It’s always the experiences that are spontaneous and unplanned that are the most fun—and this proved to be the case in Phrae, a small province in northern Thailand where Team Outpost learned the art of tie-dyeing.
Story by Abra Atkison, Photos by Outpost/Michael Fraiman
While visiting the Mulberry Farm, our beautiful hosts suggested we try our hand at designing our own fabrics. I wasn’t sure what to expect as we parked the truck on a busy street and walked past a clothing shop, down a winding back alley, past small apartment buildings, and into an open area where everything was tinted with a beautiful shade of blue!
I was excited to learn more about this art, as the only other time I’d attempted to tie-dye anything was in kindergarten, and I’m sure it was a disaster. I’m not that great with crafts.
- In Phrae, Thailand, Abra and Jess spent an afternoon learning the art of tie-dye, which is saying something for Abra, who confesses she’s just not a crafty girl.
- An artisan at the workshop crafting a pattern.
- Where tie-dyeing and fabric painting are definite art forms.
- A few of the stunning wears made at the workshop in Phrae, Thailand, that Abra and Jess visited.
First, we chose our cut of fabric. Jess chose a cute, off-the-shoulder shirt, while I chose a simple, square piece of cloth. I didn’t want to get fancy because I had zero idea what I was doing.
Next, a woman helped us pick the pattern we wanted to design. Again, I went for simple squares, while Jess opted for an elaborate diamond design. She showed us how to fold our fabric, tucking and wrapping it effortlessly inside itself with knots and elastic bands. She ended up doing ours for us, as we both lack skills in the crafting department!
Once the fabric was folded correctly, she brought us over to a huge vat of bubbling, dark indigo goo. Donning our aprons and wearing long rubber gloves up to our elbows, we dipped our fabrics into the thick, slimy pool. Turns out, this indigo sludge was a plant-based dye that comes from the hom tree. The process of obtaining the dye goes something like this:
- Harvest the leaves of the hom tree.
- Bundle the leaves together and soak them for 24 hours.
- Overnight, the leaves ferment and turn the water blue.
- Add builder’s lime (not the fruit) and mix vigorously.
- As it oxidizes, the water changes from a murky green to a peacock blue.
- Strain through a fine cloth.
- Voila! You have a beautiful indigo-coloured, completely safe, plant-based dye!
After dipping my cloth into the dye, I rinsed it and rinsed it again. Then we placed our fabrics into a commercial washer and gave them a quick spin. Once it came out of the washer, I hung my tiny cloth in the sunlight to dry. As it dried, it lightened from a deep violet to a beautiful navy blue!
- Some of the tie-dyed colour products on display at the workshop.
- The indigo-goo, a deep violet that dries into a deep navy, is a plant-based dye that colours particularly well.
- The gloves show the colour!
- Jess ties knots in her fabric to make a dramatic pattern. She opts to make a t-shirt.
- Jess goes forth with confidence when dipping her fabric to make her top.
- All gloved up: Jess and Abra at the vat…getting ready for the dip.
- “I didn’t want to get fancy because I had zero idea what I was doing.”
- And voila! Jess holding up her new indigo tie-dye off-the-shoulder top. Abra being amazed at how her cloth turned out, which is actually pretty cool.
I’ll be honest, I was planning on giving it to my mom as a kitchen towel, but after tying it onto my head as a scarf, I decided I should probably keep it. I was very proud of my new, one-of-a-kind headscarf. Sorry, Mom! Maybe I am just a little bit crafty.
