September 11-15 2023
Linda Zetterman probably knows the most about indigo dyeing in Northern Europe. Her shorter and longer courses in Sweden are quickly fully booked and therefore it is extra exciting that we have attracted her to the beautiful medieval village in Languedoc where textile production and dyeing has been important since the Greeks traded here. In French, the indigo plant is called pastel, and it has a special day in February when it must be sown. Les Bleus, The Blue, is the name of the French national football team and the mulberry trees still grow by the river, so important for the once large silkworm cultivation in the area.
Linda is a teacher and designer with a focus on sustainable textile production and runs the craft studio Boom craft studio in Stockholm together with Sara Carlsson. Linda teaches at the well renowned design and crafts school Capellagården and holds workshops in indigo and natural dyeing with various patterning techniques. Read more at www.lindazetterman.se for info.
During the course week, Linda is accompanied by two assistants so that all participants will receive the best support during the intensive days.
About the course week
We will learn to set natural indigo vats according to the 123 method, with indigo pigments from India.
Together with indigo dyeing, we work with reservation techniques such as shibori and reservation printing in combination with tannins and iron. Participants can try working with traditional rice paste used for Japanese katazome (stencil printing) and with clay paste.
The course is aimed at both those with prior knowledge and those who are curious about indigo for the first time. It will be held in Swedish and English.
There are fabrics in cotton, silk and wool for sale at cost price. You can also order indigo pigments and a starter kit for your own indigo bath. It is also fine to bring your own yarns and fabrics made from natural materials. Indigo pigments and certain sample material are included in the course fee.
An excursion for new impressions is included in the course week, we can decide together what seems most exciting. The Mediterranean sea or the Black mountains, the wine or the Greek salt basins with their oysters, the markets or vide greniers (yard sales) in a neighboring village.
We have room for about 12 participants.
About the place
The course will be held outdoors in the dry and hot September climate. The house we are staying in has plenty of space in the unlikely event of rain. In the garden and the nearby hills, willow, figs and other dyers plants grow for limited experiments. This is the time of the grape harvest, there is still fresh fruits and lots of vegetables in the local markets.
The village is small and boasts several restaurants, two bakeries and a cold swimming river in the middle of the village. Markets are everywhere and you can get to the Mediterranean by car in just under 40 minutes. But once we've landed here, we tend to want to stay.
About the practical
For itineraries ask Birgitta who will assist you in finding the best way to get here.
The course fee of 850 euros including VAT which includes transfer from the train or bus station in Narbonne, 5 course days with a teacher and two assistants, morning and afternoon coffee, excursion to a nearby inspiring place, help to book suitable accommodation and other things in French if you need it. We end the course week with a vernissage.
You can either eat lunch at one of the restaurants or cook it yourself in our large kitchen in the main building. The lunch break is a little longer than at home, a siesta is usually welcome when it is the warmest part of the day.
When registering, you pay a registration fee, you pay the rest on the spot. If you cancel your place after the first of July, we must keep the registration fee.
For accommodation we recommend airbnb or bookings.com. Choose a place in the village of Bize Minervois since public transportation is very, very limited. We have a few bicycles to lend.
Please contact me for any questions and for signing up
birgitta@pedra.se
For questions about the course content, you can contact Linda
linda@lindazetterman.se