Date: September 13 – 15, 2024 at 9 am – 4 pm each day

Skill Level: No experience necessary

Class Registration Fee: By August 26 2024: $270.00

After August 26, 2024: $300.00

Dive into Indigo and Shibori.  Learn about a fructose reduction vat with organic indigo powder (it takes 3 days to reduce to get the optimal blue, so in this class, your vats will be pre-made).  Participants will be instructed in several techniques of shibori (the resist techniques for patterning their dyed items).  They will be taught what happens with reduction and why it’s necessary for getting the blue of old blue jeans.  It is a fascinating process!  Indigo is the only dye that yields a true-blue color.  It is also one of the few dyes that will work without the use of mordants. Other types of indigo vats will be discussed along with their pros and cons. Participants will apply what they’ve been shown and work on creating shibori patterns on several items, such as napkins, bandannas, and samples of other natural fabrics. Part of the second day and the third day will be our dye days. Students will learn how to safely discard the indigo and have the option of taking home their 3-gallon bucket, with a tight fitting lid provided.

Students need to bring the following supplies:

Apron, Sturdy shoes, basic sewing supplies (scissors, ruler); wear clothes that can get stained.

Materials fee: (To be collected directly from students by instructor in class): $60.00 to supply specialty needles and thread for stitched shibori, marking pencil, masks and gloves for working with powders, and a bucket with a lid with an indigo “starter”.   A variety of scoured fiber items are provided as a kit. Additional supplies (fabric, dye kits and tools) will be available for sale from instructor if students want to continue work outside of class.

Kipp Inglis has been working with textiles for over 50 years.  Her work with natural dyes began 10 years ago.  She lives near Lodi, and has a teaching and working studio in Lodi.