Natural Indigo Dyeing Workshop

08/06/2024 - 10:00 AM - 04:00 PM

Tutor: Amy Neville, Naturally Useful
When: Saturday 8th June 2024
Time: 10am to 4pm
Cost: £25 members, £35 non-members. Optional extra: £10 for pack of swatches (see below)
Where: Glachbeg Croft Centre, North Kessock, IV1 3XD
Directions: https://glachbeg.org.uk/glachbeg/background/
To book: Workshop booking form on Highland Guild website – submit before 11th May 2024

What to expect:
This will be a taster day for beginners/ improvers … to see and experience the process and results of indigo dyeing using the Shibori technique.

Amy will demonstrate how to mix and prepare the indigo starter paste and take you through the steps of the recipe for a soda ash and Thiox vat.

Recipe and notes will be supplied but please also bring your own preferred method of recording, such as a note pad, camera etc.

Amy will explain a little about vat choices – using fructose, iron, madder or urine, for example – and supply a list of books and online resources for those who wish to delve deeper.

Whilst waiting for the vat to be ready, you will tie up some samples of fabric and yarns and be shown how to prepare fibres for the vat, by soaking them in warm water. This tying process, the Shibori technique, will give different patterns.

You will then take it in turns to dye the prepared fabrics, yarns and fibres in the vat. The dye process involves some waiting whilst in the vat, and again in between dips whilst the items are hung in the air to react with the oxygen and change colour.

You can expect to go home with a variety of samples and experiments, lots of notes and photos or video clips, knowledge to give you confidence to try at home and hopefully a lot of enthusiasm for indigo.

You will be working outside in an open-sided barn, so dress for the weather. Please bring your own lunch and drink; we will have access to the kitchen for making hot drinks.

What to bring:

• Swatches of 100% natural fabrics, yarns or fibres, such as cotton, linen, silk, wool, and mohair. If you are bringing yarn, please bring in hank form. No more than about 50g in total.
• Please wash / scour and dry anything you’d like to bring along which is brand new as it may be coated in starches which would affect its ability to soak up the dye.
• Please weigh and record what you’d like to bring whilst dry and bring it along dry.
• Camera / notepad.
• Washing up gloves, apron and mask.
• Any spare beads, buttons, and screws, to provide the dye resist Shibori effect.
• Refreshments and warm clothing.

The £10 optional extra:
For an additional £10 per person, Amy will put together a pack of swatches of materials for dyeing. This will include cotton, linen and silk fabric, and cotton, wool and silk yarns.
If you would like to arrange this, please indicate on the booking form in the “Do you need to borrow equipment?” section, and pay when you book.