Experience indigo dyeing at " Konoito tsumugu 紡 " in Kurashiki Bikan Historical Quarter

Okayama Prefecture Official Tourism Site

• Table of contents
• What is "Konoito tsumugu 紡"?
• Indigo dyeing experience
• Introducing indigo dyeing tools
• Relax while you wait at Café Tsumugu
• Apparel brand "Konoito tsumugu 紡"

What is "Konoito tsumugu 紡"?

Konoito tsumugu 紡, an apparel brand that produces indigo-dyed scarves and knitwear, has renovated an old house and opened a directly managed store called Konoito tsumugu 紡. The store is filled with carefully selected items, rather than mass-produced items, and is lined with seasonal products. Café Tsumugu is also located across the courtyard.

Indigo dyeing experience

I tried out the indigo dyeing experience here (reservations required)! You can choose from a bandana, a scarf, a T-shirt, or a tote bag. This time, I chose the simple and easy course, which involved a T-shirt that can be paired with jeans for the upcoming season.

[Indigo dyeing experience]

Basic price: Bandana (3,300 yen), Stole (4,400 yen), T-shirt (5,500 yen), Tote bag (5,500 yen)

Experience times: Part 1 (10:30), Part 2 (14:00) *Only Part 1 is available on Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays

Courses offered: Choose a design and create it easily (simple course) or create your own original design (free course)

Basic fee + 1,000 yen (tax included) Number of people: 1 to 4

Deciding on the pattern of the shibori

After choosing the T-shirt, the next step was to decide on the tie-dye pattern. We chose "uneven dyeing" from among the ammonite-like "tie-dyeing," "rubber and marble tie-dyeing" which uses rubber and marbles, and "uneven dyeing" which has a mottled pattern.

Uneven dyeing

To create the "uneven dyeing" technique, the T-shirt is tied tightly with a slightly thick rubber band. The parts that are visible after the tie are dyed, and the parts that are not visible remain white. I tied each piece one by one while visualizing the design.

Collect the squeezed pieces into a lump

I tied the rubber bands together in two, then tied them together again to make one mass. I tied it pretty tightly. I can't imagine what the design will be like now. It just looks like a heart.

Introducing indigo dyeing tools

You can participate in the indigo dyeing experience empty-handed. Tools and aprons are provided, so you don't have to worry. I wore a vinyl apron because the dye would get on my clothes and be difficult to remove.

Wear two pairs of rubber gloves

I worked wearing thin rubber gloves on my hands and then larger rubber gloves on top of them.

Mixing the dyes

The dye used in indigo dyeing is the chemical caustic soda. The two containers contain the same caustic soda, which is added to 40°C water and stirred (children should not handle chemicals). The difference between indigo and indigo dyeing is that indigo dyeing uses natural indigo leaves as the dye and is dyed repeatedly with lye, while indigo dyeing is a chemical dye that allows for an even dyeing in one go. Indigo dyeing has the property of dyeing at warm temperatures, so it is easier to dye in the summer and more difficult to dye in the winter. As you are mixing, bubbles will form in the bucket, but be careful not to pop these bubbles.

Massage

Submerge the T-shirt in the bucket, being careful not to crush the bubbles, and rub it with your hands. The film on top of the bubbles is green, and when it comes into contact with air it oxidizes to blue, adhering to the fibers and dyeing them. Reach into the gaps between the tightly bound pieces to allow the dye to adhere. The water is warm and pleasant, but it also has a unique scent. The trick is to rub the shirt in the liquid without exposing it to air!

Cut the rubber with scissors

After pulling the T-shirt out of the bucket, the next step is to remove the moisture with a towel and then cut the rubber bands with scissors. It's a delicate job of cutting only the rubber bands so as not to cut the T-shirt. The trick is to make sure the dye-stained rubber bands don't fly away.

Wash and dry

After cutting the rubber bands, the T-shirts are hung outside for 1-2 minutes to air out and set the color. After that, they are washed and dried 5-6 times, and then left to dry for another 20 minutes or so. The shop staff handles this process for me, and while they are finishing, I head to the cafe in the annex. It was a warm, mild autumn day, and the T-shirts were fluttering comfortably in the breeze.

Relax while you wait at Café Tsumugu

Across the terrace is the annex "Café Tsumugu," a renovated old house. When the weather is nice, you can enjoy a drink on the terrace. The specialty coffee is made with beans from Kinoshita Shoten, a popular coffee shop in Okayama Prefecture, and each cup is brewed individually using an espresso machine.

Onigiri Lunch

I heard that the "Onigiri Lunch (1,200 yen)" was popular and available in limited quantities, so I decided to try it. It was a delicious set of tuna mayonnaise and plum onigiri, topped with a tamagoyaki omelet, pickles, and pork miso soup. The portion was just right for a woman. The rice was delicious, and the miso flavor of the pork miso soup was exquisite!

Strawberry roll cake

Dessert is another story. I heard that their specialty sweets are also popular, so I tried the seasonal strawberry roll cake (979 yen)! The sponge was fluffy, and the sweet and sour taste of the strawberries and the sweetness of the fresh cream were exquisite. The gelato was also delicious, and apparently made with great care.

[Café Tsumugu]

Address: 10-3 Okayama Prefecture, Kurashiki City

TEL: 080-4558-0076

Business hours: 10:00-17:00 (last orders 16:30)

Closed: Tuesdays

Parking: None

Apparel brand "Konoito tsumugu 紡"

Usually, knitwear is made in parts and then sewn together at the end, but "Konoito tsumugu 紡" uses a method called "whole garment," where all parts are knitted together in a three-dimensional way to create an entire garment. They are also particular about the yarn they use, using two types of yarn: single yarn and double yarn. Single yarn is the yarn as it is spun, while double yarn is made by combining two single yarns into one. While single yarn is the norm for Denim, they are particular about using custom-made double yarn. Please come and try it out for yourself. The feel and texture are different.

[This Konoito tsumugu 紡]

Address: 10-3 Okayama Prefecture, Kurashiki City

TEL: 086-436-6028

Business hours: Monday to Friday 10:00-17:30 Saturday, Sunday and public holidays 10:00-18:00

Closed: Irregular holidays

Parking: None

This Konoito tsumugu 紡 Website