Chapter 59: A New Craft - Tie-dyeing
This dye shop is behind the tailor's shop rented by Lin Xiushui. Turn right, go through the alley around the corner, and it's against a wall with mottled blue-green marks on the blue brick wall.
Several tilted wooden barrels were stacked in the corner, and the wood marks on the door were stained with deep dye. A blue cloth strip hung down from the eaves. There was no signboard or plaque.
This was Lin Xiushui's second visit. A family was working in the dye shop. She recognized the mother and daughter inside; one was called Aunt Lan, and the other was called Qingya.
Aunt Lan's real name is Lin Xiushui, but we don't know. She dyed blue cloth for decades, and her name also took the surname of the blue cloth. Qingya's blue cloth is better than her mother's. She used to be called Lanya, but people in the town like to give nicknames. They say that the blue comes from the indigo plant but is better than the plant itself. So, after a while, she became called Qingya.
Both women were strong and robust, and their family's tie-dyeing skills were passed down from mother to daughter, generation after generation. No matter where they settled, they could make a living with this skill.
Aunt Lan then taught Qingya. Qingya had married and become a widow, and had two daughters. Her husband's family wanted her to find a husband to marry into their family, but she was unwilling and argued about it for several years. Now she was back home dyeing cloth with Aunt Lan, which was also to help her expand the business.
“Back in the old dynasty, my family was already making this tie-dyeing craft,” Qingya said as she opened the door to let Lin Xiushui in. She was wearing a blue cloth sash, a half-sleeved shirt, and blue cloth trousers.
She laughed heartily, "But after Tokyo, they stopped allowing us to do it."
“I remember it was in the seventh year of the Dazhong Xiangfu era. The court issued orders repeatedly,” Aunt Lan said. “I heard my mother say that from then on, it was forbidden for ordinary people to dye clothes. Only people in the army were allowed to wear them. In the past, there were dyeing and tie-dyeing workshops with special carving masters. But later, they went into hiding and gradually disappeared.”
"Now, after all these decades, the imperial court says it can do it again, but my mother has already passed away."
When the decree was issued to lift the ban, Granny Lan quickly took out her skills, which she had kept hidden for decades, and made a pattern of tie-dyed cloth, which she sent to her mother's grave.
Qingya walked over and said, "Look, my daughter and I made all of this. This craft is not commonly called tie-dyeing; it should be called 'cuohua' (撮花).
Lin Xiushui raised her head and looked at the dyeing rack on the right side of the courtyard. The sun hadn't risen yet, and there was a breeze that made the pieces of blue cloth on it flutter.
As she approached, she noticed that each piece of blue cloth was different. Some had tiny specks like stars in the night sky, while others had white geometric patterns wrapped around the cloth in circles. There were also irregular dots, and the white color varied in shade, some as dark as clouds in the sky, and others as light as a pale blue, which was the effect of the color gradually blending after being tied.
Tie-dyeing, also known as twisting, is a technique that uses thread to bind, wrap, fold, knot, or sew fabric to prevent it from being stained. It usually features blue and white patterns.
Qingya took down a piece and handed it to her, saying, "There are hundreds of ways to make this flower. Our family has some that we have left over from before, such as fish roe and square knot. This piece is something we came up with ourselves, called cocoon weaving."
Clumps of white on the blue cloth resemble round silkworm cocoons.
Lin Xiushui felt that this craft was like a silkworm cocoon; though it was made of fine threads, it was actually full of life.
This craft was once lost, banned by the imperial court, and folk craftsmen closed their shops and went into hiding, hiding their tools or changing professions. After many years of trials and tribulations, it was finally able to be openly and legitimately presented to the public.
As soon as she walked up to the dyeing rack, with the fabrics hanging in front of her in dark blue, light blue, and sky blue, and various shades of blue patterns, the thought that suddenly came to her was that she wanted to make clothes.
It's light blue with small white floral patterns, made of fine linen. It's not suitable for making a beizi (a type of jacket), but it's perfect for wearing as a ru (a type of jacket). Pair it with a white-toned, pleated skirt.
