Preparing your vat

You can use any of these containers for your dyeing vat, but each has its own advantages and disadvantages.

• Ceramic or enameled pot – These pots are the best choice if you want to dye small batches because they don’t absorb color like stainless steel or plastic buckets do. However, they are also more expensive than other types of containers, so this option is only good if you plan on doing a lot of natural dyes in the near future.
• Stainless steel pot – If you’re just starting out with natural dyes, this type of container will give you great results without breaking the bank. Stainless steel pots are sturdy and can be used over an open fire as well as on top of a stovetop (though some have handles that get hot). They come in various sizes so make sure you measure ahead before purchasing one!
• Plastic bucket – The advantage here is that these buckets are cheap and easy to find at any hardware store—but there’s also something about them that feels unrefined compared to other options like ceramic/enameled pots or stainless steel ones where everything about them screams “I’m here for business.”

Dyeing Fabric

For dyeing fabric, you’ll need to do it in a well-ventilated indoor space. In our studio, we have an outdoor area that’s covered but open on all sides and has plenty of airflow. It works great for dyeing fabric as long as it isn’t raining or humid out. You also need gloves and a high quality face mask (I like 3M 6000 series) because even though the dye is non-toxic when dry, it can become dangerous when wet.

You can soak your fabric in soda ash solution anywhere from 1 hour to 3 days depending on how deep you want your color saturation to be and how much indigo powder you want to use per batch of fabric!

Maintaining and Feeding your Vat

You can also maintain your vat by checking the pH of the water and adjusting it as needed. The pH level should be between 4 and 6, but you may have to adjust it either way to reach that range. If your vat is too acidic, add more chalk powder; if the pH is too high, add more vinegar or lemon juice.

The best way to keep your vat healthy is by adding thiourea dioxide (or TU) every few weeks. This prevents mold from forming in your dye bath and helps keep it from fermenting too quickly or easily spoiling when not in use.

You can also dry out some indigo plant matter (stems) and toss them into the vat once every few months! This helps keep mold away from your dye bath as well as feeding any living organisms that are already there (microbes).

FAQs

• What is indigo?

Indigo is an organic compound that is extracted from the leaves of the indigo plant (genus Indigofera). It has been used for thousands of years as a dye, pigment and medicine in both India and China.

• How long do I have to wait to dye again?

The answer depends on how much water you want in your fabric. If you want full saturation with no shrinkage at all (meaning after dying) then it takes up to five days for full absorption/saturation before washing out any excess dye or mordant left behind from your last batch of dyeing. This will also make sure that your colors are very vibrant when they come out of their container! If however, this isn’t necessary for your project then simply wash out immediately after mixing together with cold water until no more color comes through when rinsing off fabric fibers under running water

Indigo is a wonderful dye to use, but it requires some extra attention and patience.

Indigo is a wonderful dye to use, but it requires some extra attention and patience. The first time you try to dye with indigo, you may find that the resulting shade is not what you were expecting. This is because indigo can be unpredictable. When preparing your fabric for dyeing, it’s important to remember that this living dye will shrink up substantially as it oxidizes (dries) and becomes permanent on your fabric; however, if too much water has been added during mixing or washing out excess dye from the fabric prior to drying then there can be bleeding issues later on when using hot water or laundering in general.

Indigo dyes over white cotton naturally in shades ranging from light blue through grayish blues and purples all the way up into browns depending on how long they are left in contact with each other so just remember: less is more!