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Indigo Shade Map
Mar 1, 20225 min read

On the Map 2022, #4 Bernadette Puleo in Long Island, NY

Updated: Mar 15, 2022

Happy March 1st!

The first indigo story in March is from Bernadette Puleo who is a textile artist, indigo grower, and founder of Indigo Garden Arts Studio located in Long Island, New York.


Introduction from Bernadette Puleo



My name is Bernadette Puleo and for as long as I can remember I have been painting, drawing, and making things with the cloth. Being a seeker, I am always looking to explore new avenues of creativity. So, in 2002, when I saw a small classified ad for indigo seeds in the back of Fiber Arts magazine, I decided to order them. This started my investigation of the mysterious Persicaria Tinctoria or as it is commonly known - Japanese Indigo. Indican, which produces the indigo pigment, resides within the leaf of the plant. It is the magical process in which the indigo pigment expresses itself on cloth through oxidation, that captivated me.

One can literally watch the color change from yellow to green to indigo blue! I consider myself a messenger of one of nature’s secrets.


Through the years I have used my indigo-dyed cloth to embed in pulp to create pulp paintings, experimented with shibori techniques to make resist patterns on cloth, and more recently used the pigment to create embroideries and watercolor paintings. This is just the beginning of my exploration of this marvelous pigment. I look forward to the journey that lies ahead.


After I retired from my career in which I designed prints and embroideries for the children’s apparel market, I decided to devote my energies to Indigo full time. At the end of 2021, I officially opened my business in which I plan to share my knowledge of indigo, encourage others to try growing and dyeing, and offer my creations to those who would just like to possess cloth or artwork made from this magical pigment.

You can follow my story and keep up with my offerings on Instagram

@indigogardenarts or Bernadette.puleo and Facebook/Indigo Garden Arts


1. Location & Environment



I reside on the east coast of the United States on Long Island, the town of Huntington, in the state of New York. This area is growing zone 7b. My home is on a 7-acre parcel of land which used to be a nursery for landscape plants and shrubs but is mostly wooded now. The land is also on a hillside which makes it difficult to plant a substantial amount of indigo, but there is a patch of land that is cleared out and in a sunny enough location that I am able to cultivate my plants.


All photos were submitted by Bernadette Puleo, the founder of Indigo Garden Arts Studio


2. Indigo plants & practices


The best indigo plant for my growing zone is Persicaria Tinctoria (formally known as Polygonum Tinctorium) or as commonly known as Japanese Indigo. It is not native to my area and is considered an annual. Therefore I must start the seeds every year. This can be a little tricky as our Spring season has been very cool the last few years. I start them indoors without grow lights. I place them in a west-facing window in a portable greenhouse that has 5 shelves.


Once they germinate, which takes about 7 days, I constantly turn them so they grow as straight as possible. I also plant a few seeds per cell because they support each other as they grow. I only start them in mid-April - 3-4 weeks before I bring them outdoors. Otherwise, they get too leggy and weaken.


Once outside, I keep them in my vertical covered greenhouse so I can protect them from the cool night air. In another 3 weeks or so, at the end of May, when the plants have become more established and the soil is about 65ºF, they are ready to be planted in my rototilled field.

My rows are a little closer than recommended because of my lack of space but the plants don’t seem to mind. At that time I feed them with Fish Emulsion to provide the nitrogen that they love. This year for the first time I plan on laying some hay mulch to discourage weeds and conserve moisture. Whatever doesn’t fit in my field, I pot up to sell at fairs and farmer’s markets.



By mid-July, I am ready to harvest for the first time. Being that I work alone, I harvest about 5 lbs (2.26kg) at a time which yields 213g pigment that reduces to 36g of dried pigment. I love everything about the Aqueous Precipitation Extraction process. Being that I ferment my plant material in a very warm, sunny place, they usually are ready in 24 hours to aerate and flocculate. Fresh leaf stamping and dyeing are also some of my favorite practices. I not only use the pigment for dyeing, but I also make watercolor paint and soft pastels to use in my art. I am constantly amazed at how many colors indigo so generously gives me through the dyeing process.



