Indigo Series: My no measuring, intuitive approach to reviving a sugar vat
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- Опубліковано 29 вер 2024
- In addition to dyeing some just-stitched curtain panels, I'm sharing my process for reviving my sugar indigo vat. There are lots of videos on getting one started, but not as many about adjusting the vat after it's been resting for a bit. I thought it might be helpful for folks newer to the wonders of indigo to see some "up close" views of the vat in various stages of being revived.
Like most folks these days, I began this vat using Michel Garcia's 1-2-3 approach. I started this vat last year using fructose and my homegrown Japanese Indigo paste. Be sure to check out my indigo series to see how fresh indigo leaves are transformed into this glorious, pigment rich paste.
The curtains are made from vintage (over 100 years old!) homespun linen from Ukraine ... working with this very special fabric is especially poignant these days.
I hope you enjoy this series! Please be sure to leave a comment or let me know if you have any questions. For in depth indigo pigment advice and help, I always recommend the really excellent FB group, Indigo Pigment Extraction Methods.
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music via Epidemic Sound, www.epidemicso...
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#japaneseindigo #sugarvat #homegrownindigo
I love this video, so much poetry in the narration. I wanted to ask you: How long can you keep the indigo paste, and how do you do it? Do you keep it in the refrigerator? I´ve only made dried pigment and would like to try the paste because it´s a lot less work. André, Norway
Thank you so much! I keep my paste in the refrigerator for months and haven't had any issues. It's harder to gauge quantities, but as I rarely measure and do most things intuitively, it works for me. I have a series of videos on aqueous extraction of indigo that shows the whole process. Here's part 2, ua-cam.com/video/7Khf9Y9_XY4/v-deo.htmlsi=tgC-IuD5DjuB2b_6. You might also want to check out a FaceBook forum, Indigo Pigment Extraction Methods. They're an amazing and diverse group, incredibly giving and always available with excellent answers and information. Good luck and thanks again for watching and taking the time to comment!
Thank you, I’ll try the refrigerator. I’m very familiar with aqueous extraction already, just not with keeping the pigment as a wet paste. The moment the aeration of the fermenting vat is finished, and the water suddenly goes a deep blue, is probably my favorite thing with making my own pigment, pure joy. Good luck with your projects this year,
Thanks,
Andrè
I’m with you … watching the pigment change to that deep blue is pure magic!
This is very helpful for my fructose and Henna vats. Thanks!
Excellent ... mission accomplished! 💙🙏
This is so helpful. Thank you
Yay! Thanks for letting me know ... 🙏
Thank you for this poetic video!
I will try tomorrow to revive my vat this way :)
Are all of your dips 30 minutes long? Or just the first one?
Oh my, I have no idea how long my videos run. Some are definitely longer than others, but I try not to go over 30 minutes. Good luck with your vat!
@@tendingahandmadelife ahh no, I was asking about the dips in the dye bath.... are you dipping the cloth each time for 30 minutes? 😃
@@MrsTinePap chuckling here. That's my bad eyesight that read "clips" and not "dips". I have switched to longer dips, 15-20 on silk and 20-30 minutes on heavier linen. I usually dip at least 3 times with 1/2 hour oxidation in between dips. I let everything rest overnight and then rinse and neutralize the lime with a vinegar bath the next day.
120degress What is the unit f or c?
120F ... good luck! 🙏
Beautiful video! Thank for sharing you knowlege
You are ever so welcome! Hope it helps ... 🙏
Wonderful! Thank you 😊
🙏🙏🙏
Your indigo series videos are wonderful and I have learned so much, thank you! I grew Japanese indigo for the first time this year and following your videos, now have a quart jar of beautiful indigo paste!
Oh golly, that makes my heart sing to know my videos have helped! There wasn't much out there when I started, so I'm hoping to fill a bit of that void. It can be a daunting process for sure. Best of luck in your own indigo explorations and adventures!
Hola el ultimo enjuage es solo con agua?
Sí. Después de remojar en agua con vinagre para neutralizar la cal, enjuago varias veces con agua corriente hasta que el agua esté casi clara.
