Dharma Trading Co. partnered with Dalula Dyes again, and the new release has seven colors. I couldn’t wait to try them. I tied up seven towels, dyed them all over ice at the same time, and let them sit next to each other so you could compare the results side by side.
If you saw the first Dharma x Dalula collab, link here, this batch has a different personality. A few of these split beautifully. One mostly stayed one color. And a couple looked completely different once they dried.
The 7 New Dharma x Dalula Colors
Here’s everything I tested:
- Aurora
- Chocolate Cherries
- Honeybee
- Mint Berry
- Riptide
- Shazam
- Undertow
To buy these colors check out Dharma’s website here. (This isn’t sponsored. I bought these myself and these are my honest opinions.)
How I Set Up This Color Test
I wanted a fair comparison, so every towel got the same fold and the same method.
The fold
I used a geode fold on all seven towels. Geodes give you those sinew lines, and sinew lines are a great place to see how a color splits. Shop my favorite flour sack towels here.
The setup
Each towel sat inside its own Magic Track, racked over glass cake pans. Racking keeps your project up off the bottom so it isn’t sitting in the muck as the ice melts. The Magic Tracks kept each color in its own space, mostly. (More on that when we get to Mint Berry.)
Dye over ice
I went with dye over ice because I wanted to see how much splitting I could get out of each color. I covered every towel completely with ice, then sprinkled the dye powder right on top.
Want more folds to try with these colors? Grab my free ebook, 12 Tie Dye Folds, here: https://practicalandpretty.myflodesk.com/o83j7vh2tg
How I Sped Up Batching with a Microwave
I’ll be honest, I got impatient. I really wanted to share these results with you, so I sped things up once the ice melted.
For an inexpensive microwave option check this one out here.
I wrapped my project in cling wrap and put it in the microwave I keep only for tie dye. It went in for about 1 minute. Then I let it sit for around 10 minutes before rinsing everything out.
A quick safety note: please use a dedicated tie dye microwave for this. Dye should never go in the microwave you cook food in.
Results: All 7 Colors After Rinsing and Drying
Aurora
Aurora was the swatch I was most excited to see. The towel turned out beautiful. It’s a dusty purple that splits into a bright teal that feels like Mermaid’s Dream (also Dharma). I didn’t get as much of the dramatic splitting I saw on the swatch, though, so I think the geode fold held it back a little. I’m planning to try Aurora with a gravity dye next.
Splitter? Yes, a pretty good one.
Chocolate Cherries
The name is perfect. You get a wine maroon with pops of brown that look like chocolate. I honestly don’t own anything that compares to it. The closest I can come up with is Dances with Raisins mixed with a bit of Shiitake Mushroom. It has a gorgeous earthy feel.
Splitter? Yes, into earthy browns.
Honeybee
Honeybee was the color I was most excited about going in, because it’s so different from everything else in the lineup. It splits into chartreuse and melon. If you know Phoenix Flame, it’s in a similar family with the green and orange tones. Phoenix Flame is the earthier version, and Honeybee is brighter, with melon where Phoenix Flame has orange.
Splitter? Yes, and it’s a fun one.
Mint Berry
Mint Berry is a bright splitter with a green and a reddish berry tone, sort of like Dances with Raisins. I did get some purple in mine. I think it came from touching the purple towel next to it, since I don’t expect purple to normally come through in this color. Something to keep in mind if you’re dyeing several colors close together.
Splitter? Yes, a bright one.
Riptide
Riptide surprised me. When it was wet, I thought it looked like nothing special, just purple. Once it dried, it turned really pretty. It has a split similar to Shiitake Mushroom, leaning more toward dusty purple. You could probably get something close by pairing a dusty purple with ecru. A little seafoam wandered into my towel, and I loved how it looked, so I’m going to try Riptide paired with seafoam on purpose.
Splitter? Yes, subtle and dusty.
Shazam
Shazam is a bright purple that splits into a darker purple along the sinew lines. I also picked up a hint of seafoam blue. Overall it reads as purple, and it underwhelmed me the most of the seven. It’s still a beautiful color. If you love purple, it’s worth grabbing.
Splitter? Only a little.
Undertow
Undertow is a teal that splits into seafoam. I use teal constantly, so I can already tell this one will get a lot of use in my studio.
Splitter? Yes, teal to seafoam.
Which Dharma x Dalula Colors Split the Most?
If splitting is what you’re after, Aurora, Mint Berry, and Chocolate Cherries gave me the most noticeable separation with a geode fold over ice. Honeybee and Undertow split nicely too. Riptide’s split is softer. Shazam stays mostly purple.
My favorites? Honeybee for being so unique, and Undertow because I know I’ll reach for it all the time.
Which one would you pick up for your next project? Tell me in the comments!
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the new Dharma x Dalula dye colors?
The latest Dharma Trading Co. and Dalula Dyes collaboration includes seven colors: Aurora, Chocolate Cherries, Honeybee, Mint Berry, Riptide, Shazam, and Undertow.
Which Dharma x Dalula colors split in ice dye?
In my geode fold ice dye test, Aurora, Chocolate Cherries, Mint Berry, Honeybee, and Undertow all split well. Riptide had a softer, dusty split, and Shazam stayed mostly purple.
Can I use a microwave to batch ice dye?
I sometimes speed up batching by wrapping my project in cling wrap, microwaving it for about 1 minute at a time in a microwave used only for tie dye, and let it rest about 10 minutes before rinsing. Never use a microwave you cook food in.
What fold is best for seeing how a dye color splits?
I like a geode fold for color tests because the sinew lines show off splitting really well. Some colors, like Aurora, may split even more with a gravity dye.
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