Check out the shirts in our store, Julie Belle Designs, and order today.

Regularly $18.99 – $20.99

Select styles only.  Tennessee residents will incur 9.25% sales tax.

We don’t do this very often so catch it while you can.

Have a colorful day!

They’re finally in the webstore!!  100% Bamboo, durable, warm, and vibrant!

  More colors coming soon.

Click here to buy socks -> SOCKS

Have a colorful Day!

Click to below to go to our webstore.

Flag Tshirt

Have a colorful day!

• To get really bright colors you must use a chemical dye.  Vegetable-based dyes will not necessarily give you the vibrant colors.  I would love to use them but would hate to lose business due to dull colors.
• Vegetable-based dyes are not necessarily safe for the environment.  Almost every type use a heavy metal mordant.
• There is a lot of water consumption!
• Most of the chemicals used during the process are the same chemicals used by farmers to grow crops.

What steps does Julie Belle Designs take reduce our environmental foot print?

• We use racks and towels instead of newspaper to dye our clothing.
• Reusable gloves are a necessity around the studio.
• We use only the amount of water necessary to run a load of tie dye.
• 90% of our advertising is done through email and the internet.
• All chemicals and dyes that may enter the sewage system are thoroughly diluted in accordance with the MSDS on each dye color.
• If we have clothing mess-ups, we reuse the fabric or donate it to charity instead of throwing it away.
• We reuse plastic bags when we have workshops to send tie dye home with the participants.
• We carry bamboo and organic clothing if it is “cost-friendly.”

We are constantly looking for new ways to reduce and reuse.  If you have ideas for us, let us know!

Tie dye duvet covers are one of our many products.  We can create custom colors and patterns or you go the traditional route with our vivid rainbow colors and choice of spiral, burst, or stripes.  Click on this link to bring you straight to our website.

If you would like to order a set, please call or email us with your color choice and pattern.  We can match colors fairly closely if you have a special color scheme in mind.  We dye sheets too!

Prices start at $120.00 for a twin duvet and pillowcases or shams are just $25.00 each.  Please note the pillowcases pictured above are made of silk.  They are $45.00 each (pillow insert included) if you would like silk instead of standard cotton.

Have a colorful day!

Yes we do wholesale!

Looking for tshirts for a group, or maybe aprons for a restaurant?  Maybe your retail store needs to add tie dye shoelaces to it’s inventory!  Check JBD Dye Worx out for great wholesale prices on almost any of product offerings.

Pricing starts at just $7.00 a shirt!

That’s right, $7.00 a shirt for a hand dyed, custom-designed tshirt.  No tax certificate necessary.  We simply add sales tax to your order if you are located in the state of Tennessee and do not currently have a certificate.

Fast Processing Time!

We can dye 50 shirts every two days.  More if you are in a rush to get your order.

Low Minimum!

12 shirts or items of any assorted sizes.

Screen-Printing Available!

Screen-printing available for tshirts and prices start at $12.00 per shirt for orders over 50 shirts.  We can create your artwork for you or give you the parameters we need to have the design print-ready.

If you would like more information on JBD Dye Worx or placing a wholesale order please contact us today!

Topologies by Anne Wilson

It’s been a while since I have posted on a Fiber Artist.  It’s been a while since I have even looked up a Fiber Artist.  I have a few favorites but life gets busy sometimes and the act of finding someone or something to inspire what I do unfortunately gets hidden under the piles of to-do lists and empty containers of dye powder.

This morning I sat down while rinsing out tie dye and started searching for fiber artists.  I noticed while rummaging through page after page of internet searches that a lot of fiber art searches are directed towards knitting, crochet, and quilting.  What about the artist who use fibers to create art and not craft, where are they in this tangle of search links?  I finally found the right combination of search words and up popped Anne Wilson.  I had completely forgotten about her through the years.  I have read about her in various publications but haven’t checked in with her in years.

