Reddit reviews How to Tie-dye Stars: Book 2 of the Tie-Dye Art Series

It looks like you are applying enough dye, it just isn't going where you need it. If you aren't getting the dye penetration you want, the cause is going to be either your dye is too thick or the material is bound too tightly.

I doubt it's the dye mixture, but.... Do you add sodium alginate? I like a little bit so the dye doesn't stray too far from where I put it, but too much and you can end up with something closer to a gel that won't spread far enough into the material. If you aren't using a thickener, maybe your dye powder to water ratio is too high? You could try ice dyeing to see if the problem persists, or if it solves the issue you encounter when mixing it into liquid form.

My guess is that you have too much material or it is tied too tightly. Whenever I've done a mandala it is on one side of the shirt only. The back gets a different design because if the shirt is folded all together there is too much material for the dye to get through it all. It could also be that you have tied too tightly. The rubber band/string/sinew resistance needs be strong enough to prevent the colors from running all over each other, yet allow sufficient penetration to reach all the material.

I'll qualify all of this by saying I'm experienced but not an expert. I learned a lot from the How To Tie Dye Stars book, which is THE guide to the mandala style. Crap! Looks like it has been discontinued on Dharma. Amazon has it.

Edit to add: I think the shirt is still really cool!