Workshop: Indigo Dyeing & Shibori Techniques

As early as more than 5,000 years ago, our ancestors in India, East Asia and Egypt, as well as probably the Maya, used the blue dye derived from the Indigofera Tinctoria plant to dye their clothes. Nowadays, the production of synthetic indigo had almost completely replaced the naturally derived indigo dye from the Indigofera plant on the world market. Today, there are very few producers that offer natural indigo dyed products, such as jeans to their customers.

Join us on a journey to revive the naturally derived indigo for making our own clothes! During the workshop you will be introduced to the history and art of indigo and shibori techniques – a Japanese dyeing method that creates astonishing patterns on your fabrics. You will learn how to dye with indigo different types of textiles, such as cotton, linen, or silk. Every piece will tell a unique story!

All our materials are sourced from organic origins, meaning they will not harm your skin, and will cause minimum impact to the environment.

Your guide through this workshop is Elze van der Hart, founder of a sustainable fashion startup NOORD LOOM. Elze is a fashion artisan with a wealth of knowledge gained over a decade of experience in the industry. This workshop isn’t just a class; it’s a part of a larger vision to inspire and empower you with sustainable fashion practices rooted in the wisdom of color artisans, who passed their knowledge to us. Join us in this creative workshop and craft your very own textiles, one thread at a time.

For more workshops in this series check out our Summer Courses here.

Optional: you may also purchase at location or bring your own bigger piece of fabric that you can use for making an accessory, such as silk bandana. Or perhaps you wish to bring an old blouse or a T-Shirt that you wish to dye with natural Indigo! Fabric needs to be white or natural color (undyed) and from natural fibers, such as cotton or silk.