JOIN US FOR A FUN AND INFORMATIVE WORKSHOP

As you watch the dye oxidize on the textile as it is exposed to air after submersion in the dye vat, you will witness the alchemy. It is like no other dye, and will reward you with a gorgeous blue textile. You will learn a little history of indigo and be immersed in this engaging process. We will make an indigo dye vat, and experiment with various simple shibori and tie dye techniques using a variety of fibers. You will leave with some pieces to wear.

Jill Rounds has a long history of working with Natural Dyes. She began her experimentations at an early age, collecting plant materials and using them to dye fabrics, which she used to make clothing. She taught classes to a variety of students. In the late 1970ʼs, she was contracted to create an exhibit at the new wing of the Science Museum of Minnesota featuring these dyes. She traveled to Chiapas, Mexico in conjunction with the Museum, there she did field research with native dyers. The photo below shows her with Museum staff and an Indigo Dyer in San Cristobal de las Casas. Jill continues to offer workshops to share her passion for Natural Dyes.

Indigo is an unusual and mysterious dye in that it is not a process of heating the plant material to extract color, but rather involves reducing the dye vat via chemistry and then subsequently, oxidation.