Indigo and Splatter Dyeing

Q: Can I use a paint brush or toothbrush to splatter dye with indigo?

A: Splatter dyeing doesn’t work for indigo because of a particular quirk in how the dye is activated. To actually get the dye to adhere to fabric, it needs to be in a “reduced” chemical state. The action of splattering the indigo exposes it to lots of air and oxygen and makes it essentially inert before it hits the fabric. The blue flecks would stain the fabric but after a couple washes and some time in the air, the color would fade right off. To get the color onto the cloth the pieces have to be immersed in the dye.