Along with cooler Springs, I have also witnessed warmer Autumns which provides the time for my plants to go to seed. I have been able to keep my plants in the ground all the way to November the past few years when I pull them and dry them indoors before a frost warning. I will then harvest the seeds, winnow them and prepare them for planting. The cycle begins again. I have to thank Rowland Ricketts (rickettsindigo.com), John Marshall (johnmarshall.to), and Brittany Boles and her awesome FB group Indigo Pigment Extraction Methods for their generosity in sharing their knowledge, without whom I would have never progressed this far in my journey.


If you are interested in hearing more of my story you can watch my interview on Brittany Boles's “Blue Biographies” series on Facebook. I am episode #8 in the first season. The series resides in her IPEM group as mentioned above. I am inspired by all my fellow indigo growers and artisans, too many to name.


3. Culture & Story of the region



I am a 2nd generation American of Italian descent. I grew up on Staten Island, a borough of New York City, where my dad had a lush terraced garden in our backyard. As a little girl, I called it my secret garden. I inherited my love for gardening and beautiful natural scenery from my dad. My grandparents planted a huge garden when they moved to Staten Island from Manhattan in the 1920s. I speak English exclusively as my parents only spoke Italian when they didn’t want me to know what they were talking about.


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Indigo Shade Map
Feb 14, 20224 min read

On the Map 2022, #3 Aibatake (琉球藍染め 藍ばたけ) in Okinawa, Japan

Updated: Feb 16, 2022

This is a story about Aibatake Studio which is a Ryukyu indigo dyeing & farming studio located in Okinawa, Japan.


1. Location & Environment


Our region has a subtropical climate, and our field is surrounded by trees in the mountains. The indigo plants we are growing need damp and shade conditions, and can’t stand cold and sea wind. We shade our field with trees or shading nets, and take care not to dry the soil.

This type of indigo plant can grow naturally under banana trees or in the thicket, if conditions are right.


私たちの地域は亜熱帯地方に属し、畑は木々に囲まれた山の中にあります。

私たちが育てている藍はジメジメした日陰を好み、寒さと潮風が苦手です。

私たちは樹木や遮光ネットで遮光をし、なるべく土が乾かないように気を付けています。

この藍はバナナの樹の下や薮の中など、条件が整えば自生します。


All photos were submitted by Yumiko Fuji from Aibatake


2. Indigo plants & practices


We are growing indigo plants called Ryukyu-ai(琉球藍) in Japanese.

Ryukyu-ai means Assam-indigo in English.

The scientific name is Strobilanthes Cusia. It is a plant of the Acanthaceae family.

This plant is mainly cultivated in subtropical regions and in highlands in tropical regions.


私たちは日本語で「琉球藍」とよばれる植物を育てています。

琉球藍は英語でアッサムインディゴといいます。

学名は Strobilanthes Cusia、キツネノマゴ科の植物です。

琉球藍は、主に亜熱帯地域と熱帯地域の高地で栽培されています。


Harvest

When Ryukyu-ai grows about 60cm tall, we cut the roots of the stem and harvest.

The harvest season happens twice a year, around June and October. Harvested stumps regenerate and are harvested again in the next season.

We harvest around 40 - 50kg at one time, and 15 or more times in one season if it's a bumper crop.


収穫

私たちは畑の琉球藍が60㎝位の高さに育つと、茎の下方から切り取って収穫します。

収穫時期は年に2度、6月頃と10月頃です。収穫後に残った切り株は、また再生し、次の時期に収穫されます。

１回の収穫量は40～50kgで、１収穫期中に多い時で１５回以上収穫をします。


Making indigo paste / 泥藍づくり

Harvested indigo plants are immersed in water and fermented.

Fermentation is carried out over 1 to 3 days, depending on water temperature.

We add only water with the ingredients (not indigo plants) dissolved in it, and mix in a moderate amount of slaked lime.

At this point, indigo dye is born by chemical reaction.

