We designed 3 no-frills Natural Indigo Powder Dye Kits for beginner dyers. Each kit has an accompanying recipe, vetted by our chemists and tested by other first-time dyers and experienced artisans.
The Iron Vat is the ideal recipe to get beautiful saturated blues on cotton, linen, and other plant-based fibers. It is not recommended for protein-based fibers, as the iron may cause discoloration or brittleness on these materials. Once set up, the vat does not require heating and may last for weeks or months when stirred regularly, covered, and occasionally replenished.
Iron vat dye kit includes:
- 50g Powdered Stony Creek Colors 40% natural indigo
- 100g Ferrous (II) Sulfate Heptahydrate (Iron powder)
- 200g Calcium Hydroxide
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The Hydro Vat is the fastest of our three vat recipes and works well for all types of fabrics. We are using Rit Color Remover as the chemical reducing agent because it is widely available for a 5-gallon vat.
Hydro Vat Includes:
- 50g Powdered Stony Creek Colors 40% natural indigo
- 100g Rit Color Remover (contains Sodium dithionite aka hydrosulfite)
- 100g Sodium Carbonate
- A box of pH strips
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The Fructose Vat recipe is based on the traditional indigo vats of Morocco, India, and Provence and was developed and revived by Michel Garcia. It relies on the chemical reactions between a mineral alkali and a natural reducing agent to remove excess oxygen (a chemical process called reduction).
Fructose Vat Includes:
- 50g Powdered Stony Creek Colors 40% natural indigo
- 100g Calcium hydroxide
- 200g Fructose Crystals
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Please refer to our recipes and accompanying video tutorials for detailed instructions.
Your purchase helps to fight climate change. Our plants are grown by US farmers as a clean crop alternative and responsibly harvested and processed by Stony Creek Colors.
