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So I now have a commission to do some “banners” and wall hangings in shibori for a local shop. Of course the fun part now will be designing something that will fit in the theme that the shop owner has in mind for the store, and dyeing it in the rather, uhm… limited facilities I have available. I think the bathtub will end up being used for a day as a dying pot for the cotton pieces. The silk…well now that will be interesting.
I would love to use indigo for this, as it is a traditional dye and one that needs no mordanting. Unfortunately every recipe I know of for indigo produces a vat that has a rather unpleasant smell. Maybe as I read Jenny Balfour-Paul’s wonderful book Indigo something will strike me as a solution. A very big thank you to whoever sent the book as well. It is not specifically a recipe or technique book, but an excellent book on the history of indigo, it’s use in various cultures and the range of effects that can be achieved with it. I must admit I am drawn to the amazing effect of the calendered and “polished” indigo cloth which becomes very shiny with a deep purple sheen to it. I would love to find a sample of Indigo cloth from northern Thailand where they add bean starch, red peppers and persimmon juice (which is also used in production of katagami paper and has very good waterproofing capabilities, and persimmon juice’s tannin content would add to the purple sheen). This is the book I will be reading for the next week or so, and like the other books I have received from my wishlist, one that I will be constantly turning to for inspiration and experimentation.