Dip Dyed Denim
This time we are trying dip dyed Ikat denim! First we test all the different mill waste cotton qualities in the natural indigo dye vat, dipping up to ten times to record the hues we can achieve. Then we move on to the loom to record the picks per inch of each quality, and to see the shades of the denim.
We use only natural indigo, with plant based reduction agents. We never use virgin cotton, only mill waste, and we never use any toxic chemicals in the dyeing process.
Aviary Denim
Southend-on-Sea, England
Hanks of mill waste cotton in white and ecru, washed after being dp dyed in the natural indigo vat
Hanks of dip dyed denim
Testing ecru and bleached mill waste cotton to see which dyes better in our natural indigo vat. Ecru gives a much more intense hue - the bleached white gives a flatter, colder blue
Each dip tests gets woven to compare the colour achieved
Hanks of indigo dyed cotton oxidising in the sun
A hank of industry waste cotton that has been dip dyed in indigo, ready to be used as a weft!