Did you read the last post?  If not, go read the last post so this makes a bit more sense.  And if you did, it’s time to flaunt the pretty.  We’ll just roll through these folded and unfolded, then do the info thing.

Those are all well rinsed and still damp (so they’ll get a little bit lighter when they’re totally dry, but not much).

Now, we should talk a little bit about indigo (as always, amazon links are affiliate links).  Indigo is a natural dye and it has Rather Strong Opinions.  It loves to fade, and it loves to rub off on things.  You can do a lot to minimize this, but you’re never going to absolutely remove all risk of it.

I prepped my fabric by washing it with synthrapol, the magic dye catching detergent that you totally want to have on hand anyway for that red shirt that bleeds all over everything.  I let the dye oxidize for a long time after each dip (an hour during the day, then overnight at the end).  I rinsed the fabric really well, then washed them in hot water (again with synthrapol) soaked them in vinegar for an hour, and then washed them with synthrapol again.

After that, I was able to rub a damp mask against my arm hard for a full minute and not get any dye transfer and wear one for an hour and not get any dye on my face.

Would I nuzzle my face up against a white silk couch while wearing one?  No (for a variety of reasons…).  Am I perfectly comfortable wearing one for ten minutes while I pick up takeout?  Yes.  Can I pinky swear you’ll have the exact same results? Nope.  Your water or your washing machine or your skin chemistry could be different from mine, and you could have a different result.  I think you’ll be fine, especially if you rinse well and wash them with the magic detergent (I’ve heard soaking them in salt water or ironing them can help too, but at this point I am not having any problems, so I’m not doing anything else to prevent it).  But there always is a risk with indigo, and I want you to be informed so you can make your own decisions.

And if you really don’t want to be bothered with the dipping and the waiting and dipping and the waiting the occasionally opinionated nature of indigo, you can totally fake it.  This kit has a lot of the same colors with way less drama (and there’s a neon version too if you want the more traditional tie dye color range, or this one has even more colors).

But whatever you do, whether you’re sewing custom fitted masterpieces or going with the most basic mask you can find, just wear something.  It’s the right thing to do (yes, even if it’s hot, yes, even if you feel a bit silly, yes, even if it is a bit uncomfortable), and you can totally do it.