1.Immersion dyeing: Immersing the yarn or fabric in the dye liquid. Natural dyes can be used for ikat, batik and tie-dye.
2.Direct application:Applying color to fabric or paper by painting, printing, stenciling, and any other method that involves directly applying color to yarn, fabric, or paper.
The dyes can be used straight, diluted with water or mixed together to make additional colors.For the deepest colors it is best to apply the dye in separate applications, drying after each application.For immersion dyeing it is not necessary to dry the yarn after each dip.
The amount of applications depend on the depth, hue and value of color wanted.The dye from the first extraction is usually a nice clear color.The colors from the other extractions are sometimes a little grey due to the release of tannin from bark, wood, leaves and other substances with a high tannin content.
If you go to Ushimado to see Teresa's indigo dye you can eat at Tereya Cafe owned by Teresa and Hiroshi Kobayashi in Ushimado, Kurashiki, Japan. Not only is this a popular coffee house but Teresa makes wonderful cakes, pies and food.
There are wonderful theme dinners, concerts and exhibitions at the cafe.
Full course meal in pumpkin created by a guest chef from Kakogawa. Live music by Natsukan, Okinawan jamisen and African drum duo.
Imamura san is a skilled Bosa Nova and Jazz guitarist who tours Japan all year long. This is the first time we have been able to schedule him.
Walnuts and maple syrup pie. Not too sweet and a crispy crust.
Someone ordered a birthday cake using Teresa's 'Depression Chocolate Cake' recipe for their grandfather with dietary restrictions. This is made with no butter, margarine or oil, no dairy and no eggs. What's in it? Everybody wants to know. I use whole wheat flour and beet sugar, good cocoa and mashed fruits. It really is delicious! It's a regular menu item and regular people order it all the time.
Teresa Kobayashi has her own indigo dye studio in Kurashiki, Okayama, Japan. It is called Dye House Tereya.
Teresa loves indigo as much as I do, as much as we all do!
In order to get blue from indigo, which is a plant, you need a high alkaline, oxygen free atmosphere. These photos show one way of doing that; natural fermentation. This is the ash used to make the alkaline solution.
This shows the indigo pot and alkiline solutions #1 and #2. I put the ash into buckets and stir everyday for a few days. I make 4-5 solutions that range from ph30 to ph13 and are numbered, with #1 being the highest.
After stirring up the ash and water it gets real foamy.
Alkaline solution #1, with the highest ph level. The ash has all settled to the bottom and the liquid is pretty clear.
Here are my buckets of alkaline solution.
The beautifully, clear ash water. When the ash water is ready I start by filling the pot to about 1/3 full with the medium ph level of ash water and stir in the composted indigo leaves. I gradually add more ash water until the pot is full and the indigo is ready to use. I keep it maintained throughout it's period of use (up to 6 months) by adding more of the higher or lower ph level ash water as needed to keep it at it's ideal level.
Even though I have this really nice 100 year old, traditional 'Ohtani Yaki' woodfired indigo pot, I have to cover it with an old electric blanket......
and then insulate it with foam. I have to do this because I need to maintain a warm atmosphere for the fermentation. Traditionallly these pots were buried part way and then a platform was built around them that came level to it's lip. Coal, was used between the earth and the top of the platform. I don't do it that way for several reasons.
I dressed my pot in a burlap bag and creatively wrapped hemp cord around it. This is purely to hide that ugly insulation sheet.
Since the bottom is so narrow, it is very unstable, so we rigged up a nice tri-pod and tied it securely.
This is the composted indigo leaves. I buy this compost from an indigo grower who harvests the leaves and then composts them, for people like me to buy. It is filled with wonderful indigo bacteria.
Now, in order for me to be able to make use of that bacteria, which makes the blue color, I need to create an oxygen free vat. Here we go. First I sprinkle a little lime on to the composted leaves.
I also sprinkle lime on the inside of my pot. This helps to get rid of any weird germs or other bacteria that could be harmful to the indigo. This was the first time I used this particular pot and I had bought it at an antique store. Although it is a traditional pot made for indigo the last owners could have been using it as a goldfish bowl. It is over 100 years old. Did I say that all ready? I like this pot. It's kind of small, as they go. I have another, almost twice as big, now in the new studio.
Then, I start stomping on it. I was standing in those boots before I took the picture. I don't know why I chose such a small container....I normally use one that is easier to move around in. Pretty silly now that I'm looking at it. HA!
So then I mix the composted leaves with a little alkali solution and put it in my heated pot. I keep adding more solution everyday. In this shot the pot isn't even all the way filled up and it has already started to ferment. The irridescet film on the surface is oxidized bacteria
I filled the pot up to the top and the indigo got quiet. That color is just the tanin from the leaves, and the foam from the ash water. After a day it will be iridescent again.
The pot is fermenting nicely and I have started to stir it daily. In the early stages the color of the bubbles that surface are a pretty turqoise blue. That color and that greyish foam means that it is still not ready for dyeing.
Here, there is a good 'indigo flower' (the name of that cluster of bubbles), but the surrounding area is kind of cloudy, with some greyish bits of foamy bubbles floating around. Not ready yet.
It is not ready to be used properly yet, but it is fermenting well, so I want to test the color with a small fabric swatch.
When I first take it out is is a green color (you can only see it on the one edge where my finger was, I was slow with the shot) until it oxidizes and then it turns blue.
These are the various colors of kusaki-zome dyed on silk, kozo paper, wool fabric and yarn . These are some of the dye samples that I made in Japan.
I made a stencil and used rice paste as a resist to show the original fabric color. Some of the dye stuffs are pomegranite, lac, red cabbage, fustic, walnut, cochineal, peach leaves, logwood, and madder to name a few.
The samples show the different colors that can be achieved using different mordants.
The dyes can be obtained from leaves, bark, hulls, fruit, berries, nuts, grasses, flowers, lichen, insects and minerals.
Most plants will yield some color when boiled and processed for dye.The question is whether those colors obtained are worth the effort.In most cases the resulting color will be pale yellow, beige or pink and have little strength.
The dye substances can be used fresh or may be dried.It is best to gather them when they are in the best state for collection as a dye plant.To obtain the best color results they should be used immediately after they are gathered.Leaves should be gathered in early summer when they are young; flowers just after coming to bloom before the sun has a chance to fade them; the whole plant when the flower is in bloom; fruit when well ripened and bruised, roots when the plant has died down in the fall; bark should be collected in the spring.
To store for future use, the green parts and flowers should be dried out of direct sunlight.Dried plants should be stored in a dark place.
GENERAL DIRECTIONS FOR MAKING EXTRACTS OF LEAVES, BARK, HULLS, ROOTS, GRASSES, FLOWERS, AND FRUIT.
The following instructions are general directions for the boiling down of fresh or dried leaves, bark, hulls, roots, grasses, flowers and fruit.
1.The amount of water and dye material added to the pot are standard and may be increased or decreased according to the color desired.
2.The larger pieces of bark, roots, twigs, hulls and grasses should be chopped into small pieces.If the pieces are too difficult to chop, they may be soaked overnight or chopped in a blender or mashed after they have been softened by boiling.
3.The dyes are extracted using heat and a series of repeated boiling .The number of extractions depend on the dye substance.
4.To boil, the specified amount of water is put into an enamel, stainless steel or glass pot.A copper, aluminum, or chipped enamel pot will affect the color of the dye.Pots made of these metals will react with the dyes and mordants.
5.To speed up the boiling process the dye material may be added to hot water.
6.Boil the dyes uncovered for the required amount of time.
