Why Your Àdìrẹ Bleeds (And Why That's Correct)

Natural indigo sits on the surface of the fibre rather than bonding into it the way a synthetic dye does. That is why a new Àdìrẹ piece will mark a white sofa, and why the colour softens into something better over years.

Wash it alone, in cold water, by hand, for the first three or four washes. No detergent with optical brighteners — they will flatten the indigo. A spoon of salt in the first wash helps set what is loose.

Dry it in shade. Direct sun will fade the resist patterns unevenly, and once one section has gone pale there is no bringing it back.

Store it folded with the pattern facing in, and never in plastic. Cloth needs to breathe; a cotton pillowcase is a better bag than anything you bought it in.