Lin Xiushui reached out and brushed over a piece of blue cloth. The white on it was very light, and the lines printed on the blue cloth were like water ripples. She thought it would be perfect for making a skirt. It should not be pleated. It could be an apron tied around the waist, or a straight skirt. It would be even better if it were made of gauze or silk, so that it would sway like water when you walk.
Regardless of the pattern, each has its own beauty. Dark blue can be used to make a long jacket, while lighter shades with fewer patterns are suitable for a vest. Whiter shades with a beautiful blue tinge can be used to make a tube top.
She barely spoke a few words to anyone; her eyes were glued to the fabric. She washed her hands and examined each piece of cloth carefully. She didn't even hear Qingya calling her; her mind was filled with nothing but the thought of why she hadn't made a pattern for a lace garment.
Qingya said, "Young lady, didn't you say you wanted to dye the cloth yourself?"
Lin Xiushui replied, "Yes, it does look beautiful as a dress."
Then he came to his senses, gave an embarrassed laugh, and realized that the fabric was indeed dazzling.
"It's beautiful, I'll give you one," Qingya said generously. Even though she had only met Lin Xiushui twice and had never had clothes made by her, she considered anyone who could appreciate her fabric a true friend.
Lin Xiushui shook her head repeatedly, but then admitted that the friendship that arose from the cloth was a different kind of friendship among commoners.
She rarely has a day off today, so she has most of her free time to spend on tie-dyeing, hoping to create a unique blue cloth.
Aunt Lan took out a thin thread and said, "Tie it however you like, but no one can dye it to look like you."
They have two methods for tie-dyeing. One method involves sewing and binding. They will think of a pattern in advance, draw it on the fabric, and slowly sew it along the edge with thread. They will then tighten it and bind it up. After dyeing, they will cut it off.
The second method is to tie a knot or fold it up, which will result in a much more surprising and delightful pattern.
Lin Xiushui felt that the first method was like stewing meat. A piece of cloth was tied with thin hemp rope, and it had to be tied tightly and beautifully. Then, some ingredients were added. If you wanted to dye it into small, speckled patterns like caviar, you also had to add grains and tie them to the end of the cloth.
Once it's tied up, soak it in water, then immerse it in the large blue dye vat in the yard, stirring it slowly with a stick to make it soak in the dye.
However, stewing meat takes half an hour, while stewing cloth only takes fifteen minutes. If you feel the color is not good enough, you can stew it a few more times; the longer it stews, the darker the color will be.
Lin Xiushui dyed the scraps of cloth she brought herself. Each piece was not particularly large, making it easy to tie them up. After dyeing, the cloth was sun-dried.
Each piece of cloth was different. She said one piece of cloth was from cooking porridge for too long, and the rice grains had burst open. Another piece of cloth was from porridge that had been left out for too long, and it looked like a wrinkled layer of porridge skin.
Under Qingya's guidance, she also made the moth-patterned fabric that sold the worst among them, but which Lin Xiushui immediately took a liking to.
Using a special method of repeated folding, not only can the dyed white patterns resemble moths, but they can also have antennae.
She had prepared the cloth she had painstakingly made to give to Xiaochun'e, but Xiaochun'e later said that she should give her a butterfly, not a moth.
Lin Xiushui spent half a day in the dye shop, tying and making twelve or thirteen different pieces of cloth. Regardless of whether they looked good or bad, she was very satisfied. They were the kind of comfortable clothes even on a hot day. She also spent five strings of cash to buy some dyed cloth, which Qingya delivered to her room.
Inside the house, she fiddled with paper patterns, not in a hurry to cut clothes, but instead picked up a small paper pattern from the side and slowly cut it out, preparing to dress the silk baby first, thinking about how to make it look good.
She hasn't been too busy lately, though she's had a lot of business, but she's been lacking ideas, especially when there's less work on altering clothes. It's easier to alter clothes when there's less work to do. Whether someone is short or thin, tall or fat, you just need to accentuate their strengths and minimize their weaknesses. Plus, adding other materials to the clothes makes it much easier to create a striking effect.
In summer, everyone wants to wear the lightest and thinnest clothes possible, and the less fabric the better. Strawberry cloth is a bit stiff, and it makes the wearer look more energetic. Ramie is much looser and wrinkles easily, so if you make a jacket for it, it will especially accentuate any flaws in your figure.
