Blue Mondays with Rebecca Zicarelli

Join Rebecca Zicarelli for an eight-week immersion into the fascinating world of indigo dyeing.  Classes are on Mondays starting June 3rd and ending July 22nd.  Each session runs from 10-2 at Valentine Farm. During each session, you will make a take-home project. Each class is limited to 12 participants. Take all 8 sessions for $300. Or, pick and choose the topics that meet your needs for $75 per session. 

Course Schedule

Week 1 (6/3) : How to set an indigo vat using the indigo grown at Valentine Farm last summer. Fold and dye a shibori to take home. Scour fabric for use in the next class.

Week 2 (6/10): Using the scoured fabric from the previous week, we'll apply mordants, tannins, and soy binders to fabric in preparation for the red workshop.

Week 3 (6/17): Dye the prepared fabrics with red dyes - cochineal, madder root, and possibly fresh indigo roots.

Week 4 &5 (6/24 & 7/1): Two weeks focusing on the different techniques to use with fresh indigo; stenciling, smoothies, pigment extractions, drying indigo, and extracting the red and yellow dyes.

Week 6 (7/8): Yellows. We will forage for goldenrod, extract the pigment, and dye prepared fabrics.

Week 7 (7/15): Learn about making and using applied resists, rice paste, clay pastes, and/or wax.

Week 8 (7/22): Learn how to get blacks and dark browns using tannins, irons, and soot.