Mending by wool 羊毛修復物

 The day I went to the shop to source silk fabrics, I found the very fine knitted wool.  So delicate and soft but I'm not sure if it's good for botanical imprints.  It's not cheap compare with silk I usually buy.  While hesitated the owner Mrs Chow said she got a piece with a little tatter that she could offer me special price.  I found it's only minor flaw I may use wool to mend it. So the 2-yd knitted wool went into the cooker for my experiment.
This is the piece I printed with assorted eucalyptus and rose leaves.  The shawl came out nice and the amended part just icing on the cake.

I intentionally to put the leaves only on the upper and bottom with the middle blank.

The left pic is the tattered part.  I put some wool over and underneath the wool fabric.  After rubbing and it's felted.

I put the leaves over the wool fabric with rose petals on the wool felted spot.

The upper part sandwiched with leaves so the "collar" both sides with prints.

The bundle was blended tightly.  I like to blend it and pull the tie string around firmly. The main reason is I boil it in my small electric cooker which barely fit this big round bundle.

Unwrapped after some time of boiling.  The eaves prints and hue of iron mordant.  The wool felted spot just got little purple from rose petals

It's not bad with wool mending.

Fingers crossed if to cut  two arm holes to make a vest.

Most likely leave it as it is.  This kind of knitted wool is so soft,  no crease, light and drapes well.

It takes up pigment and not necessary hemmed.

Such a good buy and experiment on new fabric.
Technique of making this natural prints available in my ETSY instant download pdf tutorial.

Tuscany theme landscape botanical prints 植物印染掛畫

 On Christmas eve, the oven is cooking a turkey while the other cooker is boiling a bundle of wool flannel.  That's the Tuscany cypress landscape I printed for the Christmas table setting.

平安夜, 火雞待在焗爐, 那邊的煱子烚著我的植物絨布包扎, 兩個多小時加熱, 待乾便車缝完成一副以桉樹葉印染托斯卡尼主題的桌墊或掛畫.

 I used assorted euc and kinds of unknown leaves collected behind my area.  Just love the edge of a pine look.  

 The upper part all of silver dollar eucalyptus and a few needle pines.

 Bottom is of Tuscany cypress theme.  I laid the small branches and barks of eucalyptus.

 Before and after

 So, you can see the shades of leaves but one or two others are not quite strong prints.

 Silver dollar euc are always the most impressive

 A wall hanging   ......            

or a table runner is the Tuscany landscape I wanted.

  

 When I use the brush I can make a bright and colorful  painting.   Why should I bother to take a longer time to boil and wait for the unexpected botanical prints?  That's the bounty of nature !  Whatever it is we appreciate the process.

Beautiful table setting , enjoy your meal!

Time flies it's drawing to the close of 2014. This is my 402nd post since 2010. Thank you for following me and all the comments.  Your stopping-by means to me. I write about my cat Mogi to felt making then botanical prints.  All these generated your interest. My hats off to you.  Now that December is the month for family dinners. We'll have Solstice dinner and Christmas dinner as well.  Having a table setting with natural printed setting would be such a beautiful presentation on any occasions.  This set I used the bright red eucalyptus and a little eucalyptus tree barks intended to make it simple and clear.

 Table runner is 72" (184cm) long enough for a long table.

 I laid on the pure wool flannel. Mogi's such a good observer.

 Upon his approval I bundled and boiled it.

 Two kinds of euc, one round silver dollar and the other unknown species.

 

Before and after

 Tree barks and other ecu gave brownish.

 I sewed on the dark brown fabric made it a nice set.

 Mainly two parts of prints - upper one with a little casaurina pines, the bottom part of barks.

 Hang it with a tree branch it's a wall hanging.

 Though Mogi is more interested in the living plant, the botanical printed fabric, be it a wall hanging ........

  a table runner or a dresser runner, it's a pretty natural home decor.

 "Boy, behave !  Please wait to be seated."

The table runner is available in my ETSY shop here

The table placemats are available in my ETSY shop here

My friends, enjoy your meal and have a festive season !!

Happy Holiday !!

Barks and leaves prints 樹皮配葉印畫

 Eucalyptus printing is such fun to play with.  We can make color from barks to leaves.

Come and have tea.  I show  you the brief making of the placemats.
從樹皮到葉子每片都 "出色" , 桉樹 (尤加利) 由始都是我的至愛植染, 加上印在羊毛绒布上更明顯, 做了四片同系墊子或作掛畫, 
對著墊子, 一口清茶, 讚嘆桉印染的奧妙........

 See that impatient brat...... but he's my good company for shots.

 The wool flannel is a wonderful fabric to take the pigment. So I put the euc leaves and tree barks to form my desired layout.

 After 1.5 hours bundle boiling,  came out quite bold prints but too plain.

So, I put a few pine needles and rose leaves to make a better look.  The right one is the outcome.

 Same for the the above one and the other two pieces, I put the same pines and rose leaves to change the look.  They're boiled again for another hour.

 Then came out better and I back each with dark brown fabric.

 Sewed the fabric with the printed wool flannel.

(Have to bear with this brat even in my cramped workspace)

Made a set of four different layout botanical printed placemats.

Thought it also looks good as wall hanging.

Eucalyptus is such a pretty tree to give different shades and shapes of prints.  Loving it.....

Fingers crossed if I put this set on my ETSY or for a planned project coming soon.

"Behave brat !"

But he's sometimes such a great observant !!

I'm making another piece of wall hanging used pine needles and euc for the layout.

Stay tuned for my next post.