“Into the Blue: Indigo Dyeing Then and Now,” a two-day workshop with Shibori Girl, will be held on Saturday and Sunday, Jan. 21-22, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Japanese American National Museum, First and Central in Little Tokyo, as part of its Lifelong Learning series.
The color of sky and sea, indigo is a gift of nature nourished by earth and sun and rain. Indigo is among the oldest of textile dyes and has been used throughout the world. Today, most indigo dye is synthetic. Shibori Girl has worked with both natural and synthetic indigo. She has visited and worked with one of the few remaining ai-shi (indigo dyers) in Japan who uses traditional dye methods to produce contemporary works.
Day 1 will focus on vat preparation, general information and study of indigo shibori fabrics for design purposes. Afternoon will find participants at the vats test dyeing various fabrics and preparing fabrics for the following day. There will be some homework — mainly stitching as you ready some fabrics for Day 2.
Day 2 will be a full day of dyeing, wondering and learning at the edge of the vats.
Aside from the experience, understanding and a bit of indigo practice, you will come away with a collection of indigo dyed fabrics in various solid shades, ombre dyed pieces, shibori and invented randomly patterned fabric.
You will have the use of three different vats and a variety of fabric types, including cottons, silks, hemp, bamboo, and linen-some new and some vintage. You will also dye some trims and ribbons … and of course some moons.
Cost: $70 per day for members; $90 per day for non-members, with an additional $45 materials fee (cash only) to be collected at the beginning of class. RSVP early, 20 students max.
For more information about Shibori Girl or to see some of her work, go to www.shiborigirlstudios.com.