I’d venture to say there’s no color that conjures iconic clothing, honor, and emotion quite like blue — think blue jeans, true blue, and feeling blue. For centuries, the color has been significant to cultures around the world, and for most of that time there was only one way to produce rich, blue fabrics: with the plant-based dye indigo.
Indigo’s centuries-long history can be traced back to 5000 BC. “It is an integral part of the dying traditions in India, which is believed to be the oldest center of indigo cultivation in the Old World,” says Anne George of Fabric Treasury. “India was a primary supplier of indigo to Europe as early as the Greco-Roman era.” Indeed, Europeans craved the rich color, and trade in indigo was so profitable that it was sometimes called Blue Gold. Colonization of African countries and India gave Europeans ready access to indigo, and armies dressed in indigo-dyed uniforms (“navy” blue) sometimes fought to protect indigo supplies and production facilities. However, with the introduction of synthetic indigo in the mid-1800s, plant-based indigo lost its importance and production and dying lessened.
Today, natural indigo is undergoing a revival as artisans rediscover its versatility, sustainability, and historical traditions. “I became interested in natural dyes in general after working with synthetic dyes for both cellulose and protein fibers for 10-plus years,” says Elizabeth McTear of Squid Whale Designs. “My concerns about my own safety in using the toxic synthetic dyes and mordants [a mordant helps fix color to fabric, reducing fading], as well as my growing interest in environmental impact, led me to seek out natural dyes. Indigo is a complex, living culture dye. This means one continuous dye bath, with much less waste water.”
Turning indigo cakes and powder into dye is a trial and error process, but indigo’s sustainability is one reason dyers feel it’s worth the effort. Other sustainable attributes include indigo’s ability to be produced twice yearly and grown in combination with edible plants like wheat and corn. And indigo benefits the soil by releasing nitrogen back into it. There are more than 275 varieties of plants that produce indigo.
Because indigo has grown in many parts of the world for so many centuries, those new to dying have a myriad of traditions to explore. “Indigo fell back into tiny pockets of the world where traditional textile dying practices persisted,” notes George. “The farming and dying is a skill passed down through generations.” There are batiks and ikat from Indonesia and strip-woven kente and ashoké cloth from Ghana and Nigeria. In Japan, indigo is used for shibori, a technique of stitching, twisting, and folding fabric before dying. This is the tradition that Karen Grover of Karen Grover Designs explores in the fabrics she sells.
“You get such crisp lines with indigo, and there is the contrast of the natural fiber color with the many shades of blue that is so fresh and clean,” she says. “Indigo works well for me because the patterns created with arashi shibori are so fluid and organic — they are reminiscent of ripples on water or wood grain — and indigo ties into that nicely. There is a long, rich tradition and history surrounding indigo, and I like the connection to other cultures and other times.”
While indigo’s historical, aesthetic, and environmental properties are important to Karen, she notes it also has a mysterious quality. When textiles are removed from the dye vat and mix with air, they transform.
“One of my earliest creative memories is of dipping folded tissue paper in Rit Dye and waiting to open it,” says Karen. “It was a moment of anticipation and expectancy and utter surprise, waiting to see how the folds and colors interacted to create a pattern. I get that same feeling when I do shibori and particularly with indigo, there is an element of magic. You witness the fabric changing from a yellow green to iridescent teal and purple and then blue. It’s mesmerizing.”
4 Featured Comments
Niraj Lama from HappyEarthTea said 7 years ago Featured
Inspired to hear and see the return of the Indigo. It's history in India is glorious, as pointed in the article, but at the same time tortured. Indigo during the colonial rule symbolized brutality of the colonialists when indigo farmers were executed for refusing to plant the crop. The peasants were protesting the harsh exploitative terms imposed upon them. The current use of indigo as a traditional eco-friendly dye is a nice way to exorcise some of the ghosts of the past for this wonderful plant. The featured works are lovely indeed!
Jeanne B from PruAtelier said 7 years ago Featured
Great story of the history of that wonderful color blue indigo! It's wonderful and often quite surprising to learn WHAT our dyes from the natural world are made from, together with the histories of their use acquired through the ages. Now if I could only better understand the dye process to do my own dyeing, I'd be happy!
