Friday, July 27, 2012

Bugs triggered me 技癢難耐

This nuno felt dress I made right after my workshop with Vilte Kazlauskaite last year.  I was quite pleased with this light and elegant first experiment .  My girl demonstrated it well, right?
去年在Vilte Kazlauskaite 的工作坊學習回來後, 馬上做了這件nuno felt雪紡裙子.
 I endeavour to have a change of this white dress which may be a risk to spoil it.  Fingers crossed but to move up, error and trial is the process of learning new skills.  I told myselt if this one turned out to be nasty, I can make another new one. 
雖然白色很清雅飄逸, 也想為裙子來一次顏色改變, 有可能會弄巧反拙. 可會嗎? 嘗試才有進步, 如何開始?  

Days before Hong Kong was devastated by the strong typhoon and many trees fell down.  On my way to the office my coach passed by the train station, I noted there were eucalyptus trees fell down.  It's a pity to see the scene. 
日前颱風襲港, 夜半十號風球高懸, 樹木東歪西倒, 在我上班途中經過中大火車站一帶的桉樹也連根拔起, 有點不忍.  那一刻使我馬上決定下班後去檢拾新鮮的樹葉做我的植物環保印染.

Such big trees took some years to grow but destroyed in a night. Sigh. A thought  hit me, why not pick some leaves for eco print. 
Immediately after work I went to the train station and got a bag full of two different kinds of fresh eucalyptus leaves.  In Hong Kong we're not allowed to pluck the euc. leaves.  Indeed they're too tall to reach by hand.  All those I picked on the road are "treasures" for me. 
如獲至寶滿滿的一袋兩品種的桉樹葉, 回到家裡立即把那純白 nuno felt 裙子進行實驗. 結果如何?  且看 .........

So, started the nuno felt dress for my experiment with the euc. leaves. Intended to have the  two different leaves types on the top and lower part.  Soaked the whole dress in diluted vinegar water.  Wrapped it and boiled for 45-min.
After 24 hours in a thermo pot, time to unbundle. Anxious to see how it will be......
The top is bold and bright with string marks.
But the lower part with this sort of leaves is not that obvious.
This is steps of making
Indeed I turned over the dress, the leaves were put inside (sandwich) so prints on both front and back. I rolled it up and tied it, boiled for 45-min and stayed in the thermo pot overnight. Unbundled it after 24 hours.

The front look

Back look with strings at the top.
Before and after.

Close up


Close look - nuno felt flowers, sheen of white mulberry silk.
Full look.
Before and after.  Daughter and Mother.
This is fine but my expectation is with deep brown or deep purple prints of leaves. May be if I bundled it with an iron rod or with iron in the pot, I can get it.  Anyway, worth for a trial,  I still have some leaves to test.
Could anyone tell me how do you think this outcome.
Thanks for stopping by.

32 comments:

  1. I think it turned out really great. It is amazing how the dress changes just by dyeing it. Hope you can make lots of eco prints with the eucalyptus leaves.

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  2. I think that its wonderful that something so beautiful could come from the death of such a beautiful tree, using the leaves showed such honor and respect for the beautiful tree and you created such a beautiful garment, you always amaze me, I hope you and your family are well, thank-you for visiting me today,

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  3. Great job! I'msurrounded by eucalyptus trees here in Australia. I should play with dyes. Julie

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    1. Sensearts, eucalyptus trees are amazing. You're fortunate living in the magic country. Lots fun to play with.

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  4. Terrie, it is lovely. I like the way it has stripes and the deeper colors at the top fading to a light bottom. You are so nice and thin, it looks great on you!

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  5. First of all, I would LOVE to take a class with Vilte someday. Your dress was absolutely gorgeous in white and it's wonderful now that you've dyed it. From my years of doing wax resist egg dyeing, I understand your feeling of having the colors not come out the way you envisioned them in your mind. I hope you are able to appreciate the unique beauty of the colors that emerged. It's truly a one of kind! Sometimes by trying too hard to control outcomes, we limit what the universe has in mind for us.