7.The dyes may be stirred with glass rods, dowels, wooden or stainless steel spoons
8.When the dye has been completely extracted and the depth of color has been achieved by combining dye liquors.Strain the dye through a finely woven nylon or polyester cloth bag or a piece of nylon fabric lining a plastic colander.This will filter out any fine particles that might remain to stain the fabric.Do not strain through a metal sieve unless it is made of stainless steel.Do not strain through a cotton or natural fiber bag as the bag will absorb and weaken the dye.
Mottainai (もったいない, 勿体無い) is a Japanese term meaning "a sense of regret concerning waste when the intrinsic value of an object or resource is not properly utilized." It is originally a buddhist term that refers to the essence of things. It also applies to everything in the physical universe, suggesting that objects do not exist in isolation but are intrinsically linked to one another.
Nai is a negation, and an expression of sadness over the repudiation of the ties linking all living and nonliving entities. It is also a concept that reestablishes such bonds and reasserts the importance of treating all animate and inanimate objects with great care. It can be understood as "What a waste", or the misuse of something that can be made valuable. It is finding the Buddha in the fabric.
It is similar to the concept of Gaia. Gaia is the Greek supreme goddess of Earth. The Gaia concept is an ecological hypothesis that the Earth is a self regulating complex interacting system that maintains everything, and that the climatic and biogeochemical conditions are interlocked.
The fabrics are pieced with no apparent pattern except for the aim of making a larger piece of cloth from the scraps.
They speak of decades of hardship in the home that made them. Each scrap sewn with care to cover damage incurred by use, giving it yet another life. They speak of an abhorrence of waste, of creatively making something new from something old, making something from leftovers.
The pieces are sewn together sometimes with sashiko stitches. These fabrics can be made of either cotton, hemp or a combination of both. and almost all of the pieces shown will be indigo dyed in solids, shibori, kasuri (ikat), or shima (stripe) patterns; many will have combinations of multiple patterns.
This concept was an important one for western quilters of previous centuries who creatively made something new from collages of pieces of cloth that were pieced together in specific patterns.
The Japanese used the cloth to mend holes, reinforce worn areas of sleeping futon or work clothes. The cloth is layered to increase warmth and durability. The cloths are used to make futon, cushion covers (zabuton), furoshiki, dust and floor rags. Created because of the need for mending cloth, it is an unplanned art form. They are what happens when design and composition are intuitive and what exists determines the possibilities.
The sheer variety of tones of indigo, the juxtaposition of pattern, the scale changes between patterns and patches, the free-form and meandering stitching, the random assortment of color combinations is very beautiful.
The images of boro and ranru are used with the permission of www.ichiroya.com
Because of climate, the growth of certain dye plants in India made available the raw ingredients necessary to print and paint bright colors on cotton.The availability of these dye plants, the time consuming processes to use these dyes on cloth and the dangers of travel before the 16th century made these dyes, fabrics and techniques relatively unknown in Europe prior to the 16th century.
In the West, the earliest recorded description of printed fabrics come from the Greek geographer Strabo (63 BC-20 AD).In the middle of the 17th century the Dutch and English, while trading in India, realized there would be a market for these printed textiles.They began to import them to Europe.By the end of the 17th century the popularity of these printed and painted fabrics, called chintz in the West, was well established.
In the East, during the Nara period (646-794 AD), the Japanese had became proficient in obtaining beautiful colors and patterns with simplified resist techniques using the same dyes. Much of their information on dyeing is thought to have come from India through China and Korea.The dyes and dyeing techniques brought by immigrants from Korea and China changed not only Japanese dress but introduced more colorful fabrics, as it did in the West 10 centuries later.The dyes affected the techniques used to pattern cloth and resulted in fabric that was typically Japanese.
Traditional Japanese resist dyeing techniques are the result of highly specialized craftsmen whose precision indicates that their skills were developed over a long period of time. The dye processes they used were time consuming, precise, tedious and labor intensive.
The Meiji restoration of 1867 brought reforms to Japan and contact with the West.Imported textile machines and synthetic dyes initiated changes and dye standards deteriorated.The dyeing techniques which do not lend themselves to mass production continue today mainly because of the Japanese appreciation of hand-crafted works.In Japan, the old dyes lacked a name to differentiate them from synthetic dyes.In 1958 Akira Yamazaki coined the term Kusaki-zome.
Kusaki-zome dyes may be applied to natural fabrics or yarn by immersion into a dye vat (batik or tie-dye) or by direct application (painting, printing or stenciling).
The kusaki-zome method of dyeing involves extracting the dyes from the dye material and making highly concentrated, stock solutions that can be stored in the refrigerator until needed.
A yogi is a heavily padded kimono that is used for sleeping. It is similar to a comforter. It wouldn’t have been worn but would have been laid on top of the person like a quilt or blanket.
Yogi were elaborately decorated using shibori, tsutsugaki or katazome techniques. The images were often auspicious symbols, such as the pine tree and cranes for longevity. Bamboo, phoenix, tortoise, money purses and characters for good luck were favorite themes as well as family crests called mon.
Japanese indigo tsutsugaki-dyed quilted bridal sleeping covers are called “yogi” (literally “night wear”). They were made from 100% hand loomed cotton that was stuffed with thick cotton batting and sewn into the shape of an extra-large kimono. They were decorated with a family crests (“mon”) in a lighter shade of blue on the back side. they were quilted with white cotton thread in the traditional decorative stitch with tied tassels to secure the batting in layers.
Yogi first began to be used in the Edo period (1603-1868). Because it was a large, thick, soft robe, the yogi solved the problem of nighttime drafts by wrapping all around the sleeper. It was meant to fit tightly around the shoulders and neck, providing excellent protection against the winter cold. Considerably wider than an ordinary kimono, the yogi had an extra panel of cloth down the center of the back. They were always thickly padded with heavy cotton wadding, just like a futon.
The tsutsugaki technique involves freely drawn designs that are applied to cotton with paste resist squeezed through a paper cone having a tubular metal tip. The textile is then dipped repeatedly in indigo dyes. Where the paste lines had once been, white lines now remain, outlining the design in sharp contrast to the deep indigo blue background. Country dyers produced tsutsugaki textiles -- often with family crests or auspicious designs -- as bedding, wrapping clothes, banners and celebratory textiles for weddings, births and other important events. These tsutsugaki textiles were part of a bride’s trousseau which parents prepared for their daughter as a prayer for the well being of her new family as well as her happiness, so great care was taken in their handling as they were regarded as necessary for an auspicious future. And a yogi was alays an item of special interest in a bride’s trousseau. This is a marvelous example of Japanese folk art (“mingei”), and yogi are represented in most major mingei collections.
Using the fresh leaves of indigo (Polygonum tinctorium) for dyeing is an alternate way of using indigo. There are many recipes on the internet for dyeing with fresh leaves that give wonderful clear hues of blue, on silk, cotton and wool.
Cynthia Thayer's Recipe for Dyeing with Fresh Indigo Time: About 4 hours
1. Pick 16 oz. of fresh indigo leaves, put them in a bucket and add just enough hot tap water to cover the leaves.
2. Heat the solution to 160 degrees F. over a period of two hours. Don’t heat it too quickly.
3. Strain the liquid and squeeze liquid from the indigo leaves into the strained liquid.
4. Add 2 Tbsp. baking soda to the liquid and stir a little.
5. Pour the liquid from one bucket to another for a few minutes, or until the solution turns dark green/blue. This oxidizes the dissolved indoxyl, changing it to indigo.
6. Dissolve 2 Tbsp. Thiox in warm water, pour it into the dyebath, cover and set the pot in a larger container of water that is just hot enough to keep the dyebath at 100 to 120 degrees F. for about an hour.
7. Meanwhile, soak 2 to 4 oz. of yarn in hot water.
8. When the dyebath has turned yellow, add the wet yarn—carefully, to minimize adding oxygen to the solution. Leave it in the dye for 20 minutes. Remove it gently and let it oxidize by hanging it on a wooden rack. The yarn will turn blue as it reacts with oxygen in the air.
