Season of Blue Workshop Series with Britt Boles of Seaspell Fiber

Indigo doula Britt Boles is back with an expanded offering: a three part-series on cultivating, fresh processing techniques, and extracting indigo pigment from Japanese Indigo (Persicaria Tinctoria).

Join Britt Boles of Seaspell Fiber, Indigofest, and creator of the global network Indigo Pigment Extraction Methods, for a comprehensive growing season with our dye garden’s favorite blue.  Japanese Indigo is an excellent project for anyone both new and experienced to gardening & naturally dyeing alike. 

Be one of the first 25 to sign up and receive a special gift:

Courtesy of Britt Boles+ 46 North Farm, the first 25 Season of Blue participants will receive Chijimiba seeds, a unique variety of Japanese Indigo. Seed package includes approximately 150+ seeds.  U.S. participants only*

This is an online workshop with downloadable information and a recording of the session included in the price. You can purchase all three classes in the series and get $25 off! Or, sign up for each class individually. You are also welcome to purchase the workshops after they air, and you will receive the recording. The recordings will be available until January 1st, 2026. Please note this is the case even if you purchase the workshops later in the growing season.

What to expect from Season of Blue

Unit 1: Cultivation & Care Live presentation + Q&A on March 29th at 10am-1pm PST. Cultivate your seed source connection with the living blue and maximize the potential of your indigo plants. This unit will cover the history and versatility of Japanese Indigo, the essentials of dye garden planning, indoor seed germination, DIY seedling & potting soil mixes, transplanting, fertilizing and watering schedules, row spacing, harvesting techniques, seed banking, and much more.

Unit 2: Fresh Indigo Five Ways + Live Presentation + Q&A July 19th at 10am-1pm PST. A fan favorite, learn 5 techniques for utilizing your fresh indigo plants, no vat necessary. Minimal tools and minimal processing but maximum potential for a range of fresh blues and even indirubin purples/pinks, we’ll cover: Salt mash method, blender method, tataki-zome method, stenciling with fresh leaves and soy on cellulose techniques. 

Unit 3: Indigo Pigment Processing + Live Presentation Q&A August 23rd at 10am-1pm PST. The ultimate end goal for indigo growers = indigo pigment extraction. Used for vat making or paint/ink/pastels, indigotin is concentrated pigment extracted from fresh plants and is a true labor of love and patience. In this unit we’ll learn harvesting timing, aqueous extraction methods on micro to macro scale, DIY lime calx from shells, and all the best tools and techniques for tools/tanks/decanting/straining/drying/storing to make the most of your precious blue pigment.  

Terms and Conditions

• The purchase of one workshop or unit is for one person’s use and viewing, and you may view multiple times until the link expires on January 1, 2026.  We appreciate your cooperation and understanding.
• All Sales are final and we are unable to provide refunds or exchanges.
• Video access is a video link and not a download.  Link access expires on January 1, 2026.
• Please honor your instructor and host, both small woman-owned businesses, and do not copy, share or distribute handouts or video link access.

Scholarships

We are pleased to offer a limited number of scholarships for this course.  We are offering scholarship recipients the opportunity to attend one of the three units, and awardees will choose which unit to take. Please follow this link and apply before March 15, 2025.  We will close scholarship applications on March 15.

FAQ

“Where can I purchase seeds? Find Britt’s curated seed list Here.

Should I start my seeds before the workshop on March 29th? Starting prior to our class is optional, depending on your region and experience level. See the attached pdf for guidance. If you’re new to growing, Britt recommends waiting to start your seeds until viewing our March class.

How much indigo should I grow? Britt recommends reserving a minimum of 5 large pots or a 3×6 garden plot and to start a minimum of 100 Persicaria Tinctoria/Japanese Indigo seeds. Japanese Indigo thrives in groupings of 5-7 seedlings, no thinning is required with a tight spacing of 6 inches between groupings.