Gina Hall from GinasTreasureTrove said 7 years ago Featured
How neat it was to read this. My Grandfather Walter Wright worked in the indigo industry for decades, including back during WW2. Later on in life he traveled to Brazil to help one of the major indigo manufacturers troubleshoot some of the problems they were having with their dye works. I suppose its no wonder that indigo blue is one of my favourite colors.
Linzee from lkmccray said 7 years ago Featured
Thanks for your comments! It isn't possible to share indigo's complete and complex history in this short article, of course. Suffice it to say that it's always amazing to me that the desire for dyes and textiles changed the course of history, and not always in a pretty way. Niraj Lama's comments above about indigo's tortured past are just one example. Several people mentioned woad—a less vibrant, less colorfast blue dye derived from plants—and the only blue available to Europeans before the mid-1500s, when explorers "discovered" indigo on their travels. European woad growers convinced governments to ban the import of indigo to protect their interests. I echo Niraj Lama's generous comment about indigo's current usage exorcising some of the ghosts of the plant's past, and I admire those who are exploring its rich traditions.
108 comments
Jess Greenleaf from GREENLEAFblueberry said 7 years ago
The histories of pigments and dyes are absolutely fascinating. There are so many stories behind each color. War, adventure, life, and death- all for another color to add to the palette or wardrobe. Would love to see more spots on other colors!
Niraj Lama from HappyEarthTea said 7 years ago Featured
Inspired to hear and see the return of the Indigo. It's history in India is glorious, as pointed in the article, but at the same time tortured. Indigo during the colonial rule symbolized brutality of the colonialists when indigo farmers were executed for refusing to plant the crop. The peasants were protesting the harsh exploitative terms imposed upon them. The current use of indigo as a traditional eco-friendly dye is a nice way to exorcise some of the ghosts of the past for this wonderful plant. The featured works are lovely indeed!
Megan from MegansMenagerie said 7 years ago
What a neat story behind this beautiful color! Thanks for sharing!
Portia Smith from FineArtbyPortia said 7 years ago
Love what you wrote and the visuals are lovely. Thank you! Inspired me to create in indigo. Portia
Dawanna Young from peacesofindigo said 7 years ago
So intriguing!
ThePattypanShop from ThePattypanShop said 7 years ago
Beautiful Blues!! Thanks for sharing!!!
Karine Fournier from CuriousLemon said 7 years ago
Fascinating !
LivingVintage from LivingVintage said 7 years ago
Fascinating! Thanks Linzee.
kim rhodes-thomas from pinksnakejewelry said 7 years ago
Terrific Post!!! Beautiful Creations!!!
Hans Holz from HansHolz said 7 years ago
i love this color!!!
Valerie from valeriestitchery said 7 years ago
Beautiful. This reminds me of my visit to an old ocher mine near Rousillon, in the Provence region of France. The whole town was made with stucco from the mine, and when you see it in the distance, all the buildings are different shades of red and pink. The mine itself looks like what I imagine it must be to visit another planet: all craters or orange and yellow.
Matejka Max from NattyMatty said 7 years ago
Incredible!
Amy Gunderson from amysfunkyfibers said 7 years ago
Wonderful feature! Indigo is so beautiful !
Jeanne B from PruAtelier said 7 years ago Featured
Great story of the history of that wonderful color blue indigo! It's wonderful and often quite surprising to learn WHAT our dyes from the natural world are made from, together with the histories of their use acquired through the ages. Now if I could only better understand the dye process to do my own dyeing, I'd be happy!
Priscilla from Gardenmis said 7 years ago
Absolutely fascinating and what a rich and sometimes sad heritage indigo provides! Happy to see a revival of it's use!
Marta DQ from tribomo said 7 years ago
Great story! Thanks for sharing, honestly I didn't know all this...
Kate Haley from CopperSpineStudio said 7 years ago
By far my most favorite color especially the shades with a good dose of purple. Thanks for the fascinating article!
