Hands-On Indigo Dye Workshop and Screening of "Blue Alchemy: Stories of Indigo"

John’s Island Regional Library - Participate in a hands‐on indigo dye class, and dye your own head wrap or handkerchief as you learn about the significant role the ancestors of today's Gullah Geechee people played in the successful, commercial cultivation of indigo in South Carolina, Georgia and Florida in the 1700s. You can also visit our Gullah Geechee demonstration garden behind the library to learn more about how the plant is grown. Indigo was first farmed here to diversify the rice economy. While indigo was grown here for export to England's textile mills, the plant is indigenous to Africa and for centuries has been used there as a fabric dye. While your creation is drying, watch "Blue Alchemy: Stories of Indigo," a documentary by Mary Lance on the history, culture and revival of the blue dye. It’s also about remarkable people around the globe who are using indigo in projects intended to improve life in their communities, preserve cultural integrity, and bring beauty to the world.