Intuitive Indigo Dyeing
Intuitive Indigo Dyeing
DARTMOOR, DEVON
A special one day course, learning everything about the indigo fructose vat
from Babs’ creative studio and residence in the heart of Dartmoor.
A morning learning the simplest process for setting up a fructose vat, using just three natural ingredients.
Followed by an afternoon understanding the practices for getting the best results from your vat, intuitively.
Date: Friday May 9th
Time: 10am-4pm (Lunch break 1-2pm)
Location: Southcombe Cottage, Widecombe In The Moor, Newton Abbot, Devon. TQ13 7TU.
Prices:
Early Bird: £145.00 (Until Feb 14th)
Standard: £160.00
(Includes fabrics, dye materials, tea/coffee/biscuits)
PAYMENT PLANS:
Payment plans are available at check-out, if you sign up for a Klarna account, which is pretty quick and easy to do.
Otherwise, please email hello@botanicalinks.com to arrange a payment plan, using direct bank transfers or credit card payments online.
Description: In this workshop you will gain the skills to set up and use your own indigo vat using a simple recipe of just 3 natural ingrediants - organic indigo, lime and fructose. You will dye cotton fabrics and use Shibori resist-dye techniques to create beautiful repeat patterns.
The intention of this day-long course is that you will understand how to set up and use your own indigo vat from your own home in future.
We will break for 1 hour to take lunch at the local Cafe On The Green (price not included), or you are welcome to bring your own packed lunch to enjoy in the cottage or garden.
What to bring: Wear something you dont mind getting messy or an apron and gloves to avoid blue stained hands. You may like to have a note book and pen or a camera to take notes and visual references. An instructional PDF will be emailed to you after class so that you do not need to takes notes during class and can simply be present with the process. Optional packed lunch or money for the cafe (cash or card).
Botanical Dyes books will be available to purchase and have signed on the day along with other items from the Botanical Inks naturally dyed goods collection - bring cash or cards for payments.
The morning will be spent learning how to create an indigo fructose vat with just 3 simple natural ingrediants: Organic indigo extract, lime and fructose.
We will go to our wonderful local Cafe on the Green for lunch, a short 10 min walk or 2 min drive from here. (Lunch not included in price).
In the afternoon you will learn how to dye with indigo to get the best dye results and work with layering the dye to deepen the colour, along with some Shibori resist-dye pattern making techniques.
Babs will share her best practise skills and tips to help you get the most from the indigo vat.
We will work with organic unbleached cotton to layer the dye to get a range of different blues and you will dye a set of colour swatches as a record of your journey, to keep and take away.
A collection of larger pieces of the cloth will be provided for you to practice using the indigo vat with Shibori techniques to make beautiful resist patterns, which you can keep and use for your own creative projects, such as cushion covers, tea towels and drawstring bags etc.
*** There is also the option to add on an additional session after this class, to practice what you have leanred and to dye something special of your own or work on a creative project with bespoke guidance from Babs - please email for more details. ***
These techniques are found in Babs Behan's book "Botanical Dyes" (Quadrille books 2024) and ones which she practices professionally from her Botanical Inks natural dye studio, to create a range of naturally dyed garments and accessories - available to purchase online at www.botanicalinks.com. Follow @Botanicalinks on instagram for the latest collections.
Signed copies of the book will be available to purchase on the day along with a collection of handmade items.
