Dead Style: A Long Strange Trip into the Magical World of Tie-Dye

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Howard Kaylan from The Turtles told me that you taught him, and kind of all of those musicians from the 60s, how to tie-dye. Were you the tie-dye master? He is also kindred spirits with a dog named Floyd, a shelter-mix who stops and stares at headlights as they pass by at night. There's a story there, too. If only Floyd could talk. Then again, maybe not. Born in the wilds of San Francisco, with its rich literary history and public transport system teeming with potential characters suitable for crime novels, it was inevitable that Max Tomlinson would become a writer. Charles, Oliver, and Mabel’s podcast, Only Murders In the Building, (as well as the Hulu show that’s telling the story) centers on the premise that the murderer of Tim Kono is someone who lives in their building. It’s a grand theory, but there’s one problem with it: One of their prime suspects might not be a resident. On the night of the murder, there was a mystery man in a tie-dye hoodie who Charles saw going up the stairs of the building while everyone else was leaving. So, who is Tie-Dye Guy in Only Murders In The Building? Could he be a resident in disguise? Or is he an outside force? The answer may be the difference between life and death for at least one character. In addition to the series launch, VANISHING IN THE HAIGHT, Max Tomlinson --- who was born in San Francisco --- has penned six novels, including those in the Sendero series; LETHAL DISPATCH, a stand-alone title; and the Agency series.

Plot twists that rival gnarled Joshua Tree branches will intrigue noir detective readers, and Kinsey Millhone fans will find this a thrilling mystery “tie die” for.

Cut to more than a decade later, 1978 San Francisco. A new-to-the-job private investigator, one Colleen Haynes, gets a call from a prospective client, whose daughter has been kidnapped. After accepting the usual “don’t-tell-the-police-or-else” instructions, she agrees to meet, to see if she can be of help. Yes, that’s right, he was, and Henry actually had some of his very first experiences as a photographer when Eric Jacobson said, ‘Look, I’ve got this new band, would you please just take some 8×10 glossies so I have some pictures?’ That was us.” There's one big no no Jess sees happen again and again: "The biggest mistake that people make, is getting too excited, untying and rinsing it before it's set. They open up it up, and it looks beautiful, and then they realise the next day that the dye has seeped because it's not had time to set, or the pattern disappears, and it turns into a big splodge."

If your dye specifies a sodium carbonate soak, add that to your warm water when soaking. Simple tie dye techniques and patterns

The Takeaway

From the off, we’re thrown head first into London in the swinging 60s, where pop band The Lost Chords are giving The Beatles a run for their money. Teenage lead singer Steve Cook is the centre of attention. As well as being a charismatic frontman he writes the songs, but their manager Ian Ellis has pulled a fast one and is taking the lion’s share of the royalties. It leads to a violent row between Steve and Ian and after the show the singer drowns his sorrows, big style. Room temperature is fine says Jess; "Don't put it outside in the sun. It does need warmth to set, but if it goes dry, which the sun would cause, it stops the dye from reacting."

Until one morning, that is, when he woke up, hung-over after a big show, with a naked young girl stone-cold dead in the bed next to him… and everything changed, again. Only this time, for the so-much-worse. Following the diagram above, fold the shirt in half again along the diagonal line. The shirt is now folded into sixteenths.Secure the shirt with 3 or 4 rubber bands, crisscrossing them over the center of the disc. The tighter you bind the shirt, the more white areas there will be. Lay the shirt out on the table. Fold it in half lengthwise. Then fold in half again widthwise. The shirt is now folded into quarters. Buying a dye kit is the best option here- as they include other tools you’ll need for the process. All you have to do is choose which colours you like best. The better dyes are the Procion dyes. 3. Grab the Tools You Need Steve's story was compelling, as was Colleen's amateur sleuthing. There was only one instant I questioned, and that was her need to find out what Steve had done all those years ago when his ex just had a rant stating as much...in Colleen's presence.