This course is rich and full of useful information for the indigo dyer (beginner or experienced).

• Have you read indigo vat making instructions & felt overwhelmed or puzzled as to the why & how of the process?

• Does the science & chemistry of it all seem daunting?

• Have you tried dyeing with indigo & been disappointed with results or lightfastness or felt like you’re not doing it “right”?

This workshop will aim to answer many basic & advanced questions about all things surrounding the indigo vat.

In this class I will show you how to create MULTIPLE TYPES of Organic Indigo Vats including:

• Fructose Vat

• Whole Fruit Vats (that can make use of food waste and local fruits/veggies like Orange Rinds, Overripe Bananas, Sweet Potatoes, Dates, any many more!)

• Henna Vat

• Iron Vat

• Very Special Dried Leaf Organic Vat (NOT using synthetic reducing agents like Thiox- Thiurea dioxide, or Hydros- Hydrosulfite). This Vat allows you to save your dried indigo leaves for future Vat making. And this vat is remarkably strong/potent and you can USE ANY AMOUNT of dried Indigo Leaves (‘Persicaria tinctorial’ aka: Japanese Indigo). AND this recipe includes extracting yellow from the SAME dried leaves to overdue & make GREEN textiles from indigo leaves only!

Learn the advantages & applications for each type of organic indigo vat above.

You’ll also learn:

• How to roll with troubleshooting the MAINTENANCE of an Indigo Vat over time

• Painting with indigo pigment

• Advice & guidance on making any type of indigo vat with HOMEGROWN PIGMENT including info on how much to use and the appropriate ratios of pigment to other ingredients when using HOMEGROWN INDIGO PIGMENT

• Best practices for dyeing in a vat & making designs on cloth (including shibori & paste resist methods)

• Finishing & caring for natural indigo dyed textiles.

• I have some experiences I’m excited to share about working outside of formulas & making an indigo vat with a better understanding as opposed to just following a prescribed recipe.

Participants will also gain access to my collection of Shibori / Tie Dye Instructional Videos to further supplement your natural dye surface design skills.

This is a recording of a class taught from my outdoor natural dye studio. Demonstration and lessons are the bulk of class with a Q&A at the end. You will receive a materials list, and detailed informational documents. This workshop gains you access to the recording, so you can work at your own pace on your own time.