Karen Brown from blainedesign said 7 years ago
GREAT ARTICLE! Such an elusive, sought-after color, so full of cultural and agricultural history. Wonderful, Linzee.
Pat Parker from PatsPottery said 7 years ago
One of my favorite glazes, Indigo Blue , is also one of the most expensive to make. One of the minerals in it, is cobalt, which has gone up in price like crazy in the last few years. But I make it anyway, as It is soooo beautiful♥
Elizabeth McTear from HonestAlchemyCo said 7 years ago
I'm loving all these indigo picks. So happy to be included with such wonderful items! Thank you. :)
Sarah Brown from MouseTrapVintage said 7 years ago
Way to go on the feature, Beth! Indigo is magical and I'm wearing my SquidWhale bandana today!
The Bosun and Sarita Li Johnson from TheLandlockedSailor said 7 years ago
Loooove it! We just sold a wooden sailboat that was once called Indigo Blue. :) :)
FreakyPeas from FreakyPeas said 7 years ago
Thanks again Etsy for the awesome history lesson!
eva andrews from catchaleaf said 7 years ago
A great example of what lies behind most of the materials we use today!
WoodlandCottage from WoodlandCottage said 7 years ago
Does anyone know why blue is associated with a depressed mental state? Why do we have the "blues," and not the "grays," for instance? I've always loved the color blue--it's my favorite--so I never understood that expression. Explanations would be welcomed... (...and thank you for the lovely picks!)
Nancy from anotherghostquilts said 7 years ago
Very interesting, Linzee. Thanks!
Idy from dyeing2meetU said 7 years ago
Colours from natural ingredient do have a different depth... It's wonderful! Thank you!
seasidecloth from seasidecloth said 7 years ago
True indigo blue is breathtaking - an all time favorite to use as an accent in designing. Adore it.
H88255 from HillarysSuperfoods said 7 years ago
Blue is my favorite color. Especially this shade of blue! So beautiful!
Kim from BoutiqueBohem said 7 years ago
A virginous color in historical religious art. And sacred to other cultures too. Maybe because it is the color of the sky, water, etc. Art historians have much info on it too. But the number of plants that can be used to dye with, didn't know that. Amazing. (Blueberries we knew of course) But I think I will research that and consider growing the easy to grow ones to use on some yarn. Thanks!!!!! A fun and happy read!
Anne George from FabricTreasury said 7 years ago
A wonderful story on indigo and so super delighted that my indigo cake and indigo dyed fabric is included too :) Thank you Linzee for my first ever feature on an Etsy Blog.
IKA PARIS from ikabags said 7 years ago
Great color !
Brian McNamara from rarebeasts said 7 years ago
Great story.
Melissa Moss Smith from sterag925 said 7 years ago
Colors of sky and water, you gotta love it...indigo. Thanks for sharing.
Karen Grover from karengroverdesigns said 7 years ago
Beautifully composed piece Linzee. Wonderful to see the work and hear from other indigo lovers on etsy. I appreciate you including me, thank you!
fielding from bukra65 said 7 years ago
Enjoyed the article, just wish more coverage on indigo's cultivation here in America had been discussed. For those wanting to learn more about early indigo cultivation in Colonial North America, google Eliza Lucas Pinckney for some interesting information. She is credited by some historians as the single most influential person in introducing what was once an important cash crop for South Carolina planters.
Jane Priser from JanePriserArts said 7 years ago
I love the indigo color! Very interesting article to read about the history.
Ana Hernández from Anascrafties said 7 years ago
Very enjoyable reading. Thanks for a superb article, that makes us know more about an already desirable dying substance.
Marie from cloud9originals said 7 years ago
Thank you for the story of indigo, very informative! Great picks!!
Sarah Bickett Mills from bluescarlettky said 7 years ago
Love blue, blue, blue!!
