Elastic bands

• Fabric dye fixative

• Warm water and a bucket

• Rubber gloves

STEP 1: Start with a bucket of water and some elastic bands.

Thoroughly wet your socks in the bucket. Wring dry.

STEP 2: Wrap the socks in elastic bands.

How you use the elastic bands on the socks will shape the tie-dye effect. One option is to twist the socks tightly into long, rope-like strands, then wrap them up into shell-like coils before pleating around them with elastic bands.

“For a more random pattern, I used baking beans inside the sock and trapped the fabric with the elastic band to create polka dots,” Rocha said. You will want to use three to four bands per sock.

STEP 3: Add the dye, then wait

Add the packet of dye and a generous cup of table salt to the bucket of warm water. Submerge the socks in the bucket for at least two hours. The longer you leave them, the deeper the colour will be.

STEP 4: Rinse and wash the socks

Remove the socks from the bucket. Remove the elastic band wraps and rinse the socks under cold water until it runs clear. Wash the socks on cold in the washing machine with a fabric fixative. Let them dry.

Part 2: How to Embroider Your Socks Your tool kit:

• Embroidery thread

• Sewing needle

• Embroidery hoop (optional)

• Pencil

• Scissors

STEP 1: Outline your pattern with a

pencil

“For the embroidery pattern on the socks, I used a classic chain stitch to spell names, although initials would also work as a less laborious alternative,” Rocha said.

A chain stitch is where you pull the needle through the loop into the next stitch. Start with writing the name on one sock – the easiest place to stitch will be at the top above the ankle. Use a soft pencil, like a 2B, so it doesn’t puncture the fabric and rubs off easily if you make a mistake.

STEP 2: Thread your needle

Carefully thread the needle with your embroidery thread. The length of the thread should not be any longer than the length to your elbow when it’s doubled. (This stops it from knotting up.) Snip, then tie a little knot where the two loose bits of thread meet.

STEP 3: Start stitching

An embroidery hoop can be useful to keep your material taut when stitching. When sewing, be sure to start from the back, not the front.

STEP 4: Do a chain stitch

Bring the needle up through the fabric at your starting point. Insert the needle again at the starting point and bring the tip up through the fabric a short distance away. Place the working thread behind the needle and pull the needle through the loop. Repeat.