If she wanted Lin Xiushui to make the clothes look better, at least not wrinkled, she didn't have a good way. One was to wash them more often, and the other was to iron them more often. Her idea was to make them comfortable to wear, since gauze dresses and skirts would wrinkle when sitting, lying down, or walking.
The various problems were also difficult for her, so she wanted to find a master or a more skilled tailor to ask for advice.
But one of the young women would come every other day to ask if she could make her a cheap and nice outfit. She said she could save up whatever money she had.
I just want a set of clothes made for myself.
Lin Xiushui bought new fabric today. The tie-dye pattern wasn't too complicated, and the material was cheap. She thought of her. She thought of her slender figure, which was similar to the delicate figure of Juan Hai'er. After cutting it out and trying it on repeatedly, she waited for the person to come over in the afternoon.
Sure enough, she arrived in the afternoon, rushing over. She was wiping tables and doing odd jobs for someone, with her hair in a low bun. She looked about fifteen or sixteen years old and was dressed in a brown cloth dress.
“We have some today,” Lin Xiushui said before she could. “I picked them out especially for you, and they’re cheap. You can get a set for nine hundred coins.”
Li Xiaoniangzi was a little surprised, and wiped her greasy hands repeatedly. "Really? You picked it out for me?"
She was an orphan who grew up in a sales home. She wore other people's old clothes since she was a child, and she would wear the same clothes for three years after they were patched and mended. Sometimes she would wear a drafty paper jacket in winter. She had finally grown up to this age and was about to turn fifteen. She was thinking of making herself a new set of clothes.
No one made it for her, so she made it for herself.
She always had money; she had saved it up for a long time.
Lin Xiushui answered affirmatively, "Yes, when I was choosing fabrics, I was thinking about what clothes would look good on you based on your figure."
Li Xiaoniangzi was taken aback. She lowered her eyes, then looked up hopefully and asked, "Can I take a look first?"
She saw tie-dyed fabric scraps hanging on a wooden frame. Although they were all blue, each piece was unique, with no two having the same pattern.
“It’s rare for each piece of this fabric to be the same, or rather, there are no identical pieces. I guarantee that when you wear it, you’ll be different from everyone else,” Lin Xiushui said, taking out a cloth measuring tape.
Li Xiaoniangzi didn't say anything when she heard this, so Lin Xiushui walked over and said, "Hold out your hand so I can measure it."
Even though there was no one else in the room, it was spacious and empty, with only a pile of fabric and paper patterns hanging on the wall. Standing in the shadows by the window, Li Xiaoniangzi still felt an overwhelming sense of shyness and unease.
She hadn't washed herself after work, and her hands were still covered in oil stains that she couldn't wipe off. She wanted to look down to see if there were oil stains on her clothes, and there must be black grime on her cuffs.
"How about tomorrow? I'll come back to measure it tomorrow."
Lin Xiushui just smiled at her and said, "Okay, we can start by choosing the pattern and think about what kind of clothes we want to make."
For the first time in her life, Li Xiaoniangzi was choosing clothes for herself. She could never forget that summer day when her hands were constantly damp with excitement, yet she couldn't smile as she stared blankly at the fabric.
The next day, she washed her hair, face, and body, and changed into clothes that were starched and washed very white, but with absolutely no oil stains. She was finally able to lift her heavy arms so that Lin Xiushui could take her measurements. She dared not look up, but looked down at her feet, which were curled up inside her shoes.
"Come back in two days to pick it up," Lin Xiushui said, taking back the measuring tape and smiling gently. "It will fit perfectly. If you lose weight or gain weight in the future, you can come back to me to have it altered for free."
“Okay, I will,” said Li Xiaoniangzi, “I will definitely ask you to make clothes for me again in the future.”
Lin Xiushui watched her leave, then lowered her head and carefully calculated. She made the paper pattern meticulously, revising it again and again. She spent an hour revising it, and sweat was pouring down her face. She said that people who are too thin need to be given more space, and perhaps they can grow it after they get older.
She picked out a bluish-green fabric with a water ripple pattern, intending to make a skirt. She decided against pleating it, as pleating is too troublesome, and she wasn't even sure she could do it well.