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    1. Thanks Becky. Vilte's classes are amazing. Great to learn from her. Couldn't agree more that's the unique outcome, one of a kind. Every piece is of nature. Appreciate whatever it is.

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  6. This is wonderful Terriea, I just love it!!!

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  7. Terriea, the dress is lovely. Iron added to the eucalyptus is going to make a much heavier color, It will be very interesting and can create magic. But it will create even more surprises than the straight eucalyptus leaves did. The bark from those fallen trees is also useful. It can be stored dry for a long time then soaked before using. It gives deeper, usually darker color. Add iron and you increae the available color range. Really enjoyed seeing this transformation. Good work.

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    1. Thanks James. If I can get iron I must try again. You idea of adding the barks are great. Will do with it. Really enjoy dyeing. Wish I were in your talk. Surely your expertise is a great takeaway.

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  8. Gorgeous as always!! You and your daughter make perfect models! I especially like the leaf prints at the top...so subtly beautiful!

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    1. Thank you MaryL. The outcome is unexpected of nature. Love it too.

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  9. Terri, it may not have been the outcome you were expecting, but the results are absolutely beautiful!!! I would be thrilled beyond words to unwrap a bundle like this!!! Wonderful photos ...

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  10. Replies
    1. Thank you India. Your books are fantastic. They are my treasure.

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  11. Yes, it is a joy to see both versions of the dress. As a felter and a new eco-dyer it is really fine to see this euca experiment, Terrie and also to know you made such good use of the fallen tree. I hope you get to use some of the bark as James suggests, too. Thanks, as always , for sharing your wonderful work and the steps you used.

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    1. Thanks Ginny. Euca experiment is marvellous. Will do as James suggested. I also love your piece you done recently. The prints are so bold and the color is great.

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  12. Terriea--The dress is utterly transformed!! It was beautiful before the dyeing, but it now has character and is more in keeping with the elegance and maturity of the Mama wearing it!! What a lovely idea!!

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  13. Everyone has said everything..so l will just say....gorgeousxx

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  14. Both before and after are lovely. You daughter makes a beautiful model.

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  15. I like them both. I think with your talent for embellishing some of your clothing and adding some sparkle like beads on the second dress might make you happier? Do you think that is all it would need for you to be pleased with it more? Just a suggestion, but it is completely transformed into a new look and what is important is that you are happy with the end result. Have a safe and good weekend,and thank you for stopping by and leaving behind sweet words on my blog.
    Susanne :)

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    1. Thank you Susanne. Good idea to add some beads. I'd add the gold glass beads on the top. Thought it gives sparking look. You are sweet on my girl.

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  16. Just wanted to add that your daughter is beautiful and she does make a gorgeous model.
    Susanne :)

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  17. Beautiful dress transformed into stunning one,dear Terriea! You are a very brave lady!

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  18. Delightful - very successful transformation!

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  19. It is beautiful Terrie! I love the string marks at the top too.
    Thanks for sharing your process - you are inspiring me very much
    xx

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  20. I love the dresses and thank you for sharing the tie dye method.

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  21. I love both the before and after looks. Sorry to hear about the typhoon. But I had to smile when you saw it as an opportunity to look for raw material :) I did the same a while back... when a lot of trees were felled by a typhoon. I gathered twigs for a project... though I had to wait a while before I could actually dry the twigs and they were ready for use.

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  22. Unbelievable . . . so, so, so lovely!

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  23. Me gusta mucho el efecto fuerte de la parte superior del vestido, que se vuelve más sutil cuando va bajando. Me encantó !!
    Yo todavía no logro que mis ipresiones queden perfectas en toda las superficie..... sigo investigando por qué quedan tan bien impresas en las partes que quedan más expuestas a los mordientes, y en el resto más diluídas.
    Pero én éste caso, me gusta mucho el efecto. Felicitaciones, Terrie !! Es un gran trabajo. :)

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