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Wearing a scarf ALL OF THE TIME!

The air is crisp, and twinkle lights are out all around the city lighting up the dark nights. True winter means you’re wearing a scarf ALL THE TIME! So, why not rock an indigo-dyed infinity scarf! Perfect for keeping the chill off.

All I Want For Christmas Is…..Deep Into Indigo!

Are you wishing that Santa helps you get your Christmas wish of a hot summer weekend of indigo dyeing in 2018, but want to know a little more first?
Here are some FAQs about the retreat:

 

Q: Can I bring my own fabric to dye?
YES!  While the retreat price includes all your materials, including fabric, tools, and access to prepared dye vats, you can bring whatever you want (as long as it’s natural fiber) to prep and dye during the retreat.

Q: Will I learn how to prepare different types of indigo vats?
YES! Jen will demonstrate how to do both natural and synthetic vats.

Q: What is included in the cost of the retreat?
Deep Into Indigo is an all-inclusive retreat. That means you get your lodging, meals (including wine and cocktails), instruction and all indigo dyeing supplies & tools. You can bring your own fabric, but only if you want to.

 

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Itajime

I recently acquired a box full of itajime blocks.  I plan to have them available at the Deep Into Indigo Retreat.  The Retreat is a blast.  This year, to ensure our sanity, we have decided to ask for a $150 deposit due by January 30th.  If we get 10 people by then, the Retreat will run.  If not, we are going to focus on other events. But we reeeeeally want the Retreat to run.  So if you plan to wait until the last possible minute to register, that minute is coming up really soon.

You don’t need access to acrylic blocks to make gorgeous work, simple rubber bands will do the job very nicely. Itajime is a very simple, yet beautiful and sophisticated technique. Like all shibori techniques, it has a bajillion possible variations.

First you accordion or fan fold your fabric.  Then you do it again. I like to use a triangle fold but you could totally use a square or rectangle. My favorite triangle fold is the equilateral triangle. You make it using a fold and a flip.

As you fold it, you need to go on as you began…finally that advice makes sense to me. Meaning, if your first fold is away from you, after you flip it, all of the folds need to go away from you.  Not that “away from you” is the only way, any way is right as long as you are consistent.  Now, that’s some good advice.

It’s easier to show than to tell, though, so I made a quick video about it.  It’s less than two minutes long.

Once you have made your triangle bundle, you get to pick how to place your resists and which resists to use.  This is also half the fun.  Every slight variation you make in where you put it, will totally change the look of your pattern.  Mighty cool.

Let me know if you have questions about the technique or the Deep Into Indigo Retreat.  Happy dyeing!

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Botanical Colors FTW

Thanks to Kathy Hattori from Botanical Colors for sharing the chemicals for three different kinds of organic indigo vats at the Deep Into Indigo Retreat. I attended a workshop day in her studio in the spring and I learned so much.  She’s really awesome; generous with her expertise, time and supplies.

 

For starters, you gotta hydrate that indigo before it goes into the vat.  The directions often call for shaking it in a jar with water and marbles but a whisk is just easier and works as well.

Henna vat samples. Both had one dip. The one one the left was tested on the first day, the one on the right was dipped the second day. Henna vats work best a few days after they’re made.

We made an iron vat, a henna vat and a fructose vat.  Like most things I get into, I made lots of really awesome messes and mistakes.

But that didn’t slow us down at all.

Here’s a dip from the iron vat.

To see if the dye is ready, you check under the flower to see if it’s clear and not at all blue-ish.

We put our fabric in stainless steel baskets to keep it from getting stained by the sludge at the bottom.  Also, the liquid was hot and we didn’t want to keep our hands in there.

Oops.  Here’s my favorite mistake of the weekend.  I made a fructose vat. I tripled the recipe but didn’t triple the container size so it made a pretty awesome mess.  Like a kid’s volcano experiment but deeply blue!

I scraped it into the vat and it still worked. Just a little unexpected adventure. And, yes, I did give myself a blue mustache.

There was definitely an “Organic Vat Posse” among the participants.  I also had some pre-reduced indigo crystals from Dharma Trading Company for people to dye with but these ladies were super into the organic vats.

The whole process of using organic vats is really enticing.  It smells way better too.

You can learn more about it on the Botanical Colors website.  Like I said, Kathy is very generous with her knowledge and, along with really high quality dye stuff, her website is chock full of tutorials and advice.

Haley Hundt took all of these gorgeous pictures.  She did such a fantastic job!!

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Sponsor: Suite 101

Get to know the Deep Into Indigo Retreat Sponsors!

We have a few and really want to thank them and ask you to check them out.  They are all super awesome and have so much to offer!

I met Teresa Kim of Suite 101, a couple of years ago. She’s a calming, authentic and very talented enabler of creativity.  Her paintings are beautiful and really thoughtfully made.

