Indigo Summer!

What Summer brings to Temaricious is fresh indigo dyeing work. 

Japanese indigo (TADE AI) seeds are born in the small Tokyo garden last year and brought to Tochigi farm in Spring and then look at this amazing indigo field in July:-)) 
Thank you for Mr. I. He has indigo fingers definitely!

Our indigo dyeing day was busy!

Cut indigo from the field and pick fresh leaves only. Then chop indigo leaves into small pieces (mixer can help you), then squeeze indigo juice out for a while. When green indigo smoothie is ready, you put wet raw threads into it. Then stir threads in it and wait for a while. Then wash threads with fresh water and then green threads change into bluuuuueee!! As you swing it in a circle in the air many times, threads become blue. It's a speechless experience to see this colour change. It must be a chemical reaction but for me it is just a magic of nature....

We see the blue part from the green leaves when indigo leaves are damaged or eaten and rain sometimes makes blue water drops on the leaves. It's such a mysterious scenery to watch. 

Indigo loves water when they are growing. Japanese rainy season in June is really for indigo not for busy Tokyo people otherwise! 

This indigo blue like a summer sky and water fascinates you soon!!

Enjoy your summer! 

Don't forget to join our workshop:-) 

Chop Chop

Green Smoothie and threads

Magic: Green to Blue

Swing in the air

Summer gift from Indigo

✌️ YES

Waiting for seeing you

藍の生葉染め Fresh-Leaf Indigo Dyeing

藍の生葉染めに今年は挑戦しようと藍の成長を見守ってます。
ただいまこんな感じです。間引きをしてあげないといけませんね。

I'll try fresh-leaf Indigo dyeing this year for the first time. I planted in Mach and then now,  look at nice fresh leaves:-) I need to move some to another container soon.

タデ藍　Japanese Indigo

きっと６月からもう染色ができると思います。生葉をとってミキサーにかけ染色していきます。

Perhaps, I can start dyeing from June here in Tokyo. Pick leaves and put them to mixer and then dye cotton threads with it. Indigo grows quickly so I suppose that I can repeat dyeing several times this season. Then, keep seeds for the next year.


生葉染の色はこんな柔らかな空色です。この手まりの土台のまりの色が生葉染めの色。葉を取るだけなのでまた新しい葉がでてきて何回か染色ができるそうです。そして最後は大切に種を取って来年のお楽しみにします。

Colour of fresh-leaf Indigo dyeing is like a colour of sky. You can see it in the picture. This temari's base colour is the colour of fresh-leaf indigo!

そうそう、この手まりは赤ちゃん(boy!)が産まれたお友だちへのお祝いとしてつくりました。パターンは私の大好きな麻の葉。ちょうど赤ちゃんが産まれたころに咲いたタンポポの色を頂いた色のかがり糸をあしらいました。タンポポの黄色は鉄クズと酢で作った媒染液につけたら、明るいグレーになり、藍色ととても良く合いました。


 By the way, I made this temari for a baby-boy present. This ASANOHA pattern is my favourite. I used threads dyed with dandelions when the baby was about coming out to our world! I used irons and vinegar for mordanting and dandelion yellow turned to a bright grey and it really goes well with Japanese Indigo blue.

麻の葉かがりは昔から産着に母親が産まれてくる子の成長を願い刺繍したものでした。麻はすくすくと真っすぐに伸びることから赤ちゃんの成長を願う意味があります。それと麻の香りは虫除けとしても用いられており、赤ちゃんへの災いを防ぐというお守りの意味が込められています。私もそんな願いを込めながらチクチクかがりました。麻の葉についてはまた別の機会にお話したいと思います。とっても素敵な模様ですから。

ASANOHA(hemp leaves) pattern is embroidered to clothes by mothers for new born babies during maternity time. Hemp leaves grow straight and fast and their aroma is used as anti-bugs. Japanese use this symbol as a charm against evil. I stitched this temari, wishing a boy's healthy and happy life. I will post more about ASANOHA pattern later because this pattern is very unique and one of my favourites!


因みに手まりを置いているトレイはQubusのチェコ共和国というトレイです。チェコラブですから、私。これからちょくちょく登場すると思います、このトレイ。ではこの新緑まぶしい季節を楽しみましょう〜。

If someone has an interest in the tray in the picture, yes, it's from Qubus's Czech Republic with blue onions. I love Czech Republic:-) 

Let's enjoy this shining fresh-leave season now! Have a nice day!