Indigo...a blue to dye for

I didn't find this expression myself, but it reflects for me how special and thrilling indigo dyeing is. There is nothing like it. I even like the odd smell....I don't have picture of the dyeing process, because I was to busy of course and also because it was on a rainy day and I had to work in my barn where it is too dark and too messy to make nice photos.
So I show you some of the results : different sorts of wool, of cotton, linen, jute, silk, yarn and lace, all turned into nice blues!


 


And My cat Loulou loves to sleep on wool, she's not allowed to, but tries to whenever she gets the chance.



Merino wool felted on cotton gaze and silk hankies. It's the wool that takes the best the indigo dye.


The colour of rusted metal and indigo is so beautiful!




 I don't know where this lovely rug was made, but it is fascinating to discover the techniques of binding and stitching, known as shibori (Japan) or tie-dye (in the West).




This piece I've made in the nineteens, when I was studying Textile Art in the Ecole de Beaux Art . The resist I used , as far as I remember, is a paste of the dried manioc root, and was applied with a small chicken feather. Once dyed and dried, the resist could be scrapped off with a knife. I was really fun to do and I regret that I never wrote down what the paste was really made of.




On Pinterest I have a board called 'Blue', where I 've pinned all kind of blues. Not only indigo dyed fabrics, and Japanese Boro textiles, but also blue paintings, ballpoint drawings, blue ceramic vases, blue sculptures.
I invite you to have a look : Blue, indigo...a blue to dye for.

Commentaires

  1. These are beautiful Natalie! I love the work you did while you were a student too...perhaps you can find out with google what the resist is?
    As you know I have been dyeing too, but paper. I have been using woad recently, very similar to indigo but a different, more subtle blue. You should try it.

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