9. Let the yarn dry for as long as it soaked in the bath. One dipping and airing is usually enough to richly color wool yarn, but for intense colors on cotton or silk, repeat the soaking and airing two or more times. You can put successive batches of yarn into the same dyebath, getting lighter colors each time, until the yarn no longer turns blue. Then discard the dyebath. It is safe to pour down the drain. Scrub stains from the pot.
10. After the final airing, wash and rinse the yarn.
This video was taken at the Yamazaki Seiju Natural dye (Kuzaki-zome) studio in Gunma prefecture, Japan.
This is a wonderful video about Persian carpets called "Woven Gardens". If you love weaving, carpets and dyeing you will enjoy this video that was part of the BBC television series "Tribal Eye" hosted by Sir David Attenborough. Of all the individual videos in this series this is my favorite.
It is about the nomadic Qashqai tribe of Iran and the tribal art of carpet-making in Persia and the distinctive patterns of the different clans and tribes. So get make yourself comfortable, get popcorn and something to drink, the video is 49 minutes long.
The images of the looms and weavers are from woodblock printed books. The many pictures of weavers and also dyers in antique Japanese wood block books is one indication of the importance of textiles in Japanese Culture
The children who made this itajime shibori are from the alternative "Spanish Immersion" elementary school: Puesta del Sol, King County, WA. They learn Spanish until the 2nd grade then some English. They have an "art appreciation" program whereby parents acting as art docents would volunteer in a classroom to bring art once a month. The origin is to introduce named artists (Picasso, Matisse, etc.) and their techniques into the classroom, but as an artist, I feel that it is process and ideas that guide us in finding our work. The internet age has made this project possible. Thanks to many of you who share your talents, knowledge, passion and time.
Thanks to the pleasure of working with a classroom of kids, I am discovering new techniques and processes that I would not have otherwise. After stumbling into Shibori, I realized the simplicity and complexity of dyeing and with a little time and internet tutorials... Voila! First we made paper folding with calligraphy paper that was dipped in colored inks. Then we were able to experiment by folding and paint dye on to the folded fabrics.
A hikifuda is a handbill used in the Edo era (1603-1867) to advertise shops and products.It is called a stone block printed handbill which is believed to be printed by a lithographic stone.
Shopkeepers had a large variety of borders to choose from - immensely popular were the 7 Lucky Gods, ancient symbols, auspicious creatures, images that conveyed Japan's new "internationalism", and of course beautiful women - and new variations of these feel-good themes were added every year.
Early hikifuda were executed by the laborious technique of woodblock cutting. This eventually gave way at the close of the century to lithography or combinations of Western techniques .
This hikifuda that comes from a kimono store, features a typical bijin (beautiful woman) who is applying dye on stretched fabric for kimono.
This brush called jizomebake is used for brushing large areas of dye quickly without streaks. The technique is called hikizome and is used for blending large areas of color.
A close-up of this hikifuda shows craftsmen wringing fabric that has been dyed with indigo.
Another hikifuda also features indigo dyeing.
A close-up shows a dyer dipping fabric into indigo that has been stretched on shinshi.
Thank you to www.ichiroya for the images of the hikifuda
When weaving thread that has been ikat dyed there is much that is unpredictable. It comes from the fact that the threads have been pre-dyed. The warp and weft threads have to meet to form patterns. If they are out of allignment, here are some ways to make sure warp and weft patterns allign properly.
Hashigo is the term for the weaving apparatus, similar to a ladder, that is mounted on a loom. It is responsible for shifting the yarn for kasuri fabric. These photographs were taken at NISHIJIN ORI-KAIKAN in Kyoto, Japan
The history of Nishijin weaving go back some 1,200 years to the founding of Heian-kyo (the old name for Kyoto) the district managed the production of textiles for court nobles, and employed weavers to produce luxury fabrics. Today walking down some of the old streets you can still hear the beat and clack of looms. Kukuri is the name for this particular type of weaving.
The loom with the hashigo. The warp yarn is dyed in different colored stripes then shifted.
This Japanese technique for weaving weft kasuri (ikat) enables very complex designs to be dyed and woven into the warp . The principle is a simple one that at first glance my seem complicated. It involves a seed thread (tane ito) or mother thread. This seed thread will be the one that will enable the weft to be woven into a design.
To make the seed thread, weave enough of the chosen weft thread to make one repeat of the pattern.
Draw a line down both selvedges in marker or ink. Then unweave the thread and roll it into a ball.
This is the drawing for e-kasuri.
Slip and tape the drawing inside a frame that has nails on either side. With the thread that has been unwoven from the loom go back and forth around the nails. Leave a few inches of thread at the beginning and end for adjusting the threads.
Trace the design onto the threads with a black marker or ink. Undo the threads from the frame by rolling it into a ball. This is the seed thread.
Examples of marked seed threads prior to weaving.
A stencil can also be used to mark the weft repeat.
The seed thread is stretched out or put on a warping reel. Then the weft thread is wound or placed alongside the seed thread, one thread for every repeat of the pattern. The resist ties will be wherever a dot or dash is marked on the weft thread.
Tying the resist threads where the
marks are.
*For tying instructions see the blog entry for Saturday, February 02, 2008
The weft marked and tied ready to be dyed. After the thread is dyed the resists are untied, put on bobbins and ready to be woven.
This is the final result. The warp has been prepared with both blue and white warp threads. The weft pattern is broken in the center with plain white threads.
This is a simple way a shifting ladder can be constructed. When warping the loom, the ladder can be mounted on the front or back of the loom depending on how the loom is dressed.
Tied warp ready to be dyed. When untied the warp yarn will have bands of color, that when put on the loom and shifted will result in complicated patterns.
Nishijin hikizurashi kasuri is woven in the weaving district of Kyoto. The dyed warp is threaded through an unusual apparatus similar to a ladder (hashigo) that is mounted on the loom. The warp is shifted by threading through the various levels of the ladder thus creating different patterns.
The yarn doesn't have to be elaborately tied or dyed.
The shifting can result in many different patterns.
Kasuri (絣) is a Japanese textile technique that means splashed pattern. This technique can be done in the warp or weft or both. It is a style of plain weaving that uses a resist dyeing process similar to tie-dye. The threads are covered with paper, or plastic or any other material that will resist the dye. Thus the warp or weft threads are dyed in patterns or designs before the threads are woven. The completely white areas, the seismic, fuzzy edges of the design and the irregularities in the dyeing of the threads can identify this technique. Indigo dye is used for kasuri as well as other colors of dye. This weaving and dye technique is very labor intensive.
This type of fabric came from India to Indonesia, then by way of Okinawa and China to Japan. In India and Indonesia it is known as Ikat. Ikat means "to tie" or "to bind" in the Malay language and is the common term that identifies this technique.
There are four kinds of kasuri. Warp kasuri (tategasuri), weft kasuri, (yokogasuri), double kasuri (tateyokogasuri) where both the warp and the weft are tie-dyed before weaving and meet in precise patterns, and egasurior picture kasuriwhere a picture such as a carp, flowers, fans, temples, tortoises or other auspicious images are tied and dyed into the warp.
Ikats have been woven in cultures all over the world. In Central and South America, the Central Asian country of Uzbekistan, South-East Asian countries of India, Indonesian islands of Bali and Kalimantan.
Like any craft or art form, ikatsvary widely from country to country and region to region. Designs may have symbolic of ritual meaning or have been developed for export trade.
These ukiyoe prints show kasuri fabrics. They are all by KitagawaUtamaro (1753?-1806) He is considered one of the greatest Ukiyo-e artists, being specially known by his portraits of beautiful women, or bijin-ga.
