In this half day workshop we will dip our toes (or maybe our fabrics!) into the world of Indigo dye vats and Shibori folding techniques.
We are doing it the old fashioned way (of course) using natural indigo and just 2 other ingredients for our recipe.
Participants will be instructed in how to create natural indigo vats, using different ingredients. There are many ways to do this, some are more complex than others, we will be concentrating on some simpler recipes. And we will be using a vat made from a non-toxic recipe a few days prior to the workshop.
Using natural fabric samples we will practice a range of shibori folding and tie-ing techniques and participants can make up their own folding patterns too. Then we will dye these in the indigo vat, re-dipping to achieve the desired colour and witnessing the transformation from green to blue as the fabric oxidises in the air.
You will take home a range of indigo shibori fabric samples.
It will be an experimental, fun session, perfect for anyone with a love of indigo blue, textiles, nature and creativity.
All materials and natural fabrics are included.
Please wear suitable messy clothing, black is best for this workshop.
Maximum of 5 people per class
Ideally, there needs to be at least 3 people for the class to go ahead, it will be decided at the time and if cancelled a full refund or reschedule will be given.
About Indigo:
Indigo pigment is extracted from the leaves of Indigofera genus plants and it is the oldest known source of natural blue pigment. It’s use as a dye for textiles goes back at least 6000 years. The earliest recorded recipe for indigo dye was found on a 7th Century BC Babylonian tablet. Indigo was also used for painting and cosmetics in ancient times. For centuries it was a very valuable crop, it still is expensive, but has largely been replaced by a synthetic lab produced version. Nowadays most indigo dye is synthetic.
About Shibori:
Shibori is a Japanese manual resist technique for dyeing patterns into fabric, traditionally dyed with indigo but can be any colour. The technique is similar to tie dye but with Shibori all manner of things can be used to create an irregular pattern: tying with twine, cardboard, clips, sticks, poles, rocks, anything goes. The beauty is found in its delicate irregularities and Wabi-Sabi imperfections.
