Quilting Arts - USA (2021 - Spring)

will share four different ways to use
common kitchen items to shibori
dye. After you have tried a few of
these ideas, I hope you will fi nd
inspiration in your kitchen as well.

DIRECTIONS

Indigo dyeing takes planning.
Follow the kit manufacturer’s
instructions to prepare the indigo

vat in the 5-gallon bucket. This

should be done at least 1 hour before

dyeing—the day before is even

better—and the lid placed on.

The lid will minimize oxygen

exposure to the dye, so the vat can

remain active for weeks if your

dyeing plans get pushed back.

Gently move the vat to the dyeing

location at least 15 minutes before

dyeing so any sediment you may

have stirred up returns to the bottom

of the bucket. If you are not working

outdoors, protect the fl oor of your

work area along with the surfaces.

Fill a dishpan-sized container

with water and place it close to your

work area.

Refer to Candy’s Part 1 article in

the October/November 2020 issue for

tips on working with the indigo vat.

Net bag technique

The net bags that onions are sold in

provide an easy ‘vessel’ for an all-over,

randomly distributed pattern of light

to dark texture.

1. Soak a piece of fabric in the
   dishpan of water for a few minutes.
   Remove it from the water, squeeze
   out the excess , and spread it fl at
   onto a protected work surface.


2. Pinch and push the fabric
   toward the center—I call this
   ‘scrumbling’—creating hills and
   valleys that are about 1" in height.
   (fi gure 1)


3. Pressing from the outward edges
   toward the center, creating a bit
   of a ball, insert the fabric into the
   bottom of the net bag then twist
   the bag to tightly enclose your
   scrumbled bundle. Close the bag
   tightly with a clip or rubber band.
   (fi gure 2)


4. Dip the bundle into the vat and
   gently squeeze it under the surface

with your gloved hands. The more

you squeeze, the deeper the dye

will penetrate toward the center of

the bundle.

TIP:If you want lots of white, do very little

squeezing; for more overall color, squeeze

more.

5. Lift the bundle from the vat and
   place it on a protected surface
   to dry away from undyed fabric
   or hang it on a clothesline. After
   oxidizing for 20-30 minutes, repeat
   dipping until you are happy with
   the depth of color.

TIP:I fi nd that briefl y dipping the fabric

back in clean water to rinse off any oxidized

indigo sitting on the surface allows the fabric

to get darker faster, so always dip in water

before going back into the indigo vat.

Twine technique

In this method, butcher’s twine

is used to ruche or gather the fabric,

creating a lovely texture that looks

like fi sh scales.

1. Repeat Step 1 from the net bag
   technique.

fi gure 1

fi gure 2

2.

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