Over the years I had several teachers, all master dyers-Dorothy Miller, Michele Wipplinger, and M. Joan Lintault, to name but three. Each one provided me with a different degree of understanding of indigo. M. Joan Lintault provided me with a recipe for an indigo vat that is "supercharged" and that everyone loves. Michele is ever so precise about the process, the temperature, the amounts of indigo, and the auxiliaries used. Then Dorothy came along, and her approach was much more casual and laid back. When I questioned her about specifics her response was, "Oh, little bit of this, a little bit of that, just see how it works."

	Indigo-dyed t-shirts for volunteers to be worn at a fund raising event for the Fine Line Creative Arts Center, St. Charles, Illinois. Courtesy of Dagmar Klos

   Indigo always has a mind of its own no matter how precise we are. Now when I teach the indigo process to others, I share this wisdom with them and tell them not to give up-just keep at it, and with practice they too will deepen their understanding of this elusive color.

-Dagmar Klos