Organic Indigo Vats and Shibori
Indigo is a dye used in many cultures throughout the world.Indigo is a magical and mysterious dye with lots of stories and folklore about it. We will learn how to make three organic indigo vats with fruits ( bananas, pears and dates). We will also learn to make an iron vat for darker blues. We will study about how to maintain the vats, revive them and put them to sleep.
Shibori is a dye resist technique perfect to use with Indigo. It has been highly developed in Japan and India. We will use shibori techniques on cotton, hemp, linen and wool to help us learn about indigo. Shibori is a dye resist technique that leaves a memory on the cloth. Arashi shibori on poles,Itajime or fold and clamp shibori, and Nui Shibori done with stitching will be practised. The results are amazing !
“The highest form of research is play” – Albert Einstein
Organic Indigo Vats and Shibori material fee of $45 will be collected by the instructor (not included in the tuition and lodging total).
About the Instructor – Sara Burnett
Graduated from Boston University in 1963 in Philosophy. Later in 1968 went to Empire State College, while living in Rochester, New York and got a degree in Weaving. For this degree I studied at RIT, with master weaver, Ruth Holroyd, and at The Rochester Folk Art Guild. Since then I have continued to study, through workshops and classes in spinning, weaving, natural dyeing, felting ,knitting, eco printing and shibori. I live I live right next door to the Folk Art Guild in Middlesex, New York. I have taught classes in spinning, many kinds of felting, natural dyeing, knitting and shibori. My husband and I also sponsor master teachers who come to Canandaigua and teach felting, natural dyeing, and shibori, Katazome, Indigo Dyeing, Kyuchechi and more. We have had artists from Japan, Germany, England, Canada and the US come and teach. Some of the have been : John Marshall, Michelle Whipplinger, Inge Bauer, Joan Morris, Charllotte Kwon, Jorie Johnson and Elin Noble . With each teacher I have increased skills in my area of interests.
I teach various fiber arts classes. These are some classes I have taught:
Felting in Canandaigua, New York from 1990-2010 – We made, bags, nuno felt garments, hats, scarves and large rugs.
Natural Dyeing and Shibori in Canandaigua , New York – Working solely with natural dyes we learned the Japanese techniques of Arashi shibori, Makume, Orinui, and Fold and Clamp. Handspinning using a spinning wheel to learn how to spin many breeds of sheep wool, silks, cashmere, yak and much more.
Felting and natural dyeing at Augusta Heritage Workshops 2008-2011
Felting, Natural dyeing and Shibori at The Rhinebeck Sheep and Wool Festival 2009-2012
Apprenticeships at my home in Middlesex for Weaving, Spinning and Natural Dyeing 2014-2023