Five bedsheets hang on clotheslines on a breezy summer day, surrounded by green grass, shrubs, and trees. The linens are dyed with blue indigo in all kinds of patterns: circles, squiggles, lines, checkers.

I was first introduced to indigo dye at a workshop in Cleveland, OH, where we dipped neatly folded Japanese papers into big buckets of greenish dye. I watched in amazement as we pulled the green soaked papers from the vat and saw them transform into a gorgeous blue, the color of lightly faded denim. It was magical, to say the least.

Even more impressive was the fact that this was not the result of some toxic chemical process. This was a natural phenomenon that involves some simple plants and a little fermentation. I thought, why not share the magic with everyone?!

Art Equals is always looking for ways to share creative opportunities with our neighbors. Hosting an Indigo Dye Party is honestly one of my favorite ways to do so.

Gather a group of people under a big white tent on a warm summer day. Add lots of natural fabric like cotton T-shirts and recycled linen tablecloths, and then watch the magic unfold.

Hang your soaked fabrics on a sunny clothesline to dry in the gentle breeze, and you have the makings of a fantastically beautiful video. Perfect for that viral Instagram!

Indigo dye is easy enough that, with a few simple skills, folks can create works of art as magical as the process itself. And the best part is that even if everything goes opposite of what you intended, it’s still amazing. What you’re left with is a gorgeous color blue that seems to please even the harshest critic.

Last year while creating an indigo dye shirt, one of our folks was asked by a passerby if they could buy their shirt right off the line. The creator declined, but the passerby was really excited and kept offering more and more in exchange for the shirt. Hopefully, that enthusiastic person will join us for one of our events this year.

Our first Indigo Dye Party will happen this Saturday, April 20th on the West Side of Cincinnati during Springfest from 3:30 - 5:30pm at the First Presbyterian Church on McHenry Ave. So, grab some natural fibers like cotton, wool, or linen and join us for some true blue fun!

On two indoor clotheslines hangs a variety of materials that have been dyed with blue indigo. A blue tshirt decorated with circles, scarves with horizontal patterns, a small towel with block designs.

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