After leaving overnight, indigo that has become an insoluble compound precipitates in the water.

The precipitated indigo is purified through rinsing and straining repeatedly because it has impurities.


収穫した藍を、水に浸けて発酵させます。

その時の水温によって1日から3日ほど発酵させると、植物から成分の溶け出した水だけにして、適量の石灰を入れ攪拌します。

この時、化学反応によりインディゴが生まれます。

ちなみに取り出された発酵後の藍の残渣は、堆肥として畑へ帰ります。

その後1日置くと、水に溶けないインディゴが沈殿します。

沈殿したインディゴには不純物が混ざっているので、何度もすすぎ、濾して、精製します。


Finally, we drain it through cloth and make a paste.

This paste is called Doroai (泥藍) in Japanese.

It takes at least one week from harvest to finish to make the indigo paste.


最後に布で水を切ってインディゴをペースト状にします。

このペーストを「泥藍」と呼んでいます。

収穫から泥藍ができるまで、早くて1週間程です。



Dyeing

We retain the finished indigo paste and use it as needed.

The process of making insoluble indigo paste into dyeing liquid is called Ai Date (藍建て) in Japanese. We do this process with the help of fermentation, using a moderate amount of the indigo paste, water, lye, liquor and starch syrup or honey.

Dyeing liquid is ready in 3 days at the earliest, according to the temperature.


藍建て

私たちは作った泥藍を保管し、必要な時に染めに使います。

不溶性の泥藍を染め液にする工程を「藍建て」と呼んでいます。

泥藍・水・灰汁・酒（泡盛）・水あめまたは蜂蜜を適量使用し、発酵の作用によって藍建てをします。

気温により早くて3日ほどで、染め液ができます。


We then use the dye liquid in Katazome (stencil dye), Shiborizome (tie dye) and other methods. We also dye with shell ginger or Fukugi (garcinia spicata) in rare cases.


型染めや絞り染めなどの方法で染めています。


私たちの工房では、稀に月桃・フクギなどの草木染めをする事があります。


3. Culture & Story of the region


We are active in Okinawa, Japan.

Japanese is currently used here.

There used to be a kingdom called Ryukyu in this region, but that country was integrated into Japan in the 19th century. Also, Okinawa was put under the administration of the USA as part of Japan's defeat in World War II. It was returned to Japan in 1972.

Therefore, Okinawa has a mixture of many cultures.

It’s the only subtropical region in Japan, so methods of indigo dyeing used here are closer to those of the Southeast Asian region than mainland Japan.


私たちは沖縄で活動しています。

こちらでは現在日本語が使われています。

この地域には、かつて琉球という国がありましたが19世紀に日本に統一されました。

また、第二次世界大戦後は日本の敗戦に伴い米国の統治下に置かれ、1972年に日本に返還されました。

この為、沖縄には色々な文化が混在しています。

日本の中で唯一の亜熱帯地域であり、藍染めの方法も日本本土より東南アジア周辺に近いです。


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Indigo Shade Map
Jan 31, 20224 min read

On the Map 2022, #2 Cordwainers Natural Dye Studio in London, the U.K

This is a story about Cordwainers Natural Dye Studio which is a natural dye & educational studio located in London, United Kingdom.


1. Address & Location




Newham and Hackney, London, United Kingdom - Growing zone 5a - with a temperate climate with continental winds, warm summers, cold winters and dryness. In 2020 we had no rain from May till August so do not believe that the UK has rain all the time. London also has a microclimate different from the rest of the southeast UK due to residual heat from roads, pavements, buildings, aircon units and reflections off glass buildings. We do still get the cold with the recent winter dropping as low as -5c. The hottest days we had in summer 2020 were 36c but we have 85% humidity with that.


The indigo is grown in several small sites across Hackney and Newham with the largest number of plants currently being on a council-run housing estate in the middle of Hackney - next to the bakery that made Megan and Harrys wedding cake for those that like that kind of thing.


