Fresh Leaf Indigo Extraction with Graham Keegan

We are almost out of winter and I’m still trying to catch up with all my travels from last summer. Better late then never I guess?!

One of the best classes I signed up for last summer was a fresh leaf indigo dyeing with Graham Keegan at the Marshfield School of Weaving.

I’ve always been fascinated with the color of indigo, as I’m sure many would agree with me. But the process of working with Indigo also intimidated me. There are so many rules, different types of vats, chemicals and what’s with all the different names?

Walking up to the Marshfield School of Weaving, was like walking into a dream. Mountain views, fields of bright green grass dotted with cows, endless flower gardens and a big old barn housing huge looms. The sound of weavers beating the looms and the happy chatter within. I walk around thinking to myself, “one day, my life will look like this. One day I’ll find a way to a place like THIS”

We started the class with a short demonstration and the basics of processing the raw leaves of the indigo plant into what actually turns your fabrics that gorgeously addicting blue color.

Learning this process is for the purposes of starting your own indigo vat from scratch. It is both mesmerizing and magical to watch a green liquid turn blue right before your eyes.

Then we moved to learning the art of Shibori, which is a process of folding and blocking pieces of fabric and dyeing them to create beautiful patterns.

My first piece is the stripped one in the middle. This was such a fun process to learn and not anything I am devoted to learning like basketry, so it was wonderful just to have the freedom and relaxation to create something just for the pure joy of it.

Since the class ran for two days I booked a room at my friend Justin’s House in Newbury, VT. Justin is a wonderful host and rents out rooms in his historic home on Airbnb HERE!

It’s like stepping back in time when you stay at his house and I was amazed at the history and attention to detail that Justin puts into everything down to matching the type and color of paint originally used in the home. With the windows wide open all night I could hear the crickets and feel the cool Vermont air. We picked some fresh blackberries for breakfast in the morning and I headed back to Marshfield for the second day.

On the second day it was raining all day, but what an idyllic Vermont day. Big warm rain drops made the green that much greener and the blue in our patterns that much bluer. The large doors of the bar sheltered us from the rain as we continued to try new types of patterns and talk about weaving, indigo, dyes and all those amazing topics you discuss among weavers. The sounds of the rain hitting metal pots and bowls is forever in my mind.

We were able to purchase some fabric to dye something of our choosing. A few of the ladies and myself decided to split a pieces of fabric to make ourselves some indigo scarves. In the bowl below is my scarf rinsing before I untied the many little bundles of fabric I made to create a pattern of open circles.

It was such a lovely experience to be part of a class that is totally outside of what I normally do. At one point I had a fellow classmate and New Jerseyite dipping my ponytail into the indigo Vat that Graham had prepared. I was beaming from such a lovely two days as I drove home with wet hair and a lump of still wet indigo dyed fabrics on the floor of my car.

It was another learning experience that regardless of the topic, I count as one of the most valuable lessons I learned in my life. Will I ever grow my own indigo and process it to use in a vat, perhaps not or perhaps yes! Either way my heart and mind was fulfilled, and I walked home with a little more knowledge and a few more friends.