Dyeing silk yarn with indigo at the Yamazaki Seiju studio in Gunma prefecture. The dyer is his son, Yamazaki Kazuki. The indigo is sukumo a natural indigo. The additives are fusuma (cooked wheat bran or mash). This starch is used to feed the bacteria and Ca(OH)2, (sekkai) the liquid that has been leached from wood ashes.
Fabrics dyed in indigo by Elaine Blythe. These fabrics were first dyed and printed with various textile techniques, then over dyed with indigo. The indigo dye united the design and unifies the original colors .
Itajime, Kyokechi or clamped resist dyed fabric from the Shōsōin treasure house, Nara Period (710-794). Shōsōin (正倉院) is the treasure house that belongs to Tōdai-ji, Nara, Japan.
A stack of carved blocks made with mirror imaging is used to resist the dye. The fabric is laid between the blocks, then the blocks are tightly compressed to keep out the dye. The dye flows between the channels and in the holes making complex patterns.
Itajime, jammed dyeing, clamp resist dyeing, or woodblock dyeing is a mechanical resist that consists of two carefully carved, mirror imaged pieces of wood that are clamped on either side of pleated or folded fabric. Itajime is also called kyokechi. Ita means wood board, and jime means sandwich and tighten. This technique blocks the dye from reaching the cloth resulting in complex patterns.
It is a dyeing technique similar to that used in the Nara period to make kyokechi resist dyed textiles. This involves clamping yarns or lengths of fabric between wooden boards, usually used in groups of 10-20, that have been carved with decorative designs. Holes and channels are made in the wood that allow the dye to penetrate the yarn or fabric.
17th C. Silk, Itajime, provenance uncertain, from Persia or India.
It is said that the sister of Liu Jieshu in the reign of Emperor Xuanzong in the Tang dynasty, 712-756AD, invented the method, which was very popular in the Tang and Song dynasties and was used for tanka covers in the Ming and Qing dynasties. There are several good examples of kyokechi in the Shōsōin treasure house, Nara, Japan
Itajime block from Japan
Patterned wooden block from Japan. The pattern is made to replicate kanoko shibori.
LUI DA PAO is an indigo dyer from Fenghuang, in West Hunan Provence, China. He specializes in the various forms of tie dye, stencil printing, and batik. In this video he demonstrates the shibori technique of the Chinese butterfly.
Drawing with sgraffito into the rice paste creates a fluid line when dyed has many variations of blue. Painting the fabric with dye beforehand can create even more color changes.
Alisa Fritz, figure drawing using sgraffito on partially dyed fabric using Sabracron F fiber reactive dyes before dyeing in indigo.
LIU DA PAO'S stencilled tablecloths, wall hangings, cushion covers and quilts. They are all dyed in synthetic indigo using a soy flour and lime mixture. See the QuickTime video from November 16th, 2006
LUI DA PAO is an indigo dyer, stencil printer, shibori and batik artist from Fenghuang, in West Hunan Provence, China.
THE STENCIL
His paste ingredients are soy flour, lime and water. This paste is very gritty and not at all similar to Japanese rice paste. As a result Chinese stencils must be cut with larger openings to allow the less plastic paste to be deposited. Japanese rice paste is very elastic so the stencils are very fine. In the summer, after mixing, the paste can be used right away. In cold weather it should sit for a day before being used.
The stencils are made with paper soaked in tung oil. Tung oil comes from the seeds from a deciduous shade tree native to China. The seeds are rich in unsaturated oils.
These fabrics come from Guizhou Provence in China. They are dyed in indigo with a wax resist. The wax on the cloth often cracks after it hardens. When it is dyed, the dyes seep into the cracks and make fine lines, which are called "ice veins".
These fabrics also come from Guizhou Provence in China. The patterns were made with a paper stencil soaked in tung oil to make it water resistant. The stencil is used with starch resist made from soy flour and lime to make the design
Katazome (stencil printing using rice paste resist) using indigo with Sabracron H fiber reactive dyes. Sabracron dyes areCibracron dyes repackaged by Pro-Chemical and Dye (1.800.2-BUY-DYE). I have been using SabracronF for about about 25 years.
Sabracron F is designed to permanently dye cellulose fibers; plant-based fibers like cotton, linen, ramie, hemp, viscose rayon, jute, paper, wood, basket reed, and even silk using warm water, 105° to 120° F (41° to 49° C). It also dyes protein fibers, wool and silk using acid at a boil or with steam. Slightly less reactive than Pro Mix Reactive Dyes and very versatile with excellent wash and light fastness properties. This dye can be used for immersion as well as direct dye application. Colors range from pastel to very vibrant colors. These dyes can be kept in solution (without fixative) for two weeks at room temperature
Stenciled fabric on the rack. This drying rack is able to hold 3 pieces of 20" fabric or one long piece without touching the rice paste.
Into the indigo.
.
After removing the fabric from the indigo it will be green.
The fabric will slowly turn blue
Detail of the rice paste
The fabric with the rice paste can be dipped up to 4 times before the paste begins to disintegrate. Ideally the fabric should oxidize for one day or longer between dips to get the best color.
Rinsing the indigo and softening up the rice paste.
Furoshiki with a double ikat, woven pattern. A Double Ikat is a weaving technique where the warp and the weft are tie-dyed before weaving. This technique leaves a seismographic line on the fabric where the dye has migrated under the ties. This technique requires a lot of skill as both the pattern of the warp and weft have to match.
The furoshiki has sashiko embroidery on the corners
"Serizawa, Keisuke (b Shizuoka, 13 May 1895; d Tokyo, 5 April 1984). Japanese textile designer. In 1916 he graduated from the design division of the Tokyo Technical College. Inspired by the bingata (multicoloured, stencil-dyed) textiles of Okinawa from 1928 he began to research them and, subsequently, the traditional textiles of other regions. His individualistic style of katazome (stencil dyeing) was the result of his involvement in the entire process, from design, stencil cutting and application to dyeing. He was deeply impressed by the writings on crafts by Muneyoshi Yanagi and contributed works to the MINGEI (‘folk art’) movement." Quote from "The Grove Dictionary of Art"
A square piece of cloth made of any fabric. It comes in all sizes from one foot square to ten times that size. It is the most useful carrying invention imaginable. It has been used since the 7th century to carry every object, from elaborate gifts to lunches, vegetables, books or even bulky furniture.
SHORT HISTORY
Perhaps the original idea of a furoshiki was introduced from China. In the 8th century, the square of cloth used to wrap things up was called hirazutsumi. Shosoin, the imperial treasure house in Nara, has in its collection, cloth used for wrapping.
It is thought that hirazutsumi (just wrapping) might have been used in temples to store clothing, while bathing to purify the body before worshipping. In the 14th century, the practice of using hirazutsumi was also used by aristocrats as a method of wrapping their clothes. These hirazutsumi were decorated with family crests. The bathers in special, feudal, bath houses spread the cloth on the wet floors, placing their clothing on it and turning up the four corners over the center to keep the bundle together.
The first record mentioning furoshiki dates from the beginning of the 17th century. The word furoshiki originated from the public baths. During the early Edo Period, as the public bath, 0-Furo, was common to both men and women, they modestly entered clad in their underclothes. Each bather spread a hirazutsumi on the floor, much as a bath mat, and undressed on it. After bathing, they would wrap their wet underclothes and towels in the cloth to carry home. From this usage, the cloth became known as furoshiki, furo meaning bath and shiki meaning cloth or bath spread.
The convenience of the furoshiki, the simplicity with which it can be folded, placed in a purse, and used again and again, soon popularized it. The use of the furoshiki shifted from its original bathhouse use to the making of bundles for carrying goods, business documents, books, gifts , storing futon and for wrapping items during ceremonial occasions.