Gina Hall from GinasTreasureTrove said 7 years ago Featured
How neat it was to read this. My Grandfather Walter Wright worked in the indigo industry for decades, including back during WW2. Later on in life he traveled to Brazil to help one of the major indigo manufacturers troubleshoot some of the problems they were having with their dye works. I suppose its no wonder that indigo blue is one of my favourite colors.
breadandroses2 from breadandroses2 said 7 years ago
Indigo is irresistible and the best kind of blue. I learned quite a bit more about indigo than I knew before so thank you for this nutshell history and for featuring my bag, too, Linzee!
baconsquarefarm from baconsquarefarm said 7 years ago
Great read thanks for the history of indigo.
nerdycraftgirl from nerdycraftgirl said 7 years ago
I actually did a paper for AP Chemistry on dyes, and Indigo was one of the natural dyes I cited. Another source of natural indigo is Woad, a plant native to England. The Picts, an ancient tribe from northern Scotland, used it to paint themselves blue when they went off to battle (they were so formidible that the Romans built Hadrian's wall to keep them out). Since my great-grandfather was a Scottish immigrant, it's interesting to think I may have had a blue-painted ancestor!
nerdycraftgirl from nerdycraftgirl said 7 years ago
Oh yeah, and, Woodlandcottage, maybe people speak of feeling "blue" because blue is a cool color and might remind people of coldness or tears. Idioms are strange, though, so it could be anything. Gray makes more sense to me, too - it reminds me of those rainclouds that Oregon is all too full of.
Crystal Renee from ForeverRenee said 7 years ago
Fascinating story! Enjoyed reading it.
aressa from OriginalBridalHanger said 7 years ago
Great post! Love the products!
Jen Stilley from ArtfullyYoursByJen said 7 years ago
Wow, that is so interesting! I would love to do more research on plants containing indigo. My husband and I are avid gardeners, so learning that indigo puts nitrogen back in the soil is good to know. We are always looking for new and organic ways of enriching our soil. Thanks for sharing!
s o p h i a from MadrinaSofia said 7 years ago
Thanks for sharing the historical significance of this beautiful color with us! Really enjoyed this!
empressnorton from empressnorton said 7 years ago
I love indigo and work with it often, though I think it's important to note that natural indigo is also toxic and typically requires the use of dangerous materials such as lye. In some cultures that have traditionally used indigo, women aren't allowed to work with indigo until after they have passed menopause, due to indigo's detrimental effects on female reproductive health and teratogenic risks. It's safe once the dyeing has been completed, but anyone interested in working with indigo should be properly versed in appropriate safety measures for their own health.
Amber from BambuEarth said 7 years ago
Awesome history. Love this. ♥
Diana from joliefemme said 7 years ago
Love the perspective!
Audrey Hummer from FairyAtHeart said 7 years ago
Indigo is such an amazing color, the history that you shard is very interesting as well! Thanks for a fabulous article!
NorthcottWilson from NorthcottWilson said 7 years ago
What a surprise to see my silk boucle yarn in the lead photo! Phyllis, great photo and I love how the yarn turned out when you dyed it with indigo.
Robyn Muller from RobynMullerArt said 7 years ago
Everyone is feeling a bit inky lately? Indigo seems to be on everyone's mind...or mood ;) Here 2 lovely little TLists featuring one of my Indigo paintings. https://www.etsy.com/treasury/MzE5MDg3OTR8MjcyNDI2MjY5Ng/mood-indigo https://www.etsy.com/treasury/ODYxOTcyNHwyNzI0MjY3NzE2/moody-blues
Butcher's Broom from BUTCHERSBROOM said 7 years ago
►HELLO LINZEE, YOUR WORK IS VERY CHARMING AND YOUR RESEARCH DESERVES ATTENTION. THANKS FOR TELLING ME THIS BEAUTIFUL STORY◄ Good light, _BB_
Karen Mott Smith from Kesosun said 7 years ago
Great post. I have been wanting to try real Indigo for a while now and am just about to attend a workshop. Lovely choices and a wonderful story, thanks. Kx
Tatiana from VilleDeFleurs said 7 years ago
This article inspired me to try so many new things ! Thanks for sharing !
thedelhistore from theDelhiStore said 7 years ago
What a great write up! Vegetable indigo dye fabrics are gorgeous to look at and so soft in feel.
