INTUITIVE INDIGO

DAY RETREAT

Dartmoor, Saturday April 25th, 2026

The Intuitive Indigo Day Retreat is an opportunity to connect with indigo and develop a deeper relationship with this mystical and potent herbal dye plant. To learn about it’s fascinating history, characteristics and work with Indigo to transform something of your own, to hold a new frequency and story. Learn from expert natural dyer and author Babs Behan at her home/ creative studio on Dartmoor and experience the magic of Indigo in a very magical place.

“My approach to creativity and teaching, is a blend of chemisty, herbalism, embodidied sensuality and eco-spirituality/animism,

We will meet the plant with intuitive herbailsm practices, through tea ritual and embodied sensory indigo dyeing. You will learn with step by step recipes for making the indigo vat and using it - and these steps will become intuitive with practice. I will share some of my tips and tricks for reading the indigo vat intuitively, as a master natural dyer” Babs Behan

Location

Botanical Inks studio, Southcombe Barn, Widecombe In The Moor, Devon. TQ13 7TU

Date

Saturday April 25th, 2026

Time

10am - 6pm

HIGHLIGHTS:

• Indigo tea ritual

• Learn Indigo vat preparation using 3 natural ingredients

• Learn Indigo dyeing best practises

• Dye a grid of Indigo fabric swatches to keep

• Learn Shibori Tie-Dyeing

• Shibori tie dye a large length of fabric to keep

• Indigo Cloth Dyeing Ritual

• Dye an item of your own with Indigo and/or Shibori

• Lunch at local Cafe on the Green (not included in price)

Indigo is unlike other natural dyes, due to being insoluable in water and requiring a special vat dye process to remove the oxygen and increase alkalinity to create a dyeable state.

During the course of this full day, you will meet Indigo through a guided embodying tea ritual; You will learn about the alchemy and chemistry involved in working with indigo and how to make an indigo dye vat using only 3 natural ingredients. With this knowledge you will be able to set up your own indigo vat at home to dye with. You will practise indigo dyeing with sustainably sourced cotton and be shown techniques for getting the best results from the dye on cloth.

Swatches of fabric are provided, and included, for you to sample different shades of blue with and a longer piece of cloth to make a larger finished piece to keep.

You will also learn how to create patterns on fabric using Shibori tie dyeing to make geometric repeat patterns.

Please bring an additional small item of your own to dye.

At the end of the day we will have an intentional Indigo Ritual to transform your item into something new and different. This may be a very personal and potent experience or it may be something light and simply a joy to transform old clothing into something wearable once more. Indigo is excellent for covering stains!

Ticket Prices:

Early Bookings (Before October 31st) - £125

Standard Price: £145

Includes materials.