the workroom Sprucedale invites you to join an immersive weekend of Indigo surface design techniques and skills in the Almaguin Highlands. 

Missing Link Adventure Tours and Santosha Farm are the accommodation and catering partners for the workroom's retreat weekends.
 
Attendees will spend the weekend dyeing in our Historic General Store second floor studio. Julie Sinden will guide participants through this Indigo Immersive Weekend, exploring the magical world of dyeing with indigo - the natural dye world's only source of true and colourfast blue.  

Using indigofera tinctoria, the most potent of the indigo bearing species, we will create several different types of vats such as fructose, henna and iron, and explore the differences between them.  

We will also explore two surface design techniques that go wonderfully with indigo - shibori and clay resist.  

  • In the shibori segment, students will learn how to bind, fold, stitch and manipulate fabric to create pattern using both traditional and modern methods, and with the luxury of time, should be able to complete more complicated pieces, such as stitched shibori, than would be possible in a one day class.  
  • For the clay resist segment, we will create a clay paste which is uniquely formulated to remain intact in an indigo vat, but which simply washes off with water after dyeing.  We will apply it to our cloth using brushes, stencils and stamps and it will act as a resist, resulting in gorgeous patterns of white and blue.

Surface design supplies and fabric kit options are provided and included with fees.
Students will have their choice of a set of 6 napkins, tea towels or fat quarters to work with and dye in this workshop. 

To maximize your experience, space is limited to eight attendees for this event.

Indigo Immersive Weekend : Sprucedale : Friday September 27 - Sunday – the workroom

WHAT’s Included

- Indigo Immersive workshop with Julie Sinden
- supplies for indigo vat, clay resist, stencils and stamps to use in class
- a set of six napkins, tea towels or fat quarters to work on and dye. More will be available to purchase.
- 10% off all purchases at *the workroom* over the weekend
- Farm stay at Santosha Farm Lodge - shared rooms with 2-3 people
- Six meals based on seasonal ingredients from the farm
- Use of the workroom Sprucedale Sewing Studio, sewing machines, presser feet, sergers and equipment during the weekend