Blue Upon Blue
Make your own indigo designs at the Exploring Indigo Dyeing and Shibori workshop at Townsend Atelier on Sunday, June 2. These most-of-the-day sessions, hosted by teacher and textile artist Aaron Sanders Head, sold out handily during 2018. Seize this chance to learn, craft, and come away with something truly beautiful.
Indigo dye has a history across the world; the indigo color is traditionally derived from the Indigofera plant, which is found from southeast Asia to Japan. In the Americas, indigo was derived from the anil plant; in Europe, dyers’ woad produced the deep blue tones.
Shibori manual dying techniques originated in Japan and include twist-resist and shape-resist approaches, according to the workshop page. Each student at the workshop will be provided with a length of linen, a length of cotton, and access to a vat of plant-derived indigo to experiment. Participants may also bring their own textiles from home to dye.
A popular curator, critic, and visual artist, Aaron Sanders Head’s work “investigates, restores, and reinterprets historical textile practices, with a focus on natural dyes, hand-mending, and hand-stitching,” according to his biography.
Register at townsendatelier.com, then show up on Sunday, June 2 at 10 a.m. at the Townsend Atelier, The Arts Building, 301 East 11th St. here in Chattanooga.