Offered:  Date TBA
Location: Commonweal Garden
Instructor: Rebecca Burgess

After many requests, the first Indigo class is being offered!

The blues of indigo where brought to North America during colonial times.  Many homesteads had a vat of fermenting dye placed near their hearth, allowing for the consistent access to the deep and beautiful hues of the indigo plant.

In our one-day class we will cover the process of creating a traditional fermentation vat.  We will work with freshly harvested indigo, in one of its many stages, as it ferments and is processed into indigo balls, for our year-round use.

This will be a community focused class, where we will collectively process the plant matter.  We will also do individual dye work on an assortment of local materials.  You will leave with an indigo dyed wool roving and yarns, plus some samples of other fabrics.

Read more about the Fiber Arts track of RDI's Re-Skilling series!

Workshop Instructor: Rebecca Burgess

Rebecca is a fifth-generation Marin resident who graduated from UC Davis in art history and nature and culture. While in the central valley, she spent time studying at DQ Native American University. Searching for art outside the academic canon, she found a Native American basket weaver.  The artistry, ecology, and function of the native baskets became her inspiration.  While traveling throughout the United States and Asia she found remnants of ecologically focused textile art traditions.  Through each investigation she became increasingly inspired to begin a local tradition within her own bio-region. Ecological Arts was born in 2004: an organization dedicated to creating, reviving, and teaching art forms that use resources to promote thriving eco-systems.  Read more about Rebecca.

Workshop Fees

Class size is limited - register early!
$95 registration