Stories in Blue: A Community Indigo Project with Deena Class brings community members together through the shared wonder of indigo—how this one plant pigment has been worked with by cultures all over the world for thousands of years.
At The Garden Haven & Farm, I’m creating a small, covered outdoor space that I’ve lovingly dubbed “The Bluebird Bungalow” for sharing the process and cultural stories of dyeing with indigo. The Bluebird Bungalow will be built from six antique doors (all sourced locally and with stories of their own!), each representing a different continent where indigo-bearing plants have been part of daily life, craft, and tradition for, literally, millennia! Each door will share pieces of that continent’s cultural stories of indigo—images, history, and the unique ways people have worked with this complex and much-coveted blue. -Deena Class
Throughout the project, Deena will invite community members to share their cultural heritage and creative interests, and she will also explore the roles plants play in their lives. As she listens and learns, she will research the indigo-bearing plants rooted in participants’ heritage, and then she will weave those discoveries directly into the community textile workshops.
The project will culminate in free public workshops, and participants will pre-register so that Deena can ensure adequate space, supplies, and materials. These workshops will take place in April 2026, and they will lead to the unveiling of the community indigo quilt in May 2026. During the workshops, each participant will dye two fabric squares—one to take home and one to contribute to the community quilt—and each person will also receive an indigo seedling (Persicaria tinctoria) to nurture at home.
In addition, community members can attend free drop-in quilt-making sessions at the Chatham Parks and Rec Arts Center in downtown Pittsboro on April 26 and May 3, where they will piece and quilt the indigo creation together (no sewing experience necessary). Through the quilt, the seedlings, and the stories participants share, the project will carry forward the idea that indigo belongs to everyone. It will honor indigo not only as a color or craft, but also as a living thread that runs through generations and across cultures, continents, and communities.
If you’re interested in supporting future Creative Placemaking projects, please reach out to Cheryl Chamblee, Executive Director or David O’Dell, Director of Community Giving.