Indigo is the only true blue dye from nature. Fabric comes out of the vat a strange yellow-green and the blue develops in front of you as it meets the air. It never stops being remarkable, no matter how many times you've watched it.
It's also the natural dye most people assume they can't do themselves. Too technical, too smelly, too much equipment. That's the myth I wish to educate otherwise with this course.
Over two days you'll learn to build and keep an indigo vat using fructose and fruit waste. We will build organic vats, no harsh reducing chemicals, safe to run in a corner of your own home. You'll dye across a full range of shades, learn to finish the cloth properly, and leave knowing how to set the whole thing up again in your own space.
This isn't a course about dyeing once, I hope this course shows you the possibility of dyeing in a small space, at home.
Fibre types Which fibres take indigo well and how each behaves in the vat.
Weight of fibre (WOF) The calculation everything else rests on. Get this right and your results become repeatable instead of lucky.
Setting up a dye corner at home What you actually need, what you don't, and how to work safely in a domestic space. Ventilation, containers, storage, and where to put a vat so it stays happy.
Scouring How to properly clean plant fibres, the first step before any dyeing happens.
Indigo around the world Indigo isn't one plant. You'll meet the varieties used across Southeast Asia, Central Asia, Europe and the USA, and Africa. We'll share how different growing traditions produce different blues.
Setting up an indigo vat You'll build both a fructose vat and a fruit vat from scratch, learn to read whether a vat is healthy and know how to revive it when it goes off.
Dyeing with indigo Tips and techniques to build from the palest wash to deep saturated blue, and how to match a shade in future.
Neutralising and finishing pH balancing and finishing steps that stabilise the indigotin in the fibres.
You'll be dyeing alongside me in my private studio.
This is my daily workspace, not a rented venue set up for the occasion. Opening it up means you see how a working textile studio actually runs — including the parts nobody photographs.
| Duration | 2 consecutive days, 10am–3pm each day |
| Price | $600 per person |
| Group size | Minimum 3, maximum 4 participants per session |
| Location | 111 King George's Ave (L2), Singapore — nearest MRT: Lavender |
| Dates | 4 & 5 Nov 2026 |
| Level | Beginner-friendly, no experience needed |
| You take home | Your dyed samples across a range of indigo shades, plus written vat recipes and notes |
Not included: lunch. We break for a short lunch each day and there's plenty nearby — you're welcome to bring your own or head out.
You don't need any dyeing experience. You do need two full days.
This course is open to guests from anywhere. Everyone meets at the studio at 10am on day one, wherever you've travelled from.
If you're not based in Singapore, ask and we'll recommend places to stay nearby.
A minimum of 3 participants is needed for the course to run. If we don't reach it, you can move to another date, take a WithAutumn gift voucher, or have a full refund. If you're travelling in, we'll confirm well ahead so you can book flights with confidence.
Maximum 4 participants. Small on purpose.
Wear clothes you don't mind dyeing. Aprons and gloves are provided, but indigo is stunning and it is not sorry.
Do I need any experience?
No. This course starts from scratch — fibre types, scouring, the lot. If you've never dyed anything, you'll be fine.
Do I need to do Natural Dyeing 101 first?
No. The two courses stand alone. There's a little overlap in fibre preparation, but indigo is a vat dye and works by completely different chemistry from the mordant dyes in 101. Plenty of people do one without the other, and plenty do both.
Can I really do this at home?
That's the whole point. The fructose and fruit vats you'll learn are organic — no harsh reducing chemicals — and they run happily in a bucket in a corner. You'll cover ventilation, storage and safety so you know how to set up sensibly in a domestic space.
Do I take home what I dye?
Yes. Your dyed samples across a range of shades, plus written vat recipes and notes so you can rebuild everything at home.
Is lunch included?
No. We break each day for a short lunch, which participants cover themselves. There's plenty to eat nearby, or bring your own.
Do I need to attend both days?
Yes. Day two builds directly on the vat you set up on day one — an indigo vat needs time, and that waiting is part of the lesson.
Will the blue fade?
Indigo sits on the fibre rather than bonding into it the way mordant dyes do, which is exactly why denim fades the way it does. Handled well it lasts beautifully and ages into something better. The neutralising and finishing session covers how to get that right.
What if the course doesn't reach minimum numbers?
We need 3 people to run. If we fall short you can reschedule, take a gift voucher, or get a full refund. Rest assured, I'll let you know early enough to change your travel plans if you're coming to Singapore for this.
Full refund up to 30 days before the start of the course. 50% between 30 and 14 days. No refund within 14 days, but you're welcome to transfer your place to someone else.
A note on transaction fees. Card and payment processing fees (around 3.5%, so roughly $21 on a $600 course) are charged to us when you book and aren't returned to us when a refund is processed. If you choose to cancel, that fee is deducted from whatever refund is due.
This doesn't apply if we're the ones cancelling. If the course doesn't reach minimum numbers, you get the full amount back, fees included.
Questions before you book? Email hello@withautumn.com or DM @withautumn.sg