In Japan, the furoshiki has been the most popular method of carrying merchandise until the 20th century. A furoshiki can be carried on the shoulder, over an arm, in the hand, on the head or on the hips. Its specialized usage lead to the development of creative ways to wrap items. The Japanese have always been extremely dexterous with their hands, and in time the simple actions involved in the folding, wrapping or tying the furoshiki evolved into an important part of Japanese culture. A formal gift requires the closest attention to make sure that the container, wrapping and furoshiki fit the occasion for the gift they bear. This trait of evading directness, of keeping things under cover, has evolved from a very rigid social structure.
A characteristic peculiar to the Japanese is their abhorrence of carrying or storing things that are not covered. Even money must be wrapped in a suitable manner before it can be presented., regardless of how little the sum. A furoshiki wrapped item is a neat, creative way of packaging. The folding and stowing of the contents, are all done in a manner so as to please the eye, even after the packages have been opened. The versatility and convenience embodied in furoshiki are truly amazing in the manner they are employed. Objects of all sizes and shapes, thin, bulky, round, square or whatever, are easily accommodated in this piece of cloth which comes in a variety of sizes, but always in the familiar square shape. When not needed, it's simple to fold it up and tuck it into a handbag or pocket.
In the early days, the useful furoshiki was only a hemp or cotton mat. As time went on, and as the Japanese social structure became more complex and varied, the furoshiki assumed a more elegant and refined quality until the ultimate is produced in beautiful and gorgeous contemporary fabrics.
Today furoshiki come in a wide variety of materials. They can be made of silk or cotton, are often uniquely designed, woven and dyed with family colors, traditional crests or seasonal designs. Size and material depend on the purpose. Plastic furoshiki are used to protect merchandise from rain and dust. The furoshiki is a square piece of cloth made of any fabric, it comes in all sizes from one foot square to ten times that size.
The refined Japanese sense of color and all of the major trends of textile design are clearly stated in a study of furoshiki of the different eras. Masterpieces using the methods of Yuzen, Bingata, tie-dye, drawn silk and other artistic approaches to executing design are still to be found today. It is a treat to be able to browse through a shop displaying furoshiki, noting the various designs, from subdued to modern abstracts, eye catching colors and tints from the bright to the subdued
In Japan today, an occasional salesman can be seen lugging his wares in a furoshiki printed with his company's trade name in bold letters. Almost all Japanese cherish a memory or two of being summoned by their mother to greet a visitor in the living room and becoming excited to see what is in the furoshiki.
In the Edo Period, the well-dressed aspired to be shibui, smartly attired in an elegant manner. The furoshiki reflects this attitude very well in retaining its original purpose and practicality while evolving into a fine ornamental piece. Part of the joy of unwrapping a present contained in a furoshiki is that the furoshiki is revealed in its entirety. Attractive in concept and color, it offers a visual treat.
Now that the Japanese lifestyle has become so Westernized, furoshiki, the all purpose cloth, square, carry-all, seems to be giving way to the paper shopping bag. Although it is seldom carried today, the furoshiki in all its elegance and beauty, continues to be used on highly formal occasions.
Japanese rice paste: Rice flour mixed with rice bran and lime.
Chinese stencil paste: Soy flour and lime.
Indonesian paste: Ground nuts (peanuts) and lime called katjang batik from Batavia (Djakarta), recipe from a citation in a "A History of Dyed Textiles" by Stuart Robinson, MIT Press, 1969, p. 74.
Aigaeshi is a Japanese technique of dyeing different shades of blue. Between each dip the rice paste is washed off the stencil. The fabric is dried then more rice paste can be applied with another stencil. The fabric is dipped again in indigo. This technique can be repeated. With careful planning two or possibly three shades of blue can be obtained.
blue from indigo has been used for 1200 years and can protect people from sickness and calamity.
Japan indigo blue is used for work clothes. Jeans dyed by Japanese Indigo can protect people from snakes and harmful spiders. Japanese indigo is an insecticide that has the power to sterilize fabric. Indigo does not affect birds or their young. A kimono, dyed with indigo, when put in a closet will repel moths. Underwear and socks dyed with indigo are good for prickly heat, skin eruptions, and skin disease. When samurai wore clothes dyed in indigo it protected them against cuts and insect bites.
It is said that the smell of indigo can help people sleep. It is used for bed clothes, pillows, baby clothes, older people and people that are affected by the cold.
Japanese Indigo blue is good as an herbal medicine. Travelers used indigo on trips. It cured globefish (fugu) poisoning, food poisoning and it was used to lower fevers. In China it was used as a medicine for cancer of the esophagus. Japanese indigo tea is good for one's health.
Japan indigo blue wears well because the fabric is protected by the fermentation process. Kimono from the Nara period to the Edo period have survived because they have been dyed in indigo. Indigo was used as the dye in fire fighters and locomotive engineer's uniform because it protected them from fire. It was used as garments for fisherman because it protected them from the salt water and sea breezes. Japan Indigo blue is good for the eyes. The older it gets the deeper the color. Light reflected from Indigo is so soft that it makes beautiful pictures. Japan blue doesn't loose its color by washing. Japan indigo blue can be cleaned in benzene.
The Japanese indigo plant can clean up blood, alleviate fever, detoxifies, cures pneumonia, conjunctivius, eczema, throat inflammation, mouth inflammation, asthma, athlete's foot, ringworm, and prickly heat.
There are many benefits of the natural indigo plant.
The koya (Indigo dyer) has the tradition of using a ritual paper kimono that is dipped in indigo for the first dyeing of the year. The first dyeing is called hatsu-zome.
Indigo dyer, called a kon-ya in Japan, from a woodblock print in the book Shinagata komon-cho, by Hokusai Katsushika, 1824. The fabric is stretched on shinshi ready to be dipped into the indigo
This type of shinshi is used in Japan for indigo dyeing. The little hooks on either end allow the fabric to hang from the shinshi while immersing into the dyepot
Print from a screen of artisans at work by Kano Yoshinobu (1552-1640) From the "Folding Screen of Artisans", Kita'in Temple, Kawagoe-shi, Saitama-ken, Japan. This print shows scouring, stenciling, painting and drying fabric
Contemporary Japanese studios still use the same tools and processes.
500 grams sweet rice flour (mochiko, Japanese sweet rice flour) *Important: Do not use any other kind of rice flour
500 grams rice bran (komon nuka)
If you prefer a stickier paste then try, 600 grams sweet rice flour to 500 grams rice bran
or an even stickier paste, 600 grams sweet rice flour to 400 grams rice bran
Add 20% salt to the combined parts of the flour and bran. This amount of salt is standard. The salt acts as a hydroscopic agent so the amount of salt added depends on the weather. During dry weather more salt should be added. During wet weather less salt should be added. The addition of the salt prevents the paste from cracking and over drying, allowing the dye to seep through the cracks.
Mix these three ingredients together while still dry. -----------------------------------------------
SHINOZAKI MISAO MEASURING RICE PASTE INGREDIENTS AT YAMASAKI SEIJU STUDIO, TAKASAKI, JAPAN
After dry mixing, add hot water little by little until all the flour is moistened. Gather the flour into a ball and knead well until the dough feels as soft as an ear lobe. Form into doughnuts.
Line a steamer with a moistened terry cloth towel. Layer the doughnuts in the steamer. The doughnuts can be piled one on top of the other. Wrap the towel over the top of the doughnuts and cover. Steam for 1 hour. The temperature should be kept as high as possible. If there are a lot of doughnuts, steam for a little longer. Check a few times to see that the water hasn't boiled away.
