Indigo Archives - Page 3 of 13

Sunday Visit: Oregon Flower Farming With Vibrant Valley Farm

Today’s Sunday Visit is with our dear friend Kara Marie Gilbert over at Vibrant Valley Farm. Vibrant Valley Farm is a group of dedicated farmers committed to exploring innovative solutions to enliven the current food, floral and fiber systems. Vibrant Valley Farm is also the muscle behind the marigolds we sell on Botanical Colors! Located on Sauvie Island, just outside of Portland, Oregon, Vibrant Valley Farm has been committed to exploring innovative solutions to enliven the current food system, both locally and globally. As part of that local and sustainably grown angle, they never use pesticides or herbicides. Kara says, … Read more

You Asked, Kathy Answered: What’s The Indigo Setup?

We get lots of emails from customers about challenges with dyeing and needing Botanical Colors’ President Kathy Hattori’s help. Why not share the learning so we can all benefit? From our inboxes to you, it’s simple: You Asked, Kathy Answered. Email questions@botanicalcolors with your plea for help! YOU ASKED: I’m trying to set up my indigo vat finally (I purchased materials from your store months back). My only confusion is whether or not I need to purchase a stainless pot to do the initial 180-190 degree temperature rise? I don’t have one, and have a 5 gallon bucket I was … Read more

You Asked, Kathy Answered: The pH of Indigo

We get lots of emails from customers about challenges with dyeing and needing Botanical Colors’ President Kathy Hattori’s help. Why not share the learning so we can all benefit? From our inboxes to you, it’s simple: You Asked, Kathy Answered. Email questions@botanicalcolors with your plea for help! YOU ASKED: I set up an indigo vat a few weeks ago using fructose and lime. I dyed a few cotton items which worked well and now I want to dye some wool and silk. I’m having trouble lowering the pH. I’ve added more fructose but the pH is still 10.9. I tried … Read more

You Asked, Kathy Answered: Using Madder Root In An Indigo Fermentation Vat

We get lots of emails from customers about challenges with dyeing and needing Botanical Colors’ President Kathy Hattori’s help. Why not share the learning so we can all benefit? From our inboxes to you, it’s simple: You Asked, Kathy Answered. Email questions@botanicalcolors with your plea for help! This is the same person asking multiple questions. We thought answering in sequence seemed best. Enjoy! YOU ASKED: I am trying to start up and use an indigo fermentation vat mainly because my materials preference is still silk and the alkalinity of organic vats is too alkaline for silk. I purchased some madder … Read more

You Asked, Kathy Answered: Sparse Amount Of Indigo To Make A Vat!

We get lots of emails from customers about challenges with dyeing and needing Botanical Colors’ President Kathy Hattori’s help. Why not share the learning so we can all benefit? From our inboxes to you, it’s simple: You Asked, Kathy Answered. Email questions@botanicalcolors with your plea for help! YOU ASKED: In your instructions for setting your vat you add the indigo first, then fructose, then calcium hydroxide, then stir? And with the iron vat the same process? Not stirring until the wetted ingredients are added, in that order? I need to be sure, as I only have a little indigo left! … Read more

You Asked, Kathy Answered: Let’s Talk Indigo

We get lots of emails from customers about challenges with dyeing and needing Botanical Colors’ President Kathy Hattori’s help. Why not share the learning so we can all benefit? From our inboxes to you, it’s simple: You Asked, Kathy Answered. YOU ASKED: I started my indigo journey 🙂 and have a question. I tried looking through the blog first but couldn’t find this similar issue I’m having. I have an indigo 1-2-3 iron vat. My vat seems in okay condition — After stirring and letting the sediment settle, the color is light yellow/amber but when I dip my fabrics, they … Read more

blue and white fabric dyed with radiating white circles

How To Make 3 Easy Shibori Resists

These three, easy shibori techniques work best with indigo, but can be used with other natural dyes as well. With all three techniques, before you begin, prepare your workspace for a messy process. Cover the surface you plan to work on with something you don’t mind getting wet and dirty and wear an apron and gloves. The Scrunch Dye your fabric in your dye of choice! After dyeing, rinse the bundle gently. Then remove the rubber bands and open up the fabric bundle. Rinse again until the water runs clear. Air dry away from direct sunlight. The Honeycomb Dampen your … Read more

Video From Live FEEDBACK FRIDAY: (All Things Indigo) With Britt Boles of Seaspell Fiber

Our last FEEDBACK FRIDAY was with “indigo doula,” yes, that’s what we all call her, Britt Boles, founder of Seaspell Fiber and the super popular Indigo Pigment Extraction Methods group on Facebook. Britt shared lots of exciting and helpful information on the nuances of growing/vatting homegrown pigment vs commercial pigment and showcased her recycled plastic clamp resists we are now selling! Shop all Botanical Colors indigo products here. Watch the video here. Additional topics and products Britt talked about: -The Blue Biographies series -Intuitive Indigo E-course -The Seaspell Fiber Vat Table, 4’ x 2.5’ equipped with power– Inquire for custom … Read more

Video From LIVE FEEDBACK FRIDAY: Indigo & Oak (+Stony Creek Colors!)

Last week on FEEDBACK FRIDAY we had Molly Roškar of Indigo & Oak and Sarah Bellos from Stony Creek Colors. Molly talked about color on a medium we don’t always consider, wood. She addressed the way natural dye and different finishes become lenses through which we can see and interact with this particular fiber. A new lens for sure. We also had Stony Creek Colors who introduced their newest product IndiGold™, the world’s first pre-reduced liquid natural indigo dye and demonstrated how a completely hydro-free vat made with 100% plant-based indigo can be created instantly and ready for use. They … Read more

Video From LIVE FEEDBACK FRIDAY: Takayuki Ishii of Awonoyoh

This week on FEEDBACK FRIDAY we had Takayuki Ishii of Awonoyoh. Takayuki Ishii is an indigo dye artisan who was born in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. He currently owns a workshop in the mountainous area of Kanagawa Prefecture, where he runs an indigo dyeing company using traditional techniques and materials. Takayuki talked about the tradition of sukumo in Japan and the Japanese textile techniques born out of the creative exploration with his indigo dyeing. Being one of the last remaining producers of indigo in Japan, he shared his process and why it is so important to preserve this expertise. Watch the … Read more