The swirl design is achieved by first placing the T-shirt on a flat surface, pinching and lifting some fabric near the center of the shirt.
Slowly twist the fabric in the same direction until the entire shirt has wound around itself. Secure the bundled shirt with a rubber band around the outside and two criss-crossed over each other on the top. It is important to keep the shirt wrapped tightly because the initial twisting is what determines the swirl pattern.
Apply the dye following the curve of the swirl, keeping in mind that the dye will run together somewhat. Make sure to apply the dye to the center layers, not simply those on the outside.
The finished T-shirt will have an overall swirl design and this pattern can easily be done with two or three colors. If you want to use more than three colors it is a good idea to do swatches of color, starting in the middle and moving toward the outside. It is also a good idea to start with the lighter colors and add darker colors towards the outside.
Tanquyen made this shirt using orange and blue dyes, which created a third, brownish color where they bled together. The pattern is maintained well throughout the shirt, which shows that the twisting was done correctly.