While the doughnuts are steaming prepare the calcium hydroxide. ------------------------------------------------ Dissolve 1 gram of calcium hydroxide (calx) in 100 cc of hot water
Stir. Keep this mixture hot. Allow the calx/water mixture to settle. Only the upper 70 cc. of the liquid will be used. The calcium hydroxide acts as a preservative, makes the paste less sticky and gives the paste body. ------------------------------------------------ Remove the doughnuts from the steamer. While still hot, quickly mash and work the doughnuts into a paste with a wooden pestle. This must be done while the paste is still hot. If allowed to cool the paste becomes unworkable. This part is hard work and may require two people, one to hold the bowl and another to mix and mash. One person can also do this by putting a towel on the floor, placing the bowl on the towel and gripping the bowl between their knees.
After mashing the paste for a few minutes, it will be very sticky. Slowly add hot water to the paste. A little at a time. After each addition of hot water make sure it is all mixed in before adding some more. At least 8 cupfuls of hot water might be added to the paste. When finished it will increase the volume of the paste by at least a half. Toward the end of the mashing process add the hot calcium hydroxide/water mixture a little at a time while continuing to mix and pound the paste. The more the paste is mashed the better it will be. As the calcium hydroxide is added, the paste will undergo a color change and turn yellow. Too much calcium hydroxide will make the paste too rubbery.
SHINOZAKI MISAO POUNDING STEAMED RICE PASTE AT YAMASAKI SEIJU'S STUDIO, TAKASAKI, JAPAN
As you work the paste it will gradually become very elastic and make a clicking sound. Mix for at least 10 minutes. Finally add about 60 cc. of glycerine. Although this is not necessary, the addition of glycerine will make the paste very smooth.
Sometimes it is difficult to see the pasted patterns on white cloth. The addition of one tablespoon of India ink to the paste allows it to become visible on the fabric. This makes it easier to paint the patterns.
When finished mixing, the paste will have the thick consistency of pound cake batter. A spoonful when lifted up and allowed to drop back in the bowl will fall like a ribbon, forming a mound that will flatten in a few seconds.
To store, use plastic wrap to cover the paste and refrigerate to keep. Sink the plastic wrap down into the bowl so that it touches the surface of the paste keeping the paste from forming skin. Because the paste spoils easily it should be used quickly. If kept too long it will lose it's elasticity and stickiness, while at the same time undergo a color change to a darker shade.
The life of the paste can be extended by adding a preservative (phenol). To restore the paste some calcium hydroxide can be added. The calcium hydroxide should be mixed with hot water. If it is added while powdered it will form lumps and be difficult to remove. The lumpy paste will not pass easily through the paper stencils.
For longer storage the paste may be frozen. After defrosting, if the paste seems too sticky, leave it out in the air stirring frequently to keep scum from forming. If the paste seems too hard, it may be reconditioned by putting it in a microwave until soft or steaming it in a double boiler until it is soft and sticky again. If a double boiler is not available put the paste in a bowl covered with a damp cloth. Immerse the bowl into a pan of boiling water and steam until soft. Stir until the paste is smooth and creamy. Cool off before using.
This recipe can be multiplied many times if desired. The amount of paste made by increasing the recipe many times may be difficult to mix by hand.
To prepare the fabric for stenciling, wash the fabric to remove all the sizing. This is very important. If all the sizing is not removed the fabric will not dye evenly. It might be necessary to wash the fabric at least two times. Iron the fabric after washing.
Adhere the fabric to the printing board. Use adhesive paste to stick the fabric to the board. -------------------------------------------------- ADHESIVE PASTE: Sweet rice flour Cold water
Boil water. Sift the rice flour into a bowl. The amount of rice flour will depend on how much adhesive paste needed. Add enough water to make workable dough. Don't make it too sticky. Make small 3 inch dumplings. Drop them carefully into boiling water. They will sink to the bottom of the pot and then as they cook they will gradually rise to the surface. As the doughnuts hit the surface of the water (about 7 minutes) remove them from the pot and immediately mash them. Gradually add some of the hot water, stirring constantly, until the paste is smooth, even and glossy. This paste will be thinner than the resist paste. Cool.
YAMASAKI TATEHIKO PREPARING THE PASTED BOARD WITH WATER THEN STRETCHING SILK. YAMASAKI SEIJU STUDIO, TAKASAKI, JAPAN
The adhesive should be spread onto the print paste board using a squeegee. Allow to dry. If applying to a new board several layers may have to be added. Before fastening the fabric, moisten slightly with a spray bottle of water. Spread the water evenly with a brush. ----------------------------- Before stenciling, soak katagami (the traditional, brown stencil paper) in water for 1/2 hour. Yokatagami (yellow chemical paper) or Shimaekatagami (the brown chemical paper) does not need to be soaked. Pat dry on both sides.
Position the stencil on the fabric and fasten with push pins or T-pins. The paste is applied in two separate layers. The second layer should be applied when the first layer is dried.
To apply the paste, hold the squeegee at a 45% angle, similar to the way ink is screen printed on fabric. When finished laying on the paste take off the stencil. Pull it off by picking up opposite corners and carefully removing them from the fabric. Allow to dry naturally or dry with a hair dryer. Return the stencil to the water to remove the excess paste or if rice paste has leaked through to the bottom of the stencil. If you work rapidly and the first layer is dried quickly, the paste will not dry on the stencil cloging the design.
While on the fabric, the paste from this point on is very fragile and cracks easily. It must be handled carefully and cannot be rolled or folded before dyeing.
The paste can be allowed to dry in three ways. It can be left to air dry on the board, it can be dried with a hair dryer or it can be carefully removed from the board, so that the paste is not disturbed and hung with clothes pins to dry.
Before dyeing, attach the fabric to a frame or use harite (stretchers used in Japan for painting fabric) with shinshi. Shinshi are bamboo tenterhooks. Attach the tenterhooks to the selvedges of the fabric. Shinshi are also used to keep the fabric pulled tightly while stretched between harite.
Pigments or dye can be directly applied over the paste using brushes. Some pigments are not suitable because they leave a rubbery skin over the paste. Test pigments and textile paints before using. If natural dyes are used follow the notes for applying natural dyes to fabric. If using synthetic dyes, follow the instructions for the direct application of that particular dye to fabric.
If steaming is required after drying and curing the dye, remove the paste from the fabric after steaming. Remove the paste from the fabric by soaking it in water for 1/2 to 1 hour. Rinse the fabric according to the dyes that you are using. Use dish soap, Woolite or Synthrapol.
Shinshi are bamboo tenterhooks with pins on either end. They are attached to the selvidge of the fabric to keep it taut. This makes the fabric easier to paint or dip into indigo.
SALT: Used to accelerate dyeing and to encourage the indigo to bond to the fibers.
THIOUREA DIOXIDE: Because of it's stability it is used instead of sodium hydrosulfite. Thiourea dioxide reduces the indigo. The action of the thiourea dioxide liberates the hydrogen, which combines with the indigo converting it to indigo white. In other words, the thiourea dioxide takes up the oxygen from the water, freeing the reducing agent hydrogen. The hydrogen reacts and joins with the double bonded oxygen in the indigo, forming a new series of internal bonds. It is sometimes said that it removes the oxygen from the dye bath.
In the presence of oxygen again, the two hydrogens attached to the indigo white molecule, leave the indigo white and return to indigo blue.
LYE: Known as caustic soda or sodium hydroxide. It functions as the alkali and dissolves the indigo white. "Red Devil Lye" is no longer available and substitutes available in the stores give unsatisfactory results both in color and the behavior in the dye pot. Lye for indigo dyeing can be purchased from Pro-Chemical and Dye Company, 1-800-2-BUY-DYE, and on the web at, http://www.prochemical.com/catalog/indigo.htm
SYNTHETIC INDIGO: A manufactured indigo whose chemical composition is similar to natural indigo. It has a uniform quality and is richer in indican than natural indigo.