The tube top was white with embroidered green floral patterns, and she planned to add two necklines.
Lin Xiushui then took out another piece of blue fabric. The blue was beautifully blended without any jarring white, and it should be good for making short jackets.
Ironing cloth in the sweltering heat is the most unbearable thing. Then, she would stick on the pattern and cut it out. After cutting it out, she would sew the jacket, and Zhou Niangzi would sew the skirt and bodice. After finishing, she would check and iron it again, and hang it on the clothes rack to wait for the owner to come and take it.
Two days later, Li Xiaoniangzi arrived again with her hair in an overly disheveled bun after washing it. She had spent some time in front of the incense shop before coming.
Lin Xiushui's room has a place to change clothes, with a curtain in the way, and there is also a clothes rack inside where clothes can be hung.
Li Xiaoniangzi put it on and looked down at it closely. She didn't know if it was good or not, but it was very light and soft, thin. She felt like a little bird had been released into the sky.
She walked away and looked at herself in the mirror. She stared at it for a long time. It fit her so well, no longer loose and baggy, and it looked so good. It was no longer drab and dull. She liked the blue color.
She had never worn such an outfit before, yet she was able to walk among the crowds even in the hottest weather.
Li Xiaoniangzi did indeed walk into the crowd dressed. When she saw people looking at her, she relaxed a little, feeling that the person was not looking at her patched clothes or her ill-fitting clothes.
He was looking at her new clothes.
She walked in the bright sunshine, then through the long street and the shadows cast by the eaves, and went out, saying that she wanted to be happy on her fifteenth birthday.
It was a long time later that she came to Lin Xiushui's shop to make clothes again. She changed to a different job and had extra money to buy a new outfit, which she would buy again later.
After seeing off Li Xiaoniangzi, it was another sweltering summer afternoon.
Xiaohe didn't go to school today. It was too hot, and she was dozing off. She also felt sleepy when she heard the students reading next to her. She kept resting her head on the table. Sizhen said that her snoring was as loud as thunder.
Lin Xiushui planned to use this blue cloth to sew a small, square pouch with blue water patterns as a gift for Sizhen. It would be able to hold the wrappings taken from various utensils.
The next afternoon, when the sun was out, she took Xiaohe to the private school. Sizhen liked it very much and looked it over in her hands. Although the pouch was square, it was made of two colors. The cloth covering it was made of white floral brocade and a bead was sewn on it. Two green tassels hung down from the bead.
He immediately carried it on his back and said very solemnly, "I must return the favor."
She brought out a very long roll of paper. Lin Xiushui asked in surprise, "Is this new paper for me to use for tailoring clothes?"
How many people can be laid off? Probably around ten.
“It’s for making paper curtains for you. It’s paper made from rattan bark. These days, scholars love to use paper curtains,” Sizhen said, sticking her face out. “Don’t use it now, it won’t keep out mosquitoes and flies. Use a windproof one in winter.”
"Winter is still a long way off, why are you making plans so soon?"
Sizhen wiped her sweat and said, "Yes, it's cold in winter. I miss winter every summer."
“My father gave me a good name. I change my name to Sidong in summer, Sixia in winter, and Busi in spring and autumn.”
"Because it's time to sleep, there's no motivation to make progress."
Lin Xiushui admired this mouth very much, and said, "It's a good thing it's not lovesickness."
Sizhen held the paper curtain horizontally, then immediately shook her head. "What longing? I don't even have a birth chart yet. But lately I feel like I'm making great progress in teaching people, and I want to teach more people to read."
“Look how good Sang Ying is now that she can read. I’ve been teaching Xiao He how to write the character for ‘clothes’ recently. I told her that Sang Ying is as resilient as cloth, and that she is like a piece of cotton, which is strong and heavy.”
"The praise is really nice, but it's also kind of hot to listen to."
Sizhen said, "It's as cool as gauze."
Lin Xiushui reached out and said, "Just kidding. If you're really interested in teaching, I'll introduce you to someone."
"Then let's keep a little girl like Xiaohe, so she can learn to read earlier."
The earlier you start, the better the path you can take.
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