Friday, June 7, 2013

Dyeing with Indigo in Sixth Grade

Sixth grade students learned about the Yoruba people of Nigeria.  A traditional cloth made by the Yoruba is the Adire Eleko Cloth.  Sixth grade students used paste to draw designs on their cloth to resist the indigo, a natural plant dye.  When removed from the indigo, the fabric is a yellow-green color, but as the oxygen in the air hits the fabric it changes to a deep blue.  
example of adire eleko cloth

the fabric just taken out of the indigo
Students also tried their hand at shibori, a Japanese style of tie dye.  Indigo was used with for this fabric as well!


Shibori fabric made into a banner