Natural dye sustainability program 可持續天然印染社區發展

Nuno felt and natural print and dye

Further to my last workshop of natural dye in THEi for their sustainability program, today I was honored to be a guest for their students to conduct a series of workshops for the trainers of Salvation Army to deploy the sustainability program in the coming year.

有幸今日參與 THei 學生為救世軍義工成員的天然印染工作坊, 這是學院與救世軍的一項可持續發展項目之一.  席間我也示範 nuno felt 及純羊毛的印染效果. 我特別有興趣以紅花可做熱染黃色及隨後泠染的粉紅, 一天的工作坊各人喜孜孜拿著豐富色彩回去, 我也有幸捧著學院講師的著作 "布喜" , 絕對是我的 一本天書. 

After the leuctuer's briefing the workshop started with practice on natural dye with Safflower which gives yellow in hot dye then cold dye to get pink color.

Shades of colors are pretty on different fabrics depend on timing of dipping.

Yellow can also be got from Turmeric dye

So bright yellow on silk and cotton 

While they're practising natural dyeing, I made a wool felt purse to show them the difference on wool dyeing/printing.

The purse was dyed in Turmeric dye pot with eucalyptus prints.  It looks mustard yellow.

They're impressed with the outcome of leaves prints.

I also done two pieces of nuno felt with crinkle chiffon base.  Bundle dyed in Turmeric and iron pot separately.

Their pieces are fantastic.

With iron mordant sandwiched fabric the leaves outlines are great.

Clear outlines of maple, rose and euc leaves on silk.

Paper prints were tried.  Also cotton glove dyed in hot Safflower then cold Safflower was pretty, shades from yellow to orange.

The trainers from Salvation Army and students from THEi are wonderful.  Some participants from Salvation Army are voluntees who will train others for further development in the organisation. Thanks for THEi for the sustainability program.  I walked away with new skills of natural dye.  What's more is the book "Fabric-lous 布喜", the author is one of the organisers.  The book is informative with step-by-step easy guide.  My bible for fabric design!

Wearable art from thousands miles 千哩以外之情誼

I've a creative weekend. The nuno felt wearable art piece I made with the beautiful prints from...... 

一位阿根廷 facebook 友人知道我愛植物印染, 千哩以外寄給我一些楓葉及桉樹葉, 急不及待的我立刻做了印染及nuno felt披肩, 姑且說是披肩, 其實又可穿上身上或圍在肩上, 多款式的配搭.

Last Sat I received a package from Argentina. The package from my FB friend Delia D.  Delia knew I love eco print and was so nice to send me over thousands miles the pretty windfalls of Acer buergerianum, aceraceae....  Though some experts advocate regionalism.  It's no harm to use windfalls from other regions to do prints. 

I couldn't wait to do experiments with them on silk fabric.  Prints of leaves are all brown with pretty shapes. 

To have a little bit shades, I used my way of iron mordant to make another piece I added eucalyptus and rose leaves. 

A little red, green and brown on this scarf. 

Face lift of eucalyptus, acer and rose leaves.  Euc with buds were impressive.

Green rose leaves, red hearts of euc cinerea and aceraceous. 

I made a wearable piece with the printed fabric. I do not know what to call this "wearable". A poncho? a scarf? a wrap? a shawl?  This is a simple nuno felt one-piece with slip-in sleeves. Can be wore in many easy ways, up or down and reversible. 

Double folded scarf 

Slip in sleeves.... insert and wrap....

The all season wearable, for breeze summer or windy winter.   If anyone could tell me what sort of wearable is this called would be good.

Wool felt eco printed 2-bag, not too bad? 植物印染羊毛手袋

 In order to make the striking tie lines on flaps, I felted two purses and dyed the left one in avocado skin, pits + euc leaves and the other one in eucalyptus & barks pot.  Here are two bags, not too bad!?

This purse I made with white wool, a few long fleece and  nuno felted flowers on the top flap and lower bottom.  

 In the florist I found the silver dollar euc leaves with buds.  Can't resist to buy lots.

 I carefully cut the leaves and fixed with thread.

 Rolled up the bundle

 Boiled with euc leaves and barks

2 hours of boiling is my limited patience

 Opened it.  Ya, striking lines are what I expected. 

 Braided the silk strips (my not pretty printed fabrics)

 Stitched lining and magnet button

 All finished

 Striking marks of the very tight thread ties.  This is done in euc silver dollar + barks pot.

 This is done in avacado pot in the first hour but I found it's not so brown as wanted, then put some more euc leaves.  Lines are striking as wished.

A cross shoulder purse is made. The strap is detachable. 

 For cosmatics is also good

I'm quite happy to do something from scratch, even the strap is made with strips of fabric that iron dyed. 

Two bags, two different tones but same technique.

Rust dye chiffon scarf 鏽染絲巾

Accidentally I found the easier way of iron mordant.  This is not my discovery.  Experts may already known and used it. 

 很偶然我的鐵鏽媒染有新發現, 可能專家們覺得我小兒科, 這鐵鏽媒染對我而言是簡單、快捷及不會太濃黑。且看做法.......

This is the way I make the iron mordant by wrapping the chiffon around a rusty pipe, clamp it with rusty clips.  Pour vinegar diluted water over the bundle.  Let it soaked, set aside in open area for some hours.  For me 8-hour is fine to get fabric rusted.  I've made two pieces.

This is one of it.  Indeed rust prints are almost good enough.  

My thought was to wrap with euc leaves to get bright orange color over brown rust marks.  I bundled and boiled in clear water with some vinegar .  After opening some brown rust marks got dark after boiling.

Rose leaves and euc silver dollars leaves are dark with some tie marks.

Though not as expected to have orange prints, I noted the brown rust "penetrated" fabric so most part got iron mordant to dark color in the boiling pot.

The chiffon scarf with both ends some rust marks while the middle part has soft grey. 

This one is longer

This one is wider with some bold euc leaves prints and a little purple.

I like the shades of dark and the tie marks.

I used to wrap with rusty objects and boil for some hours but it's too dark or fabric "rotten" by the iron objects.  After this experiment I'll do my way to get fabric iron mordant so it would not be too dark.

Before I do not like much dark scarf but this gradation of colors even with a little purple in the middle.  Loving it ........Thanks for Sandy D who taught me the way to do rust marks while we're in Spain.