Alisa from AlisaDesign said 7 years ago
Awesome!
Canan from Zembil said 7 years ago
I LOVE INDIGO! Amazing article, thank you!
Pam Litoun from hastearsofcloth said 7 years ago
Thanks a terrific vibrant dye exciting to work with but don't forget Woad or in French Pastel - many dyers have turned back to this blue dye that was used in Europe before Indigo made it to our shores. It is as beautiful as reactive and you can grow it in abundance in the back yard! Toulouse was practically built on the money from pastel!
Clara Belle from ClarasHandMade said 7 years ago
Wonderful. I really enjoyed reading this and it taught me many things!
Kristin Love from LoveArtWorks said 7 years ago
Awesome~!! Indigo is my Favorite Color and I make an Indigo Blue Glaze for my Pottery that is to die for, it's so Deep and Rich. I love the Color so much that I named my German Shepherd "Indigo"!! Thanks so much for the Amazingly Informative Article!!! :)
Kristin Love from LoveArtWorks said 7 years ago
Awesome~~!! Indigo is my Favorite Color and I make Gorgeous, Deep, Rich Indigo Glaze that I use on my Pottery and I *love* the color so much I named my German Shepherd "Indigo"!! Thank you for an Amazing Article!! :)
aNyA from SugarAndChaiVintage said 7 years ago
Indigo is one of my favorite words, it even sounds nice! :)) Amazing article, thanks!
Monica from ThreeBarDGifts said 7 years ago
This is a very interesting article! I absoutely love a deep blue color! Thank you for sharing!
Linzee from lkmccray said 7 years ago Featured
Thanks for your comments! It isn't possible to share indigo's complete and complex history in this short article, of course. Suffice it to say that it's always amazing to me that the desire for dyes and textiles changed the course of history, and not always in a pretty way. Niraj Lama's comments above about indigo's tortured past are just one example. Several people mentioned woad—a less vibrant, less colorfast blue dye derived from plants—and the only blue available to Europeans before the mid-1500s, when explorers "discovered" indigo on their travels. European woad growers convinced governments to ban the import of indigo to protect their interests. I echo Niraj Lama's generous comment about indigo's current usage exorcising some of the ghosts of the plant's past, and I admire those who are exploring its rich traditions.
Jane Fuller from Hoopsetc said 7 years ago
Great article, great picks - loving the blue theme this morning!
Phyllis Hedrick from Spinknitandlife said 7 years ago
I am both surprised and thrilled that my photograph of Indigo dyed yarns was featured in your blog post. I love dyeing spinning fibers and yarns with Indigo. I am happy to hear that it is undergoing a revival. The lovely undyed silk boucle yarn that was used in my Indigo dye project was purchased from NorthcottWilson's Etsy shop. Wonderful and informative blog post.
Anne George from FabricTreasury said 7 years ago
And a word about the picture of indigo cake. The picture was captured by Zachria Chungath (zac.zachria@gmail.com), my brother, patience personified. He took about an hour to set up and come up with this stunning picture.
mazedasastoat from mazedasastoat said 7 years ago
Always nice to see a feature on natural dyes. I love the way the colours are softer and they fade with age... both reasons why chemical dyes became popular!
Carol from HarrachGlass said 7 years ago
Interesting article about blue dyes and textiles. The blue in the picture titled, A cake of Indian indigo, is so deep and beautiful. I think I wear the color blue more than any other color.
Richard Lithgow from RichardLithgow said 7 years ago
Beautiful color!
Janette from AmericanDollClothes said 7 years ago
I love your story of how blues became blues, I learned so much from it. Thank you for sharing it with us.
Emma st clair Smith from BostonStClair said 7 years ago
great article and beautiful finds!
Kirsten Gilmore from PaintingsByKEGilmore said 7 years ago
From my avatar, you can see I love this color, used in paintings. The golden acrylic paint "anthroquinone blue" can approximate the hue.
Leeanna from LeeannasJewelryBox said 7 years ago
That was such a well written article. I loved learning about indigo. Thank you.
