Learn to make a variety of personal natural indigo vats without worrying about toxicity or cost of heavy chemicals! These vats use a natural chemical reduction process to produce a quick, reliable, long-lasting indigo blue. I’ll provide a brief overview of indigo’s historical highlights and chemical quirks, and guide you through making a natural reduction vat. We’ll explore simple resist techniques to produce pattern on fabric and thread. Finally, we’ll cover care and maintenance of the vats and give you the option to take one home.

Slow stitching, the meditative art of hand sewing, is a chance to relax and enjoy the rhythmic dance of needle and thread as we construct a charming needle keeper using new and vintage fabrics, basic stitching, and simple shapes. We’ll enjoy a cup of tea or coffee, a treat or two, and the company of like-minded souls.

Let’s continue the pollinator series with a hummingbird motif. Using a vintage handkerchief as the base and a variety of applique and surface embroidery, we’ll make a pieced and stitched image of a hummingbird suitable for a wall hanging or addition to other surfaces such as bags or garments.