Indigo wow is all I should say. But I cannot. The wow started first by making the natural dye. Then the dipping the old white linen into the not-at-all-photogenic plastic garbage tubs. Dipping and squeezing, dipping and squeezing, or as I found it is like doing reverse sit ups and now I cannot stand up. Wow. Exercising the creative way.
The rubber gloves even turn blue… everything turns blue. I wore rubber bands around my gloves, no way did I want blue hands. Smurf look is not happening.
Ruth on the other "blue" hand is an Indigo Smurf in disguise. Her new name is: "Smurf " 'cause she would dye everything blue, well she did, except she spared her children who were at school; luckily for those two!
You could say Ruth took to Indigo like I took to collage wallpapering.
She had the group in stitches, they all have blue bras now, just kidding, but Ruth wanted us too.
Seriously a Smurf.
Baskets full of ropes, gloves, clothes pins… and you need a ton of water. So we went to the Laverie in Lacoste.
Ruth has amazing photos of the French Muse Blog if you want to see, plus a video.
http://thefrenchmuse.com/provence-brocante-retreat/
Diving deep into the barrel of indigo.
I found out that onion skins makes a mustard color, and avocados makes a pink color…
When coloring you must tie your hair back, duh!
You must wear old clothes, duh!
You must wear shoes that you do not care about getting blue, double duh!
Squeeze
Dip
Pull
Hang
Repeat
Repeat
Rinse
squeeze
dip
squeeze dip
repeat
hang
wait forever
wash
dry
iron
Presto.
Does it still sound fun?
The group was tickled…
you get it
blue.
After the first and second dip the bark of the indigo shows, but after a few rinses it goes away.
I wonder if with onion and avocado what shows?
Provencal blue
Leftovers of a colorful morning.
The white altar boy outfit is now blue.
Virgin blue.
Photo via Ruth on the
French Muse Blog
We had a picnic, drank wine since we are walking distance from the house, talked to many locals who loved our activity.
Ruth wrote on our Facebook Page:
"A local man not known for being the most talkative drove past five times as we were dying and hanging – I thought oh oh we're in trouble.
On the fifth turn he slowed and pulled in. He stepped out of the car smiling. His eyes took in our indigo-tinged hands & feet and the lines of drying linen. He told us it was the most beautiful thing he had seen in many years and with tears in his eyes he told us of how it reminded him of his wife who would come to wash their laundry here when they were first married.
An incredibly special moment for everyone and it makes me want to plan a village indigo party"
Indigo Princess
wants to plan a party.
I tell you she is true blue through and through.
Photo via Ruth
The French Muse.
Lunch time.
The gloves come off.
The joy of doing something old fashion, in a century old place, with creative souls is utterly inspiring.
Photo via Ruth on
Isn't this amazing!
I am one lucky smurf loving indigo stained French loving brocante gal!
Loving!
The group is still at it, I am back at the house cooking.
Leave a Reply