Crystal Nero from CrystalNeroArt said 7 years ago
Love this story, was very interesting.. thanks..
VINTAGE NOW from ESTATENOW said 7 years ago
This is ONE of my Favorite color..
Sharon Challand from Challand said 7 years ago
Interesting article and a great color!
Stephanie Maslow Blackman from metalicious said 7 years ago
My favorite color, the color of sapphires! Cool to read about the history, thanks for the article!
Diane from KittyCatsCupboard said 7 years ago
I love the idea of using natural dyes. Great article.
kristin from blackmoonsky said 7 years ago
as a vintage seller, indigo has always held a special place in my heart. Glad to see it getting used so much throughout etsy.
Katie Cusack from TheButtonBird said 7 years ago
Fascinating!
RAY from KRAYExclusive said 7 years ago
I totally forgot about the history of indigo! Thank you for refreshing my memory. I am new to this community, I am already loving its culture! Thank you again!
Jennifer from skyvalleyjewelry said 7 years ago
Great story ! I have always loved true indigo blue.
glitterandstones from glitterandstones said 7 years ago
Fascinating story. Thanks:)
dawna rubihid from lepetitchatrobin said 7 years ago
Love that color! oh la la!
dawna rubihid from lepetitchatrobin said 7 years ago
love it!
France Gallery from FranceGallery said 7 years ago
Interesting!!
Sara from HiraganaAmericana said 7 years ago
This is a great introduction to the wonder that is indigo. It is so versatile and has such a rich historical significance. Thanks for sharing!
Cufflinked from Cufflinked said 7 years ago
Who Knew? Great story. Thanks
Andrea Hughes from PopLoveHers said 7 years ago
We looked into indigo dyeing a while back and were really keen on the idea considering the benefits... Rich, vibrant colors, an equally rich and vibrant history, eco properties, but... At the end of the day, it's a rather smelly process and with our tiny urban studio, we just don't have the space to do it. I guess sometimes it pays to live in the 'burbs
Elizabeth McTear from HonestAlchemyCo said 7 years ago
@Andrea Hughes - I keep 3 indigo vats in my tiny art studio in the city, in large steel pots. It does smell, but if you keep it covered (as recommended to reduce the dye's exposure to oxygen) it keeps the smell down.
Matthew Palmer from ArtPhotographyPrints said 7 years ago
So easy to take color for granted, especially with them there fancy computers!
Rachel from PeppersJewelry said 7 years ago
Thanks for the article on indigo. The fabrics you shared that are dyed in indigo are beautiful!
Elsa A from CloudPearls said 7 years ago
I love this color!
Courtney Hamill from honeycombstudio said 7 years ago
Super interesting to read about the history of such a beautiful color. This will definitely make me look at many things in my closet differently.
Genevieve Atkins from sugoi07 said 7 years ago
It's only in the last decade that I've come to appreciate indigo. Japanese culture have used it in their weaving, kasuri, for centuries, or longer. I have collected many wonderful samples, woven on back strap looms. Each piece appears to show a slightly different blue to the next. Thanks for the article, Linzee.
Ricky Talmage from PeysterStreet said 7 years ago
My favorite color! I have to make a conscious effort to not use too much of the colors I love in my designs. With stones, Lapis is my all time favorite!
Lisa from NirvanaRoad said 7 years ago
Indigo.... love, love it!
Leah Moses from Yumyo said 7 years ago
years ago I played with silk for a while. There's nothing quite like being elbow deep in an indigo vat. I highly recommend trying it!
Shawnzi from TimeEnoughAtLast said 7 years ago
Such a pretty color. compliments everything!
Erik Van Wert from ErikVanWert said 7 years ago
I teach indigo dyeing in Harlem, NY. We have an upcoming workshop in early June at the Children's Art Carnival. The quilters in the area just LOVE it!
ya mo from 2013color said 7 years ago
Beautiful Blues!! Thanks for sharing!!!
devans00 said 7 years ago
I love the chunk of indigo. Such a rich blue.
Maika from MaikaHandworks said 6 years ago
I am an Indigo lover. Thank you for sharing the history of Indigo!