BLUE IS THE RAREST COLOR

From the brilliant deep hue of the sea to the pale atmospheric tones in the distance, blue is a color that has always mystified and inspired me.

Indigo dye is a natural process that can be used to achieve brilliant shades of blue. A natural chemical called indican is first extracted from the leaves of the indigo plant. Although the manufacturing process may differ in areas around the world, the extracted indican goes through various processes of fermentation, mixing, and drying to create a deep blue powder. Oxidation of the indigo is how rich blue tones are achieved. For my indigo dye, I used a specially formulated Reduced Indigo Dye Kit from Pro Chem & Dye. The reduced indigo kit allows you to use soda ash instead of harsh chemicals like lye in the dye vat, so it’s very easy to prepare at home.

With my vat, I tested dip dying and also Shibori, a Japanese form of dyeing using binding and folding techniques to create various patterns and forms. The entire dye process is striking, especially when the initial electric green fabric oxide into rich blues tones. The images in this post document my indigo dye process.