Quilting Arts - USA (2021 - Spring)

byCandy Glendening

FROM THE

Part 2

INDIGO

DYE PARTY

Resist patterns from

everyday kitchen items

t

his is the second of a three-part series exploring

indigo vat dyeing. In the fi rst installment in the

October/November 2020 issue, we reviewed the

basics of indigo vat dyeing and created graphic,

mud cloth-inspired design with glue resist.

Now that you have some experience, it’s time to

add some more visual texture to your dyed fabric—

and there are lots of tools that can help you do this

that are probably in your kitchen right now!

Let’s explore the world of shibori, a Japanese

manual resist dyeing technique. In shibori, fabric

is manipulated into a three-dimensional form

in some way—by folding, crumpling, twisting,

pleating, etc. That shape is then held in place

by some sort of pressure created by surfaces

on opposite sides of the fabric shape pressing

inward. When this shape is dipped into the indigo

dye bath, the fabric under pressure will resist the

dye penetrating the fi bers; the more intense the

pressure, the less color with penetrate and the lighter

the fabric will be.

Because other areas of the fabric will be completely

exposed to the dye, those areas will be indigo blue—the

deepness of which will be determined by how many times you

dip it in the dye bath. The bath made with a kit can dye many

fat quarters or large squares—at least 12–16—so I have often

found myself scrounging around the kitchen to fi nd more ways

to create a resist, adding to my patterning lexicon. In this article I

g

—

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MATERIALS

• Indigo dye kit (sometimes
  called an indigo tie-dye kit)


• Several large squares of
  off -white linen/cotton
  blend fabric, prewashed
  and dried (I use 20" or 22"
  squares of Essex.)


• Skimming tool like a
  slotted spoon


• Flat plastic container or
  plate


• Net bag, such as a produce
  bag holding onions


• Butcher’s twine


• Rubber bands


• Dried beans of various sizes


• Water-soluble marker


• Few pairs of chopsticks


• 5-gallon bucket with lid


• Dishpan-sized container


• Long stirring stick or paint
  stirrer


• Long gloves


• Plastic sheeting to protect
  the work surface


• Gentle detergent or
  dishwashing liquid (Dawn®
  works well.)
  Optional


• Clothesline and clothespins

CAUTION: All supplies

and tools used for dyeing

must be dedicated to

non-food use.

CCA

and

mus