Take a deep dive into the joys of creating your very own botanical blue from plant to textile. If you are an indigo grower, or contemplating growing your own, this course will walk you through how to reap your precious botanical blue in a multitude of ways. The first portion of class will cover the process of ‘Fresh Leaf Indigo Dyeing’ or direct indican dyeing. I will demonstrate 2 distinct methods of fresh leaf indigo dyeing (I am growing Japanese indigo -or- ‘persicaria tinctoria’ , but this process will also work with tropical indigo plant species like ‘Indigofera’ ) to dye silk, wool, and even cellulose fibers like cotton and linen. Fresh indigo colors of aqua and turquoise are perhaps my favorite hues possible from any plant! You will learn many tips and tricks I have gleaned from 8 years of cultivating and experimenting with this very special dye plant. You’ll also learn what to do with leftover fresh leaf dye and how to squeeze every last coloring drop out of indigo leaves and how it is also possible to create tones of pink, purple, green and yellow all from this one plant!

The second portion of class will focus on Indigo Pigment Extraction from fresh plants. This more complicated process will be demonstrated in full from garden leaves to dry pigment, showing step by step how to most effectively create your own shelf stable homegrown blue pigment that can then be used at any time to make indigo ink, paint, watercolors, and of course used to make an indigo vat for dyeing textiles. I will also discuss a direct vatting method (starting with fresh leaves & ending with an indigo vat without having to dry pigment). There’s nothing like extracting your own indigo to contribute to a more holistic understanding of indigo’s distinctly different process and chemistry within the context of natural dyes.

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.