Indigo Dyeing with the Organic Vat Method at the Georgeson Botanical Garden

Discover the magical properties of indigo, a rich blue dye that has fascinated cultures for centuries. Guided by experienced natural dye artist and facilitator Blaine Lunsford, you will delve into the secrets of creating an indigo vat, learning about the chemistry and techniques behind this ancient dyeing process. Through hands-on exploration, you’ll have the opportunity to transform an organic cotton shawl into a work of art, as you dip, immerse, and witness the alchemy of indigo dye on textiles.

Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned dyer, this workshop offers a space to ignite your creativity, connect with community, and leave with a deep appreciation for indigo’s timeless allure.

There will be an education session prior to beginning (and continuous information throughout the workshop!) This will include going over local natural dye plants both wild and cultivated and a walk through the dye garden with a focus on Indigofera tinctoria and Persicaria tinctoria aka, Indian Indigo and Japanese Indigo!

About your instructor: Blaine Lunsford of The Woven Boreal

Blaine has worked with natural dyes for over 8 years as well as dyers from around the world. She weaves storytelling, the science of play, and indigenous epistemology into her workshops, inviting an atmosphere centered around ecology, relationship to the land, plant connection and artistic expression. Blaine has taught workshops in the summers in Fairbanks over the years, visiting from Canada. She officially moved to Alaska last year and works in community arts. As a facilitator, she is passionate about creating accessible containers for folks to learn about natural dyeing to utilize learned skills and techniques at home.

Find her on instagram at @thewovenboreal

The class will include an introduction about Indigo’s rich textile history, the plant itself, and the chemistry behind creating an indigo dye vat. Participants will learn how to create an Indigo Vat using the 1-2-3 indigo dye method, a refined popular technique used by many fiber artisans and indigo dye masters.

Each participant will get their own 100% organic cotton mull scarf to turn into a piece of wearable art.

How the workshop will run:

1. Participants will fold and bind their fabric using shibori inspired techniques, methods and tools. This is a resisit dye method creating stunning geometrical patterns, both abstract and structured.
2. After everyone has created their resist dye blank, it is time to dip it into the organic indigo vat. We will do two to four total dips, all about 10-15 minutes each with a 10 minute oxidation period with the textiles removed from the VAT. In between these dips, watch your fabric change through this oxidation process adjusting the color from yellow to green to turquoise, to deep blue, in a matter of moments.
3. After the final dip into the vats, students will unveil their creations, revealing fractals and shapes of intense beauty, reflecting one-of-a-kind creations unique to each artist’s process.

All textiles are provided and prepped beforehand with a process called scouring to ensure lasting binding dyes on the fiber. Care instructions will be provided.

This workshop typically runs about 3-3.5 hours, however plan for some extra time just in case some steps take longer depending on the groups needs.

Minimum Number of participants: 7

Maximum Number of participants: 12

Location: The Georgeson Botanical Gardens in Fairbanks, Alaska

Contact: Blaine Lunsford, blainerene@gmail.com

This class is pre-registration only due to the material based nature of the workshop.