Dyeing a Gradation of Indigo Fabrics
My mind is swirling with so many projects. Two fairly well-developed projects need indigo fabric in a gradation of values. Recently there was an unusually warm day perfect for mixing up a vat of indigo dye.
There is always some serendipity involved when dyeing, including with indigo. But a happy vat increases success levels. With indigo a good indicator of a happy vat is the smell. It is not pleasant, but it is distinct. And when that distinctive smell wafts out of the vat as I lift the lid, I am happy. The next indicator of a happy vat is the frothy blue “flower” on top. My vat was happy!
The process of dyeing with indigo requires dipping fabric in the vat for 30 seconds to 2 minutes then exposing it to oxygen. While in the vat the dye sticks to the fabric. Exposure to oxygen creates a chemical reaction that causes the dye to turn blue and darken.
To reach deep dark blues requires a series of dips into the dye vat each followed by 20 minutes of exposure to oxygen in the air. So to create a series of fabrics from light to dark indigo, fabrics were dipped in the vat from one (lightest value) to ten (darkest value) times.
A warm day was perfect for dyeing larger pieces of fabric because I was able to hang them on a clothesline in the breeze to interact with oxygen between dips in the vat. This made for lovely photos as well (check out the gallery below).
Watch this video to see the process and the amazing color surprise when fabric comes out of the vat the very first time.
