All the Indigo Hyphea fabrics are dyed on second hand fabrics. Some are old bed sheets, old pillow covers and old table clothes. As long as they are made of natural fiber (for example, cotton/ linen/viscose…), it dyes with Indigo. Some are donated by people who heard the call at the local radio station, some are collected by the Zeugfärberei over the years at the local flea markets.
Using second hand fabric for production is challenging, because you do not know how good they bind the color and get dyed. This depend on fiber mix of the material, how it was used/ washed, how it is woven… so on. In this project, I decide to enjoy the difference the material brings rather than trying to get the same result. You will see the “uniqueness” of the hyphaes.
These fabrics I used contain woven patterns, such as flowers and geometric shapes. I was surprised to realize that last generation used these white bed linens (I do not think I have single white one!). It must have been so much work to keep it white! Also these woven patterns are intricate flower patterns and probably only it was possible to produce them after the industrial jacquard looms becoming a common production tool. It must have been very impressive back then. These white flower fabrics are not my cup of tea, but I still appreciate for people who kept it white for all these years, and let me use it for the project.