She offers classes – I’ve been to some and they are the bomb diggity.  She’s super warm and generous and supportive.

Teresa is painting a series of her gorgeous etegami paintings for us and there will be one in every gift bag at The Deep Into Indigo Retreat.

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Sponsor: Quilt Basket n’ Creations

Get to know the Deep Into Indigo Retreat Sponsors!

We have a few and really want to thank them and ask for you to check them out.  They are all super awesome and have so much to offer!

We are huge fans of Quilt Basket n’ Creations.  It’s local to Viroqua and we hope everyone joining is stops by to shop. We just walked in off the street last year and asked Carol, the owner, to sponsor the retreat and she was super open and welcoming.

QBNC has loads of fabric and notions..I’m a sucker for notions and pick something up every time we stop by.

They have sponsored the Deep Into Indigo Retreat with a bolt of sexy linen-cotton blend.  It was the belle of the ball at last year’s retreat.

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Sponsor: Botanical Colors

Get to know the Deep Into Indigo Retreat Sponsors!

We have a few and really want to thank them and ask for you to check them out.  They are all super awesome and have so much to offer!

I was lucky enough to go out to Seattle to learn from Kathy Hattori of Botanical Colors last spring. My luggage never arrived and she was especially nice to me considering  I stunk and wore the same clothes for three days straight.

I’ve been aware of her and have shopped from her for years.  They carry many different kinds of natural dyes in addition to indigo. Check them out and tell them Jennifer sent you.  🙂

Kathy publishes Feedback Friday on their blog when they answer customer’s questions and also share many tutorials for free on how to use their various dyes.

She’s incredibly generous (both in person and online) with her knowledge and resources.  Also with the Deep Into Indigo Retreat, she is sharing chemicals for us to experiment with three different kinds of organic vats!  Thank you, Kathy and Botanical Colors.  They are awesome!

 

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Sponsor: Lynn’s of Madison

Get to know the Deep Into Indigo Retreat Sponsors!

We have a few and really want to thank them and ask for you to check them out.  They are all super awesome and have so much to offer!

The first time I walked in to Lynn’s in Madison WI, I fell in love.  It’s like a store made for textile loving, multi media, stitching artists.  There’s a fabulous supply of perle cotton, wool, linen and every kind of fancy pants thread you would want, painting supplies, gelli plates, print making stuff, books and many, many things that I’m not thinking of tight now to fuel your creativity.  Also, they frame art for you.  I just really dig it there.

The people who work there are lovely too.  They are sponsoring the Deep Into Indigo Retreat with a tasty bag of threads and beads for us to play with.

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Sponsor: Blue Bar Quilts

Get to know the Deep Into Indigo Retreat Sponsors!

We have a few and really want to thank them and ask for you to check them out.  They are all super awesome and have so much to offer!

Blue Bar Quilts is a brand spanking new and totally awesome quilt shop in Middleton WI.  They have a huuuuuge variety of fabrics, a giant classroom and (get ready for it) A DYE STUDIO!!!!!!!

They also carry my indigo dyed batiked and shibori-ed fat quarters and half yards in the front of the store.  They have my tunics, dresses and shirts in their consignment gallery.  They let me teach classes there too.  They just do everything right.  🙂

They have a super busy class schedule with a huge variety of classes and just…everything a quilter or sewing person could need.  They also happen to be super friendly, open, supportive people.

They’ve been kind enough to sponsor the Deep Into Indigo Retreat with my favorite quilting cotton to dye with: Moda Bella PFD.

And, yes, they do have an online store so you can order from them where ever you happen to be.

 

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Sponsor: The Regal Find

Get to know the Deep Into Indigo Retreat Sponsors!

We have a few and really want to thank them and ask for you to check them out.  They are all super awesome and have so much to offer!

The Regal Find in downtown Middleton, WI is a cute, charming, welcoming, warm, delightful, sweet, gift shop (There are truly not enough descriptors in the sentence…it’s a really awesome spot).

They happen to carry some of my indigo dyed pieces there.  Specifically, they have my cute little dainty things like baby stuff (hats, sockies, onseies), ‘kerchiefs and dishtowels, scarves and doggies shirts.

They also carry lots of fabulous gifty things with WI themes, sassy sayings and great taste and humor.  They offer creative workshops for kids and adults.  We really have many of the same priorities: creativity, fun and good food; they are attached to Bloom Bake Shop!

The sweet owner, Jessica Regele, is sending us gifts for our gift baskets: every retreat attendee gets one!

You really need to check this place out.

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Two Days Of Early Bird!

TWO DAYS LEFT!! For Deep Into Indigo Retreat Early Bird Pricing. Come and play with us. You’ll learn how to dye with indigo, shibori and batik as well as just have fun and chill with creative women.