My Taipei teaching 台北的教學

My tutelage for the student's botanical prints and nuno felt in Taiwan has just finished. My student YL walked away with lots skills after the 2.5 days intensive learning. As she said it's amazing and incredible for the different outcomes all from natural.  We made paper prints, mordants for shades on different fabrics incl. cotton, silk, chiffon, wool flannel, blended silk. I taught also the simple making of the paper core (the stick) to wrap around the bundle also the tricks of paper prints and the use of shoe lace as string. All simple, handy and key to success.

What's more than OOAK is the own printed pattern fabric then turned into unique wearable garment. YL made her own scarf-vest with the final desired tone of prints.

Such "incredible " creations were done in the beautiful environment of the Taiwan National University. 

Venue, material, tools and all materials are well prepared.

The big. "Sandwich " is ready for the pot but not oven........for the boiling.

Prints from marigold, leaves and euc  with shades on cotton

Onion, casuarina and chinaberry on cotton

Sample experiments on silks and cotton 

 

Cotton after soy milk mordant then with iron mordant is quite good with euc silver dollar for red and marigold for yellow

While all the bundles are in the pot, a nuno felt vest is being made with the printed patterned silk. I never care about the fade out on this stretch silk with such prints since I've done test before more than 80 times of machine washing, colours seems almost the same.

A couple of hours YL made the vest. She finds it amazing with such beautiful and easy arm holes felting.  Yes, that's my experience.

A long weekend workshop was brimming with lots creation and skills. We're pleased.

What inspired me above the skies in the Taipei hotel where I'm still staying in is brilliant ! 

During the workshop with YL, I also made a print with my indigo dye with euc.

It's pretty on my hotel bed !

The roses - leftover of the botanical imprints workshop, are nicely on my hotel bedside table. I love plants and each part of them. Thank you for my student inviting me for the teaching in Taiwan. I have the chance to explore the region and meet some other friend. Next post will be a bit more about the scenery.

Fun share indigo and natural prints 植物舆藍染

Days in Taiwan were fun filled. The day before we played indigo dye. How about to do dye and prints? Yes, we did the media combination. Botanical imprints from local plants are quite good particular with iron mordant. We're happy to unwrap the bundles. So strong and clear.

Prints on indigo dyed linen 

The before & after of the layout.

Prints on the cotton already framed. 

Three of us have the same passion of fibre and fabric, colours and prints.  Chances made us together to share the interest. 

The natural prints on fabric, framed already right from the dye pot. The techniques I shared were with iron and alum mordant with different tones.

 I'm pleased to play the combination with light indigo background.

Some local leaves in Taiwan are quite good results.

Today heading to Taipei for my teaching. Goodbye to Taichung and the lovely friends.

 

My warm student in Taipei already have everything prepared. 

Another experiment will be in the coming days. Expecting to show my skills.......

Blue from the dye pot 藍染玩意

My arrival in Taiwan is supposed to teach botanical imprints. Before the tuleage to a student in the coming weekend in Taipei, my host Meg in Taichung was so nice to introduce me to her friend Ma-Li Chi, renowned artist of dyeing and weaving. In her studio we're offered to experiment indigo dye. It's a bonus to my travel and was so happy to play around blue. The studio is located in a village with nice and spacious views.

來到台灣主要目的是前往台北的植物移印染教學，課堂未開始前專程到台中探望Meg，她很熱情的招待我並帶我參觀她朋友 - 台灣纖維藝術家賈瑪莉的藍染工坊，我們還有機會玩玩，染指藍藍創作曡石、花兒、如河流的流動、似天上浮雲.......很有趣味的做了兩件多樣紋理綿麻巾，我們還會在明天嘗試植物移印染加藍染的變化，這個體驗工作坊是此行的額外而又豐富的安排。

In the studio there're lots of pretty crafty displays of natural colours 

Indigo dyes among the most. They're so beautiful tones.

Such beautiful dye vat - reflection of trees like skies 

Playing with the mighty hands.......

This small piece to be opened

My big one to show a few tying outcomes

The cotton piece looks like fish scales or stacked stones

The cloudy look is so soft

I am delighted to play with the indigo dye and scheduled the day after to do the combined botanical imprints with indigo dye in the same studio. 

Meg's pieces are so pretty. We're expecting the next experiment. 

"Dressed" the plant, walked in the bush 穿著叢林中

   

The wool flannel I printed last is now turned into a vest - reversible with 2-sided prints. External is wool flannel with botanical imprints while the lining is blended cotton/silk prints and dyed in cochineal which I'm not quite pleased with. 

一次又一次的植物印染實驗, 做出來的布料就是我的成衣製作.

雨後一天穿著.......走進在我山後叢林中, 發拙可有什麼葉子試驗?

 

It's a Friday I used to do hiking but it's raining and gloomy thus skipped it. Instead "dressed in plants" I walked in the abundant house with bush behind my area. 

I've a passion of plants, whenever I walked in the bush I would think if those plants give prints?  That's why I can't help stop doing experiments.  Have done so so many swatches! The only way is to make them into wearable. 

           Eucalyptus Cinerea is always my fav for bold prints.

 The outsider piece I don't have large enough wool fabric thus connected both sides with silk prints

 

The lining is fine with one whole piece

 

 

The upper part is Loropetalum Chinense (purple) and  Limonium

  

 I'm not by profession a fashion designer. That's the simple vest I can do with the template measured and given by Tatiana Sheverda in her workshop.  

 

If it's not tuned into garment, may be leave it as a hanging, anyway.