Indigo Blue

For over thirty years, Jane Callender has committed herself to the slow art of shibori – thinking, planning, and stitching geometric structures that burst with pattern, rhythm and movement on cloth. Her process is acutely time-consuming. She describes herself as ‘engrossed’ in her practice – a friend describes her as ‘ploughing her own furrow’. As her life has evolved, so changing circumstances have impacted on time and access to facilities; but Jane Callender’s fascination with her craft has remained steadfast, and her attention to detail, the exactness of her application, and the control of her materials and techniques have resulted in richly decorative works of extraordinary refinement. As part of London Craft week we're spending a full day celebrating blue. The morning session will include a lecture with expert on Indigo, Jenny Balfour Paul and a shibori demonstration and taster session with Jane Callender of Callishibori. After lunch we'll enjoy a garden tour of the Indigo plants, followed by a talk by Yves Venot of Heartwear a charity based in Benin, North Africa and our afternoon will finish with a screening of Mary Lance's documentary Blue Alchemy. All sessions include lunch and coffee. INDIGO BLUE AT CHELSEA PHYSIC GARDEN  Thursday 5 May Chelsea Physic Garden, 66 Hospital Road, London SW3 4HS