Organic natural Indigo ~ Dye colour Blue 

[our Indigo is NOT synthetic]

Country of Origin: India 

The advantage in dyeing with Indigo is, that no mordant is needed.  The water doesn't need to be heated to more than 40 degrees Celsius and a little goes a long way. We can dye 3-4 kg of Wool using 50g of Indigo. 

There are many ways of dyeing with Indigo. Below you will find the recipe for a yeast vat.  For a straight forward no-waiting-required approach, you can use Hydros as an oxygen remover. Waiting time approx. one hour.

Colourfastness: Excellent for dark colours, good for lighter colours

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Basic Recipe ~

It is possible to create a vat from indigo, lime (calcium hydroxide) and over-ripe fruit such as bananas or dates that relies on the chemistry of the sugars* rather than fermentation of the fruit. But it’s easier to simply use fructose shared in

Our Organic Sugar Vat Recipe

Or for a more lightfast solution go for the recipe below or for a quick Vat, use the Hydros Vat, but it does use a chemical oxygen remover.

Our Hydros Vat Recipe

Both recipe are also available as dye Kits

FERMENTATION USING YEAST:

For 500gr wool etc. at one time . (amount can be repeated several times using the same bath)

 9l water

dye container with lid
separate pot for the water bath to add the container
110gr sugar
50gr dried yeast with out preservatives etc.
30gr bicarbonate of soda
40gr ground Indigo
thermometer

This Method requires the dye bath to be on a constant 40 degrees Celsius and shouldn't exceed 50 degrees Celsius. Ideally put the dye pot in a water bath on a wire rack to ensure even distribution of temperature. 

1. Fill pot with 9l of water and heat to 40 degrees Celsius. 

2. Mix sugar and yeast and add to the water. Leave until dissolved and bubbly. 

3. Dissolve soda in a glass with hot water and add the dye, stir until smooth. Add to yeast mixture. 

4. Close lid and ideally put into a bin bag, you want it as air locked as possible. Leave at steady temperature for 8 hours. 

5. Lift lid and stir carefully until all the foamed Indigo has returned into the dye. Try to stir as little air into it as possible.

6. Close the pot up again and leave for 48 hours until the water is yellow green.

7. The water will show a metallic shimmer on the surface when ready. Carefully stir it back in.

8. Add the damp but not mordanted wool etc. make sure all are under the water add a plate or a metallic disc to press the wool etc. under the surface. Whatever swims at the top will be unevenly dyed.

9. Close it up and leave for 6 -12 hours. 

10. Remove wool etc. and press out back into the dye bath.  

11. Open wool etc. and leave exposed for at least 60min. All should turn blue. 

12. If you prefer a deeper blue add it to the dye bath again and repeat step 9. 

13. Wash twice with a mild soap, then rinse 4-5 times using vinegar in the last bath. 

14. Hang up and air for a few days or weeks. 

You can repeat this dyeing process using the same dye bath several times.

Logwood Dye

Dye Colour: Blue, Purple & Black | Collected in the Wild in Haiti

Logwood, also known as Bois de Campeche or Campeachy Wood, is a natural, pH-sensitive dye that originates from wood found in Central America. This versatile dye creates stunning blues, purples, and deep blacks on wool, cotton, and silk. While its colour fastness is considered poor by experienced dyers, Logwood is commonly used in combination with other dyes to achieve rich, deep blacks. Perfect for eco-conscious artists, Logwood is available as cut or ground bark for your dyeing projects.

Colour Fastness: Poor (best used with other dyes for black)

Product Details:

• Dye Colour: Blue, Purple, and Black
• Perfect for: Wool, cotton, and silk
• Mordant: Alum (10%) for best results

Basic Recipe (Using Ground Bark):

1. Ingredients:

   • 65g Logwood bark (soaked for 2 days)
   • 100g mordanted yarn/fibre (Alum 10%)

Instructions:

• Bring the soaked bark to a simmer for 2 hours.
• Strain through cloth and add the yarn/fibre and dye bag to the dye bath.
• Simmer for 1 hour and then rinse.

Alternatively, soak the Logwood chips overnight, then boil for 1 hour before use.

For Logwood extract, please visit our Natural Dye Extracts Page.

Explore the potential of Logwood Dye for a range of vibrant blues, purples, and blacks in your natural dyeing projects!

Black Mallow Rose Flowers (Hollyhock)
Latin: Malvae arbor. Flor. tot. | Botanical: Alcea rosea L.

These vibrant Black Mallow Rose Flowers, also known as Hollyhocks, are perfect for eco-printing and natural dyeing projects. When used in eco-printing, they create stunning purple-blue to violet hues on fabric, with the rich tones evolving beautifully over time. Their colour fastness ranges from weak to medium, but can be enhanced with the proper mordants.

Eco-Printing Tips:

• For deeper, more intense black and purple hues, use an iron mordant.
• For general printing or dyeing, follow a standard mordant procedure for balanced results.
• Only the petals and flowers are utilized for printing and dyeing.

Durability:

Black Mallow Rose prints can retain their colours for years, but that very much depends on light exposure and washing. The anthocyanins in the petals provide some longevity, though fading may occur with prolonged sunlight or frequent washing.

Join The Natural Dyers & Growers Academy to share your experiences and get support from fellow growers.

Dyer's Broom cut

This product, DYER'S BROOM ~ cut, is traditionally utilized for dyeing yellow and green shades. The resulting green hue tends to lean more towards a tan colour.

Colour fastness: medium

Basic recipe:

100% Broom
10% Alum
3% Iron as green option

Mordant as required, extract broom in 85C degrees Celsius for 1h. Remove dye, switch off pot and add your item and leave overnight. Treat with iron as an after mordant. Rinse, wash.

Colour fastness: medium