Indigo can dye any natural fiber with slight alterations in the procedure. Because of the extreme alkalinity of the indigo dye pot, wool and silk must be handled with extreme care. Both fibers should be dyed in a low alkaline bath and neutralized soon after oxidation.
SAFETY: Before starting, put on respirator with a filter that protects against organic gasses, goggles to protect eyes, and heavy chemical resistant gloves. Mix the indigo stock in a well-ventilated area.
During the summer the indigo can be kept outside, in a shady place. During the winter keep the pot in the warmest spot possible the place should have very good ventillation. If the pot does not work at room temperature you might have to purchase an immersion heater. A pet store sells aquarium heaters that work well for this purpose. The temperature should be between 90-110 degrees.
For a 44-gallon plastic garbage can: This size plastic garbage can is useful because of its depth and width. Thirty-six inch stenciled fabric can be dipped into the vat without crowding. The recipe can be adjusted to a more convenient size vat.
WHAT HAPPENS IN THE DYE POT:
Indigo is insoluble in water. Fibers cannot be successfully dyed by indigo without assistants. The only way fiber can be dyed with indigo is through chemical reactions in the dye pot. There are two basic methods to immersion dye with indigo, reduction and fermentation
1. Reduction vat. This method involves using caustic chemicals such as sodium hydrosulfite (a reducing agent) and sodium hydroxide (an alkali). The addition of these two chemicals causes all the oxygen in the dye pot to be removed. The rapid utilization of oxygen and its removal from the dye pot causes free hydrogen. This hydrogen combines with indigo. When the fabric is dipped into the dye pot the indigo migrates onto the fabric. The blue color develops only after the fabric has been removed from the dye pot. Exposed to the air, the oxygen again locks onto the hydrogen rendering the color insoluble once more. The chemicals for this type of vat are quite caustic and potentially dangerous. Good ventillation is a must.
2. The second method of indigo dyeing is a more benign method. This method is quite lengthy and time consuming. In Japan indigo has been traditionally used in a fermentation vat. The Indigo plant is composted to remove the organic matter while preserving the dye. This composted plant matter is called sukumo. Sukumo has a high concentration of hydrogen producing bacteria necessary for fermentation. The indigo dyer only needs to provide "food" for the bacteria in the proper amount, at the proper time, at the proper temperature to make the dye work. Feeding the indigo dye pot is an art. Learning the skills to manage this type of vat can only be acquired by first hand experience. The konya-san (indigo-dyer) will use their fingers, eyes, nose and even the tip of their tongue to test the condition of the dye. The dye pot needs daily attention, constant temperature and takes on the aspect of a living being. The dye pot is often fed sake, oatmeal, or rice bran. In addition, an alkali leached from wood ashes is also added to the dye pot. Many things can go wrong to stop the process.
TO MAKE THE INDIGO VAT:
Sprinkle 8 tablespoons thiourea dioxide onto the surface of 38 gallons of water. Mix gently, do not add bubbles.
Dissolve in a plastic bucket.
2 gallons water. 12 cups salt. 6 cups thiourea dioxidemust be added first. Only after thiourea dioxide is disolved then the 4 cups lye should be added. The lye should be dissolved in 8 cups (2 quarts) water.
Add each ingredient separately, stirring gently after each addition.
Add 8 to 10 cups (about 1 and 1/2 lbs to 2 lbs) indigo to the chemicals a spoon full at a time. Stirring after each addition. The indigo is very hard to mix with water, as it does not dissolve. It will take a few minutes to mix with the other chemicals. When completely mixed with the chemicals, the indigo will appear a dark yellowish-brown beneath the surface. The surface will be a dark coppery blue with lots of coppery foam. The foam is just oxygenated indigo that will be skimmed aside before dipping. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes.
Then.
Lower the bucket of indigo stock into the garbage can and empty it without splashing. Just gently let the indigo flow out into the water. Stir gently with a long wooden pole that reaches to the bottom of the pail. Let it rest for 1/2 hour. Then cover the dye pot with a piece of plastic by sinking the plastic down onto the surface of the indigo. This seals out all the oxygen. Fasten it around the rim with clothespins or a large bungee cord.
Skim aside the coppery foam before immersing anything into the indigo. The PH should be about 9.5-10, although the Japanese think the the best dyeing happens between 10.6 to 12.6
After each use, the dye pot should be covered with plastic that seals the surface of the indigo from interaction with the air. Make sure the depot is always covered after each use. This step is very important and will keep the dye pot strong for about two weeks of daily use.
If the pot has been used heavily it will get weaker with use. There will have been the introduction of oxygen and the dye pot will die. The indigo depot is dead when a glass of dye reveals nothing but blue particles. The dye should appear a yellowish-green. The pot can usually be revived at this time by adding more chemicals.
TO SHARPEN THE POT:
If more water is needed in the dye pot, the best time to add it is before this new round of chemicals.
Mix together:
2 quarts of water. 8 teaspoons thiourea dioxide (reducing agent, used instead of sodium hydrosulphite because of its stability). 8 teaspoons of lye (alkali, caustic soda, sodium hydroxide)
Add to the indigo dye pot. Check the color with a glass. If there are any blue particles in the water, add another round of chemicals.
You can tell if more indigo is needed, by looking at the amount of blue particles or color in the dye pot. If more indigo is needed add another round of stock solution. You may also halve the amount of indigo and chemicals if you feel that there is enough indigo left from the previous batch.
Dipping apparatus: All fabrics and yarns should be washed before stenciling and dyeing. Put yarn on a rod, shirts, pants and other articles of clothing on a plastic hanger, fabric should be clipped with a clothes pin to a plastic hanger, yardage should be accordion pleated back and forth and clipped with clothes pins to plastic hangers. If the fabric has a tendency to float up when dipping into the vat, attach fishing weights or clothespins to the bottom edge before dyeing.
Wetting-out: Wet-out all yarns and tie-dyes in water. The water in the fibers helps the indigo to move onto the fabric. When the fabric is on the dipping apparatus, wet-out the fabric with a gentle spray from a hose.
PROCEDURE:
1. Lower or slide the goods into the indigo vat. It is very important that this be done slowly and gently so as to not introduce any surplus air
2. The goods should be immersed in the dye for about 1 to 5 minutes depending on whether tie-dye, yarn, or pasted fabric is being dyed. Make sure the goods stay about 5 inches below the surface of the indigo. Do not raise and lower into and out of the vat.
3. Carefully raise the goods out of the vat and let it oxidize in the air. It will have a yellowish, than a greenish tinge when first removed from the dye. It will turn completely blue when oxidation is complete. It is not necessary to let the goods dry between dipping. If in a hurry it's a good idea to let the goods oxidize at least for one hour. A good rule of thumb is to dip the goods once a day. Except for tie-dye, it is important to hang up and open out the dyed goods.
The depth of color is obtained by repeated dipping into the vat after oxidation is complete. Lengthening the amount of time the goods are immersed will not darken the color. The amount of time between dipping depends on the amount of moisture in the atmosphere, the thickness of skeins, the type of fiber, etc. Usually 1 hour is a good amount of time for oxidation. The minimal oxidation time is 1/2 hour; some dyers feel that as much as one week between each dipping is not unusual.
Stenciled fabric can only be dipped 4 times before the rice paste breaks down. Tie-dye and yarns can be dipped as many as 6 or 7 times for a very deep blue.
RINSING: Indigo dyed fabrics should be rinsed in warm water until the water runs clear.
SOAPING: It is important to wash the indigo in a bath of hot water and synthrapol. This hardens the color.
BRIGHTENING BATH: Soak the fabric in a hydrogen peroxide / water mixture for 10 minutes. Add about 1/8 cup hydrogen peroxide to 1 1/2 gallons of water. This will brighten the indigo and make it seem to bloom. This step will make the indigo have a purple tint.
