Indigo Workshop

I have wanted to learn how to dye using indigo for a very long time, but, until yesterday I just never quite got around to it. I thoroughly enjoyed the The Craft Lab's indigo workshop. These are the samples that I made using different techniques. Unfortunately there are no process pictures because I forgot to take my camera. (This is the part where one or another of my friends usually points out that this wouldn't happen if I had a smart phone.)

I was surprised to find out that you need to repeatedly dip the fabric into the dye bath and take it out to oxidize between dips in order for the colour to develop. The more times you dip, the deeper the colour.

Here's a written run down of what I did:
Top row from left to right:
1. Two wavy lines drawn lightly in pencil and clamped using bulldog paper clamps.
2. Accordion folded and then folded back and forth into a triangle - clamped together with a weird clamp. After several dips, unfolded and accordion folded in the opposite direction, clamped together over tongue depressors (you can see the outlines in the middle of the piece).
3. Folded in half and then beads wrapped with elastics at regular intervals. You can see the placement dots I made with a blue sharpie marker on the right half.
4. Wrapped around  a pvc pole and then scrunched up.
5. Accordion folded in both directions and then clamped between two squares of wood. After severa dips, unfolded and then accordion folded in one direction only. Clamped together with narrow strips of wood (mini popsicle sticks) and redyed.
6. Folded in half and three concentric hearts stitched and pulled tightly. Unfortunately it ripped when I was overenthusiastic in removing the stitching lines. This will let me do some boro style visible mending.

I also came home with the contents of one of the dye vats. That's how I had time to refold some of the pieces. I have it set up in the sink in my TV room and the whole basement smells like brown sugar. Good thing it isn't one of the stinky vats.