Instructions for a basic 5 gallon indigo vat

 

Recommended Materials:

 

Fabric to Dye (Natural fibers only, ie cotton, linen, rayon, hemp, wool, silk)

5 Gallon Bucket 3/4 full of water

50g of indigo

100g of lime (calcium hydroxide) (Get extra 100g for refreshing the vat)

Reducing agent. If using fructose sugar 150g, another option is 1tbsp sodium hydrosulfite, also known as RIT color remover. (Get extra for refreshing the vat)

Rubber Gloves and Glasses

Instructions:

Step 1: Prewash fabric

Step 2: Tye/fold fabric in tie-dye/shibori methods to get desired pattern. Look up a variety of methods online. There is a lot of amazing options!

 

Option A: Creating the Vat with Fructose Sugar

Step 1:  Dissolve the sugar in very hot water.

Step 2: Add the dissolved sugar water to a 5 gallon bucket

Step 3: Fill the bucket 3/4 full of water

Step 4: Add the lime and stir in

Step 5: Grind/Smash the Indigo dye until a fine dust. Then add to water and mix. You can also put the dye in a blender with some water, warning the blender will turn blue!

Step 6: Add the indigo dye water mix to the vat

Step 7: Stir and let sit for 20+ minutes until the vat liquid is green/yellow/brown.

Step 8: Wet the fabric in cold water, remove and squeeze out excess water, then submerge the damp fabric in the vat for 1-2 minutes. Remove, let the fabric sit out in the air till it turns blue. Then repeat this process until desired color is achieved.

Step 9: Refreshing the vat. Over time the indigo vat will change colors back to blue, which means there's oxygen in the vat, which makes the vat unusable. To fix this, add another 100g of lime and another 150g of the sugar water stir into the vat and wait for 10-20 minutes until the color is green/yellow/brown again. Then continue dyeing.

Option B: Creating the Vat with Sodium Hydrosulfite

Step 1: Fill the bucket 3/4 full of water

Step 2: Add the lime and stir in

Step 3: Grind/Smash the Indigo dye until a fine dust. Then add to water and mix. You can also put the dye in a blender with some water, warning the blender will turn blue!

Step 4: Add a tablespoon of sodium hydrosulfite to the vat,  beware of any warnings on labels, you do not want to inhale or get in eyes.

Step 5: Wait 10+ minutes for the vat liquid to turn green/yellow/brown

Step 6: Wet the fabric in cold water, remove and squeeze out excess water, then submerge the damp fabric in the vat for 1-2 minutes. Remove, let the fabric sit out in the air till it turns blue. Then repeat this process until desired color is achieved.

Step 7: Refreshing the vat. Over time the indigo vat will change colors back to blue, which means there's oxygen in the vat, which makes the vat unusable. To fix this, add another 100g of lime and another tablespoon of sodium hydrosulfite and stir into the vat and wait for 10-20 minutes until the color is green/yellow/brown again. Then continue dyeing.

 

For more information, look up indigo dye instructions online. There are many online tutorials and classes.

 

We also offer workshops in Hawaii! Email us to get a list, Shane@indigoarmour.com