Hi you gorgeous nature woman 🤲🏻💙🌱✨
I’ve just found you here on UA-cam ~ watching your indigo dyes. I really need help with mine… can’t make it work, and can’t seem to figure out what went wrong. I have the blue flower, the metallic surface, green underneath. Temperature about 40 degrees. Soak my linen fabric over night. Carefull about not touching the bottom…. BUT… the indigo just doesn’t want to bite on. 😢. So… frustrating, and I don’t want to throw my precious indigo out.
After dyeing the fabric just turns light brown with small shades of blue.
You a such an expert ~ do you know what I can do? Is it the PH?
The only thing that I can think of is, that I should do, is to let the fabric soak 1/2 hour instead of 30 seconds pr dip.
Hope you will respond. And thank you for all your wisdom.
Blessings from Mette💙💎🌲🤲🏻Denmark.
Greetings Mette! So sorry you're having trouble with your vat. I'll suggest a couple of things here, but I'm going out of town tomorrow for a week and won't be able to follow up.
I would highly recommend joining the FaceBook group facebook.com/groups/indigopigmentextractionmethods . They have a wealth of free information and lots of very helpful members.
First things that come to mind, what type of fabric? Has it been scoured or any surface treatment removed? Remember, synthetics won't work.
Check your pH. Depending on the type of vat, a sugar vat can have a lower pH and is good for protein fibers; the pH of an iron/ferrous vat will be much higher, 11-12 and is only used for plant fibers.
Temperature is only important when starting and then balancing the vat. I start a vat at 48C, but can use it the next day at a much lower temperature.
It sounds like your vat has all the right signs of being balanced, so I'm leaning towards a problem with the fabric. But do check your pH and join that FB group for lots of help and in depth instructions.
Good luck!
@@tendingahandmadelife Thank you so much 💙and I guess that I should let my fabric stay much longer instead of short time dip’s. I will join the fb group☺️🙏🏻✨
@@onceuponatimedk Yes to longer dips! For a long time, I only did multiple short (5 minutes) dips on my heavy linen. Then I was reading from The Art and Science of Natural Dyes and realized I needed to be dipping my pieces for much much longer. Made a huge difference. Good luck!
@@tendingahandmadelife Thank 💙🙏🏻☺️✨
Beautiful soul, thank you so much for this incredibly serene, useful and wonderful video !
Oh my, you are so very kind ... thank you! 🙏
I love your indigo serie... it helped me a lot... from harvesting my first Japanese indigo to my first indigo vat.
Thank you so much for your effort and explanation ❤
I will keep following you on your journey to make beautiful things .
Greetings Silvia ( from the Netherlands)
@@green_cat_crea I'm so glad my little series has helped. I'm such a visual person, so I understand how helpful these little films can be! Good luck with your own efforts! Thanks so much for taking the time to watch and comment ... 🙏
Que lindo. Una consulta la agua final de la olla, se vuelve a reutilizar, para hacer el mismo procedimiento?
¡Gracias! El bote de tinte se puede rellenar y reutilizar. Tiene que ser reequilibrado cada vez, pero puede durar años.
@@tendingahandmadelife muchas gracias saludos desde Perú.
Thank you for the excellent video. I just started using Indigo and this is so helpful. Thank you.
Yay! Good luck ... it's a magical journey for sure.
Thank you so much. Apart from absorbing more and more about the magical indigo process, your videos calm me 🙏
golly, thank you so much! What a beautiful compliment ... 🙏🙏🙏
You are awesome! I just opened up my eyes for the world of indigo..
Yay and Oh my … be careful! It’s absolutely magical and totally addictive!
Beautiful video. I've never seen anyone rinse the fiber before allowing it to oxidize. Is there a reason you do it that way?
Thank you! I started doing that when I was using an iron/ferrous sulfate vat. That was part Graham Keegan's directions and I just kept doing it for all my other vat types. Seems like excess dye needs to come out at some point ... 🤔
Learning about fructose vats. Thank you for sharing
Good luck! It's a bit of an investment, but the book, The Art and Science of Natural Dyes is terrific. There's also lots of info to be had and shared on the FB group, facebook.com/groups/indigopigmentextractionmethods
This is a great video. Thanx for uploading
Glad you enjoyed it! 🙏🙏🙏