NEUTRALIZING BATH: Dip the fabric in vinegar water for 10 minutes. About 1/4 cup to about 1 1/2 to 2 gallons of water. The vinegar helps to neutralize the harsh chemicals. Rinse.
ANTI-CROCKING: Soak in a mixture of 10% liquitex to water for 10 minutes. Soaking in the liquitex mixture leaves a deposit on the indigo that will help to resist crocking. The liquitex soaking is not essential but nice. Do not rinse after this step. Dry.
CARE OF INDIGO DYED FABRICS: Do not wash indigo dyed fabrics in laundry detergent. Laundry detergent creates a similar environment as the indigo dye pot and will strip the color from the fabric. Use soap such as "Woolite", "Synthrapol", and “Joy" or "Palmolive" dish soap.
Stencils with complicated designs need a reinforcement of finely woven silk (sha) to hold the fragile parts together and to keep some of the design elements from falling out. In some stencils small paper bridges are worked into the pattern and become an element of the design. This stencil of camellia, chrysanthemums and maple leaves is reinforced with sha.
Paper stencils are used in Japan for resist patterns. This is known as the katazome process. Rice paste is applied through the stencil onto the fabric. Then the dye is brushed on or it is dyed in indigo. The rice paste resists the dye.
The paper (katagami) used for katazome is called shibugami. It undergoes a long process to make the paper relatively waterproof and malleable. Two or more pieces of paper are laminated with the tannin-rich persimmon juice then cured and smoked in a kiln.
A stencil artisan is a highly specialized master, he might specialize in a certain design or technique. Special tools are used for carving and punching.
In Europe and the United States, paste was also used for dyeing with indigo in the 18th and 19th centuries. Its principal ingredient was kaolin mixed with wax, acids, gums and chemicals. There are two basic methods for dyeing indigo. Indigo is insoluble in water and used by itself fabric cannot successfully be colored by indigo. The only way fabric can be dyed with indigo is through chemical reactions in the dye pot. There are two methods to immersion dye fabric with indigo. The first method is using a reduction vat. This method involves using caustic chemicals such as sodium hydrosulfite (a reducing agent) and sodium hydroxide (an alkali). The addition of these two chemicals causes all the oxygen in the dye pot to be removed. The rapid utilization of oxygen and its removal from the dye pot causes free hydrogen. This hydrogen combines with indigo. When the fabric is dipped into the dye pot the indigo migrates onto the fabric. The blue color develops only after the fabric has been removed from the dye pot. Exposed to the air, the oxygen again locks onto the hydrogen rendering the color insoluble once more. The chemicals for this type of vat are quite caustic and potentially dangerous. The dye pot should be outside or in a very well ventilated area, The second method of indigo dyeing is a more benign method. In Japan indigo has been traditionally used in a fermentation vat. The Indigo plant is composted to remove the organic matter while preserving the dye. This composted plant matter is called sukumo. Sukumo has a high concentration of hydrogen producing bacteria necessary for fermentation. The indigo dyer only needs to provide "food" for the bacteria in the proper amount, at the proper time, at the proper temperature to make the dye work. Feeding the indigo dye pot is an art. Learning the skills to manage this type of vat can only be acquired by first hand experience. The konya-san (indigo-dyer) will use their fingers, eyes, nose and even the tip of their tongue to test the condition of the dye. The dye pot needs daily attention, constant temperature and takes on the aspect of a living being. The dye pot is often fed sake, oatmeal, or rice bran. In addition, an alkali leached from wood ashes is also added to the dye pot. Many things can go wrong to stop the process.
Indigo used with the textile techniques of tie-dye, paste resist and batik have been a common form of textile decoration in many cultures for centuries. It has always been combined with resist techniques. A resist technique is a method of dyeing fabric, which prevents the dye from reaching designated areas. More so than any other dye, indigo retains it's hand dyed quality especially when combined with resist techniques. The flashes of color on the fabric can be compared with fire marks on a piece of pottery. The fabric retains the evidence of the dye process that brings the pattern to life. Today many of these techniques combined with indigo are still being practiced in China, India, Japan, Africa and the United States. In most cultures indigo dyed fabrics were and still continue to be the cloth of the common people. From Yoruba aladire paste resist fabrics to Japanese tie-dyed kimono fabric to American blue jeans, indigo dyeing is still very much the wear of ordinary people. In Japan, shibori from the verb shiboru to squeeze or wring describes the process by which fabric is tied, pleated, capped, clamped, gathered and knotted and sewn to resist the dye. Indigo is the favored dye for this textile technique. In Japan it is felt that on fabric, Ai (love) = Ai (indigo). When the fabric is finally untied, the hand of the dyer in the form of specific patterns as well as the dye pot is revealed. Indigo dyeing using stenciled paste, as a resist requires a special paste that will not break down during repeated dips into the indigo vat. This textile technique was thought to have originated on the central Chinese mainland where craftsmen in Hunan and Guizhou still make a cotton textile with a white pattern upon a blue dyed ground. The resist used is made of soybean flour and lime and continues to be dyed in indigo. A 12th century Chinese method called in-fa-pu is thought to have been the basis of the resist paste method widely used in Japan. In Japan this technique is called katazome. A mixture of sweet rice flower and rice bran is used as the paste. The paste is deposited on the fabric by the use of stencils. Traditional Japanese stencils are made of layers of mulberry paper that have been soaked in persimmon juice then smoked over a fire. Delicate patterns are cut from the paper. The use of these paper stencils was conceived as a way of repeating patterns. These stenciled fabrics called karakusa, when dyed in indigo are commonly used for cotton and hemp futon covers, summer kimono, and door curtains. In parts of West Africa the technique of using indigo as a dye with stenciled paste is still being practiced. In particular, the Yoruba people of the Niger area practice "adire eleko" dyeing using cassava starch paste. Thin sheets of zinc metal, linings of packing cases or old tin cans are flattened out and used as stencils A similar method is found in Indonesia where a paste of peanuts, lime and water are applied through lacquered paper stencils.
Indigo is an ancient blue dye. It was the only way to obtain a true blue color on fabric before the invention of synthetic dyes in 1856. Of all the ancient dyes, indigo is the one that continues to give the greatest difficulty to modern dyers. Steeped in myth and tradition no dye available today continues to captivate and entice the contemporary craftsperson. In spite of the ease and availability of synthetic dyes and the unpredictability and ephemeral nature of indigo, it's blue enticing color still challenges and seduces the modern dyer. Indigo transforms fabric in a way unobtainable by synthetic dyes. The physical evidence of the use of indigo is thought to be at least 5000 years old. Existing textiles have been found from Pre-Dynastic Egypt with colors that could only have been indigo. Some historians feel that because of the diffusion of the fundamental technology necessary for the use of indigo, and the spread of the dye throughout the world, dates the beginning of the use of this dye to about 25,000 BC. It is thought to be part of the knowledge of a migrant people. The complexity of the dyestuff also indicates an early technology of high specialization. In light of our modern understanding of chemistry, the processes do not seem complicated. For early dyers, however, the use of the various plants that we now know as indigo, must have come from extensive trial and error whose processes developed over thousands of years. Indigo dyeing involves strict traditions that were handed down from person to person, Many plants contain indican, the chemical responsible for the blue color, but only about five species have come down to us through the centuries and have proved most useful. One of these species Plygonum tinctorum has been named as the National Treasure indigo crop of Japan. Mention is first made of aozuri koromo (blue rubbed dyed robes) in the Kojiki (712 AD, The Record of Ancient Matters). The Kojiki relates the history of the Imperial line. A further mention of Yama-ai-zuri (rubbed mountain indigo) is made in the poetry anthology Man' yoshu (about 770 AD).
