White on Blue: Organic Indigo and Resist Printing with Tasha Miller Griffith
Discover the ancient magic of the organic indigo vat, where blue pigment lies waiting in yellow liquid, turning fabric green, and then blue, in the air. Indigo is one of the best-known and longest-lasting natural dyes, discovered independently by cultures around the world. In the workshop, a vat will be setup using all natural ingredients. Students will learn to cut stencils and make small screens that will be used to screen-print resist pastes that resist the indigo dye for a wide variety of white-on-blue designs. Students will leave this workshop with all the skills needed to prepare fabrics, make their own indigo vat, and continue creating new stencils and designs to their heart's content. Working with natural dyes is a great way to reclaim a sense of place and individuality in clothing and textiles, as well as a more sustainable craft practice. Students will be able to use the tools and processes from this workshop almost anywhere as they continue their own explorations of natural color.
Students will need to bring comfortable clothes and shoes they don't mind getting dye on and/or an apron; rubber gloves; one or two old plain terry cloth bath towels; and four to six light-colored, small fabric items to dye and print on as time permits, such as scarves or bandanas, pillowcases, dish towels, or smaller cuts of fabric for later projects. These should be made of cellulose fiber (cotton, linen, hemp, etc.) and should not include synthetic fiber content. New and used/thrifted items both work well. Items students feel free to play and experiment with work best. Please note that the fabric items students want to dye should be as clean as possible, ideally scoured. Further information regarding this will be sent via email prior to the workshop.
Date & Time
Saturday, May 30th from 9 am to 4 pm (with a one-hour lunch break) and Sunday, May 31st from 9 am to 12 pm
Skill Level
Beginner
Material Fee
In addition to the workshop registration fee, a material fee of $40.00 is payable to the instructor at the start of the workshop. The material fee covers all dyes and ingredients, plus materials and tools for making small screens and stencils. Students will take home their screens, stencils, and other small tools, plus a handout covering the techniques learned.
About the Instructor
At her core, Tasha believes that making things by hand empowers people to live more joyfully and thoughtfully. She grew up in a family of makers and tinkerers, has been drawn to textiles of all kinds since she was very small, and is always trying to figure out what makes things work. In her classes, she works to build a deep understanding of concepts through hands-on experimentation in a warm and inspiring environment. A Flagstaff native, Tasha teaches nationally at folk schools and fiber arts events, and writes for Taproot and PLY magazines.
Workshop Refund & Cancellation Policy
Artwork Credit: Work in second photo by student Patti Lentz. Work in third photo by student Lindsey Alvorez.