I had a private question about the set ups I posted for an outdoor dyeing studio. They said they use a trash can for their indigo and wanted to know how these would work. If one person asks, there are usually more who have the same question. Here is my answer .

I use a 5 gallon utility bucket for my indigo vat. I can cover it with the lid when not in use. Since it is plastic and has a lip around the top it will fit into the table the same way the tub is shown. That will save my back bending over the vat. Putting the vat on a milk crate has worked in the past but it isn’t stable. This table, not the shelving piece, solves that problem. I do put another bucket turned upside down under the table to support the weight of the vat.

In workshops at Arrowmont using Rowland Ricketts and Joan M. Morris vat the fiber was soaked at least overnight before dipping. Then in Joan’s method, it is again put into water for the color to develop. This has meant I needed multiple tables or a lot of bending over. I can put a second bucket in the table for water and the third one in the shelving unit next to the hand washing tub.

Thanks for asking. I’m always happy to share. Let me know if I didn’t explain this well. We are still experiencing over 100 heat index after weeks of flooding rainfall.

Janice