23/02/2023
Though the process of turning green leaves into brilliant blue dye through fermentation has been practiced for thousands of years, it still feels magical. Most natural dye colors are derived from bark, berries, or leaves that can be boiled down and dyed with—but the process of making blue dye is much more difficult.
THE NATURAL INDIGO DYE PROCESS ⬇️
The 9 step process of making Indigo dye.
HARVESTING: the Indigiferna Tinctoria are usually planted during the month of June. By September or October, plants are ready to be pruned and used for making dye.
BUNDLING: the small leaves are then tied together using stems as ties, whereas the larger leaf varieties of Indigo can go straight to the bin.
SOAKING: water is added to the bins, and heavy stones are used to press the colour from the leaves during an overnight soak. The covered bins need to sit for about 24 hours, depending on the weather.
AFTER 24 hours: Like magic, the water ferments overnight and turns green-blue.
REMOVING THE BUNDLES: the bundles are now removed and drained. And, the waste can be used as fertilizer.
ADDING LIME: 2% builders lime is now added and gently mixed into the coloured water.
THE BEATING PROCESS:
The water and lime must be beaten for about 20 minutes- dipping the bowl in and out- oxidising the mixture and you’l notice the water would change from murky green to peacock blue to a frothy navy colour. And that’s when the colour is almost ready.
COLLECTING THE PASTE: a cloth is used to strain water through it and the paste is collected on the cloth.
PASTE: This is natural Indigo paste, which can be stored for one to two years and can he used for dyeing. Notice the beautiful variations in colour.
