| Indigo
In India, the art of colouring textiles by tie-dye and printing has been done in natural colours for generations.
Indigo (Neel), obtained from the plant Indigofera tinctoria, or Indian Madder, is one of these natural dyes. The dye stuff of legends, Indigo is still used by block printers and dyers in the villages of India. Craftsmen today employ the same dyeing technique used since ancient times for natural indigo dyeing.
The indigo dye bath is made in large vats made of clay and then carefully maintained for about six months until it is exhausted. The cloth is repeatedly immersed in the vat and exposed to air to produce varying intensities of blue.
White patterns are retained by the application of a paste made from clay mixed with wheat chaff and tree gum before dipping the fabric into an indigo bath. This resist paste prevents the dye from penetrating the covered areas.
Indigo simply bonds and interlinks with the fibres and through washing and friction some of the indigo molecules break away. This is why indigo rubs off on the skin and then washes away easily. Indigo dyed clothes need thorough washing before use to remove excess dye. This, due to water scarcities in the dyeing villages, is not always possible and therefore, must be done at home before use. |
