Story behind a blouse 不一樣的襯衣

Not a fashionable wear nor a costly blouse but it's made of love - my mum made it.  That's the leaves print fabric I made then my mum turned it a blouse.....

一件襯衫, 不是時款也不是什麼貴價物料, 但祗此一件慈母手中線, 是我八十多歲母親以我的植物印染布料給我設計的上衣, 能不珍惜 ?

My mother is 80+. She's quite independant.   I mentioned before we go to collect windfalls for my ecoprints at times.  Pictures taken above were after strong storm.  Lots of euc branches and other flowers blown off.  She picked for me to do prints and petals to put on a dish for her home decoration.  She used to be resilient and confident.  She still manages quite well her  routines and goes to church every Sunday.  Can't deny she's getting aged.  She said  she's getting poor memory and not capable as before.  She finds life content but scares may be of dementia that would be a burden to us.  She wished if she could go to heaven in the sleep without any burden to us would be good.  I told her just follow God's guidance and not to worry anything.   I console her even I myself is not smart in memory.  I wanted to make her find her capability again and asked if she could make me a blouse of the cotton fabric I printed with leaves. 

 

She makes her tops by hand stitches at times.  I've no doubt to ask her to cut it a "T" shape of front & back and do the running stitches without measurement.  A few days later she gave me the semi-finished blouse for my final touch-up.  I was quite happy that she made it.

 

I machine sewed the seams,  I intentionally keep the blue thread of her running stitches on waist lines.

 

The neckline and both arm lines I sewed with the "not-so-good" leaves printed silk fabric to have a bit color.

 

Here's the piece my mum and I made.

 

Prints are of iron mordant eucalyptus and rose leaves - kind of subtle and organic on cotton.

 

The blouse I dressed to office with iron dyed scarf as waist wrap.... casual walk in the suburb with iron printed fabric belt ...........

 

When I was a pupil I  found my school emblem nicely stitched,  the surface looks like machine sewed.

  I  treasure the blouse she made and the moment we're together.  

Being children we should care our parents, spend more time, be patient..... when they know who we are.  I've some friends who's dad or mum doesn't recognize their children because of dementia.  It's sad.

Woolly pots 羊毛器皿

 Recently I went to a ceramic exhibition.  The earthwares were quite impressive.  Have been doing some 3D wool felt vessels.  It come to my mind to make woolly vessels functional as ceramic vases or a home decoration.
最近參觀完一個跨媒體陶瓷展覽, 使我嘗試用一次兩層做法製作可盛水的羊毛有花瓶器皿, 同時有鏤空的層次感.

 I got inspired by these pots and made the grey one.

 Made a brownish/reddish one inspired by these  hallow lamps.

The wool vessels are made with two enclosed resists in one go.

 Finished, I call this "Living through...."
這個我稱之為 "生活穿越", 活的植物也可穿梭內外.

 This one I call it "On fire...."
這個嗎......, 我用洋蔥染得金紅的長曲羊毛當做火焰, 姑且稱為 "乾柴烈火".
什麼也好, 都是新嘗試, 小創作. 為我的家居多一件小擺設.

Stoppers are made for decoration

Actually a plastic bottle is inside to serve as a vase 

Vases for fresh flowers, ivy goes inside out.....

 I intended to put the onion dyed long curly fleee for the fire look.  Finished with branches thus call it "On fire".

I find the inner part of white looks better than all in grey

Anyway they're experiments of double resists

Range of 3D vessels I made

Is it really yummy, boy???

Baby booties and slippers 寶貝小鞋子

"Come on, follow me, follow my big steps........"

寶寶快高長大,  小腳仔學行, 親手做一雙小鞋子給寶貝踏出第一步,  沒多久不合穿了, 把小鞋子留下是多甜美的留念....

長大些, 再做一對小童室內鞋, 總也可穿上兩年哩 ! 

 Baby grows up and thriving.  For the shoes under two obviously have to change every few months before it wore out.  It's so sweet to make a pair for the baby on it's first step and keep the shoes as a beautiful keepsake.

 I made the booties with wool, that's wet felted.

Tied with shoelace.  Fold down as little shoes 

Tiny booties on my hand.  It's for baby under 18-month, I suppose.

A toddle needs bigger slippers



Slippers made with merino wool, blue as deep sea & skies.  White mulberry silk strings for the sheen of wave. 

Both the little and the big pairs are shaped with one same mould.

The yellow plastic slippers are size 16cm.  Bought it in a chain shop for only US$2, really a good buy.   I made the little booties,  after all the rubbing, stuffed with bubble wraps and finally shaped it inside the plastic slipper.  Bootie size thus smaller than 16cm.

For the toddle's slippers I shaped it over the whole plastic.  So the size is bigger than  16cm 

Both pairs are hand-stitched with anti-slip protector

Mogi, "I don't know what are these for, we don't have any baby or toddler.  Mum just asked me to show you. ~.~"

Mogi, "I know I'm being loved or spoiled I'm a star...... My facial expression are true.  Mum uses quick shooting ........'

Well,  slippers are made to challenging myself .

Time to walk away, until next time.....

Students' scarfs prints 學生絲巾印染

This week I'd groups of students done natural prints on scarfs and wool felt flowers.  Each of them done two pieces of scarfs with two styles of prints. Quite nice to go with a scarf !

近日為新團體辦的植物印染絲巾,  祗用了兩種不同的桉樹葉 (尤加利) 及玫瑰葉,  ,  經過兩個多小時的扎作煲熱,  每人的製作不一樣, 有豐富鮮艷, 有簡約清晰, 他們都是第一次接觸這方式的天然植物印染, 感到奇妙新鮮.

這輕柔的雪紡絲巾四季皆宜, 扣上羊毛襟花是秋日的好配飾.

Natural printing on fabric with leaves was new to the groups.  Made it simple and easy I just used two species of eucalyptus leaves and rose leaves only some with iron mordant to give shades.

I showed them individual leaf prints, overlapped prints, folding methods, tying lines, bundling......

After 90-min boiling in dye pots with vinegar, iron water and leaves,  two pieces  of different styles of scarfs unveiled........  

(Before and after picture)

Clear individual leaves prints of euc leaves and rose leaves 

 Different pieces ...... 

The overlapped prints with tie lines are rich and some of the marks look funny 

This piece is with all euc leaves (silver dollar) so looks bright 

Dark and strong red are of iron mordant 

Funny faces and marks.....

This looks grasses and flowers 

Each of different layout and different outcome 

Soft scarfs of natural prints made by my students.  They are soft and unique.  Isn't it?