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Indigo Workshop

Judith Mueller

Indigo is probably the most widely used dyestuff of all time – indeed denim jean material is still coloured using indigo dye as it is extremely wash fast.


Indigo can dye all natural fibres. It gives beautiful shades of blue — from the palest summer sky to an almost purple black. The colour achieved depends on the type of vat, the concentration of indigo, and the number of dips. 

Indigotin (the dye component of indigo powder) is insoluble in water. To use it for dyeing it must be reduced to a water-soluble form. All indigo vats need three things: 1) Indigo 2) A reducing agent 3) A Base.

Indigo is not water soluble, so you have to create a vat that allows the pigment in from indigo be released

We were able to experience the wonders of the indigo process this past Sunday at a workshop offered by the guild


I brought lots of different fibers to create samples. I took some of my plant dyed yarns and overdyed them with indigo, creating greens and purples.



I also took my mother's linen napkins and dyed them using a random resist method....a simple shibori



I also took cotton doilies, and cheesecloth and dropped them into the dye bath. There is also some silk embroidery yarn. Indigo is great for all fibers.


It was a wonderfully fun day.

The guild will be holding a Natural Dyeing workshop on August 3rd, if you are interested in exploring Natural Dyeing in more depth

Judith Mueller


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