I really like her work.  Using the combination of media Wilson uses to create installation work is quite tedious and time consuming.  I remember the first time-consuming fibers experience I encountered.  My third year in college a jewelry student was taking a screen-printing class with me.  At the end of the quarter during the final printing project she put down her tools, told everyone in the room we were all crazy, and then left.  The project consisted of a two-color registered print on three yards of fabric.  Oh, and the print had to be from an exposed screen.  During that project I had to re-expose my screen three times, twisted my ankle walking down stairs, cut the protective pad on the table b/c another student pinned on top of it (it can easily take 2 -3 hours to get the fabric pinned down), and was finally told to go home with a six-pack and come back in the next day.  Yes, Fiber Artist usually are a little crazy ,but I like to think of it as patience.  Who else would spend 60+ hours sewing 1000′s of french knots into paper to create the perfect pillow for Mother Nature?  A person with a lot of patience would.

Anne Wilson spends countless hours carefully stitching her vision to share with viewers.  She uses the media in ways that stretch the boundaries of what the average person probably would not have thought of when using a needle and thread.  To me, this is an important aspect of being an artist.  Thinking outside of the box.  The artist may say, “I have these materials to work with, now what can I do with it to capture the viewer’s attention?”  Anne Wilson may have said, ” I have all this thread, and a needle, and I want to express this so I’m going to spend months stitching to achieve it.”  Okay, so she may have not said that but I do love her patience and vision all the same.

Needless to say, this post is a tribute to all the crazy…I mean patient and creative fiber artists out there.  You know who you are ; )

Topologies detail by Anne Wilson

Another piece by Anne Wilson

Maybe one of these days I’ll finish Mother Nature’s Perfect Pillow.

What a wonderful substance that makes our tie dye bright!  Soda Ash is used in many manufacturing processes including; making glass, table salt, and it is used as a washing soda.  In tie dye we use it to fix the dye.  The soda ash, also called sodium carbonate, simply raises the PH of the fabric.

Where do I buy Soda Ash?

There are a few places to buy soda ash.  Dharma Trading Company is my first thought.  You can also buy it at pool supplies stores.  Soda ash is used in swimming pools to raise the PH level.

How much is needed?

1 cup per gallon of water.  If you are making a larger quantity of tie dye and plan to use a washing machine, I highly suggest purchasing a roll of PH test paper.  I order it from Dharma Trading Company because it’s easier for me but you can run an internet search for it and probably find it in your home town.  The PH needs to be at least 10.5.  I like mine at 11 – 12.  When I use it in a washing machine, I put in about 12 cups of soda ash and then check the PH level before I add any clothing.    If it’s not high enough, then I add more until it reaches the right PH level.  Point being – you don’t necessarily need 1 cup per gallon in larger volumes.  Use PH test paper to check!

How long do I soak my items?

I soak for 30 minutes.  Some tie dyers soak for 15, some an hour.  It’s really up to you.  Soak for at least 15 minutes and you’ll come out with happy tie dye.

When do I soak my items?

Soak your items after you have washed them with synthrapol and before folding.  I find it easier to fold with damp fabric anyway.

Here are some examples of tie dye with enough soda ash/and not enough

A few safety precautions -

• Always wear gloves.  Soda Ash can irritate your skin.  I pick up gloves from Sally’s beauty supply so they are snug and it’s easier to fold.

• Wear a dust mask around soda ash when measuring and mixing the soda ash with water.  It won’t kill you, but it will irritate your lungs and noise.  You will sneeze…a lot!

I hope this has given you a little more insight into how to make great tie dye!

Have a colorful day!

I am sad to say that Market Season is over : (

The last boxes have been packed, the tent has been taken down, and the van finally emptied with the contents taking up all the space in my office.  I’m always a little down at this time of year because I know four long months of being away from friends and excitement tend to feel like years.  I always get really excited when I see the first meeting of the New Year posted.  I turn into a kid in a candy store!

I will say just because it’s Winter, doesn’t mean you can’t shop.  We have a great webstore – Julie Belle Designs - where you may shop to your heart’s content.  We’ll be adding new things as the months go by and hopefully get our full tshirt selection up by the end of January.

Have a great New Year everyone and we’ll see you March 24th on the first day of The River Market!

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Here’s more great photos of our happy customers!

If you have photos wearing clothing or accessories from Julie Belle Designs, send them to us and we’ll post ‘em!

Have a colorful day!