2. Indigo plants & practices



All photos were submitted by Deborah Mitchener from Cordwainers Natural Dye Studio


CNDS began as a project in 2019 managed by Cordwainers Grow, a local community interest company that focuses on connecting people with nature through discovery. Cordwainers Grow has a long history of growing indigo in Hackney, starting at the London College of Fashion site on Mare Street. Where, in 2010, Kate Poland working with Liz Spencer, (the Dogwood Dyer), set up a dye garden to engage the students. Woad, polygum, weld, madder and a variety of other dye plants were grown on site until the space was handed back to the college in April 2019. Since then members have planted woad wherever they find space such as a local park, a community garden and happily share seeds across the UK.


Debbie founded CNDS in September 2020 but has been growing Isatis Tinctoria since 2013 when Kate gave her five small plants. These plants have been growing on a site in central Hackney ever since and are now in their 9th generation. Up until now Isatis has been grown for personal use and experimentation but 2022 is a step change into upscaling production, and trialing different types of indigo producing plants such as Polygum Senbon, Maruba and Kojoko. It is hoped that the growing spaces will produce enough pigment for classes as well as a large fabric project and a collaboration with an underwear maker.


Continuing the annual Woad day set up by Cordwainers Grow is an ambition of the studio with 2022 looking to focus on sharing different types of indigo vats as well as plants, fresh woad dyeing and pigment extraction.


CNDS became a stand-alone company in November 2021 and provides specialist sampling services to established and emerging designers with a growing focus on working within costume for media production. So far the studio has worked on sampling for several homeware brands, high fashion modesty wear, lingerie, handweavers, florists, and millinery. It also produces some sustainable and locally made items for sale directly to the public such as Irish wool socks, waste sari silk ribbons, printed and plain dyed napkins.


Teaching and sharing knowledge is also a large part of the focus with an emphasis on making knowledge accessible for all. Partnerships with local community focused organisations have allowed for free weekly classes as well as a trial of an online community club called ‘The Natural Colour Club’. This is refocusing into a partnership with the London Urban Textile Commons to produce a monthly community offering called ‘Grow Dye Make’ launching February 2022. Public-facing classes will resume in 2022 on site at the studio in East London.


September 2020 saw Cordwainers Dye step forward as the income producing arm of Cordwainers Grow and opening a dye studio. Moving into 2021 the studio will develop into a community teaching space, a to hire dye studio for new natural dyers and a hub of experimentation around sustainable local dye production with a focus on Isatis Tinctoria.


3. Culture & Story of the region


Language: English

Culture: Debbie grew up on a small holding of 6.5 acres on the Sussex coastline. Growing up in this farming environment meant she started her entrepreneurial journey age 10 by growing courgettes to sell to the market as well as helping in the greenhouses with planting and harvesting. This set an understanding of nature, growing and getting hands-on from a very early age.


Starting work in theatrical costume from the age of 17 meant a move to London and constant travel for a number of years. Finding a home in Hackney, East London 25 years ago also allowed for the development of the gardening bug. Having children further cemented the desire to get in touch with the soil, and when a change of circumstances meant a need for a new career working with the community and land seemed an obvious choice. Meeting Kate and Nat from Cordwainers in 2012 led to the discovery of dye plants and the rest they say is herstory.

Ancestry: Ancestors are from Wales, and Wessex. They can be traced back to the 9th century in Somerset and the 16th Century in London. Originally tanners, becoming Cordwainers after the killing of John Hoppe by Charles Sackville, 6th Earl of Dorset in 1662. The resulting support of the Earl helped the family to make the leap to the more prestigious career path and cemented their presence in the heart of the city around St Paul's Cathedral. In the late Victorian period the family owned a shoe factory on the River Lee in Hackney employing 500 men, women and children. All good things come to an end and bad investment coupled with the outbreak of WW1 meant a complete loss of the family fortunes. The family left Hackney and ended up in Hampshire and Sussex. However, Debbie returned to Hackney in 1995 and has enjoyed getting in touch with her family's legacy in the area.



Contact

Cordwainers Natural Dye Studio


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