Giving Your Vat Enough Time to Set Up

Q: I got your Natural Indigo & Shibori Dye Kit. I mixed up my vat and dyed a bandana in it. It came out green so I rinsed in water and parts turned blue but the majority is still green. I let it sit for a couple of hours and tried re-dying but it’s still green. Is there something I’m doing wrong? I’m thinking maybe I didn’t let the mixture rest long enough. Also, after I wait 24 hours if I re-dye it will it still be green or turn indigo?

A: Yes, this sounds like a normal occurrence if you haven't let the vat totally set up. You can get the color back to a true blue with a wash in hand soap, or a simmer in water with the citric acid (or both!). It will retain the green (which is actually a transparent yellow/orange from the ferrous sulfate which is used to activate the vat plus the blue of the indigo). After the setup time, pieces dipped in 'the clear' top part of the vat will dye blue, the sediment can still cause staining but much less than during the first window of setup time, so avoid it if you can.