This workshop is for those who love Persicaria tincoria and for many who grow them. Michel will explore this indigo plant demonstrating a rare method using dried leaves of Persicaria to start a dye vat. In addition, he will cover how to obtain indigo pigment/dye from fresh Persicaria leaves by water extraction method, and how to make a dye vat with a quick method using the compost form of this plant. Based on the time of year of this event and the timing of Persicaria harvesting, Michel will also discuss how woad can be supplemental as it behaves the same way.
Persicaria tincoria*, previously Polygonum tinctoria is commonly, erroneously called Japanese indigo. It was already in use in the Western Zhou period (1045 – 771 BC) in China and was the most important blue dye in East Asia until the arrival of Indigofera from the south. It is uncertain when the plant reached the Japanese archipelago. There are other indigo plants found growing and being used for blue dye in Japan including Strobilanthes cusia in Okinawa.
Saturdays, 11 & 18 September, 2021 | 9:00 – 12:00 PST/ 18:00 – 21:00 France
ZOOM Webinar | Slow Fiber Studios ANNEX | 1825 8th St. Berkeley, CA
The workshop will take place on two Saturdays, 3 hours each on 11 and 21 September 2021 with a week in between to experiment with your own indigo persicaria tinctoria dye vat and compost. (fill in details) Students will receive the manual, Students’ Prep & Info Sheet, Q&A Sheet, and access to all recordings for six months.
Our international workshops are taught virtually and will be streamed through Zoom webinar. A small group of fully vaccinated participants will be welcomed at the SFS Annex in Berkeley with indigo vats for their use. You can bring your own laptop, and the Annex will have a large monitor as well as a staff with a camera capturing participants/ work to show to the instructor.
The workshop cost is $350. The materials you will need are detailed in the Student’s Prep & Info Sheet.
Recordings from both sessions, all documents and PowerPoint presentations will be shared with the class for review and to accommodate students in different time zones. During the week of the two sessions, you will be given assignments and may use an online Google Form to ask questions, which will be answered and added to a Q&A document that will be shared with all students.
Also, you will be invited to a PRIVATE Facebook group “SFS Indigo & Shibori Workshop” to share images of your work and exchange comments.
