Natural printing bond with France 法國情誼之作

 

In May when I was in Sijean, France. My friends Helene and Brigitte were so nice to spare some time with me. Helene was kind to model the garments I just made in Spain with natural prints and dyes, last post. She's interested in such unique design and making technique. I said I would make a top for her with some local leaves. When I back home I immediately practised the skills learnt from Irit Dulman the natural prints and Revital Avidar the garment design. 

As Helene likes simple and not those orange or red so I used a few buttonwood (梧桐) from France and Loropetalum Chinense (紅彩木) locally mainly on the upper part design.

After 1.5 hours boiling the fabric printed then sewed.

  

This is the big buttonwood in the town of Sijean.  The first morning three of us strolling in the little tranquil town. Prints of the leaf from this sort of tree

I designed it the raglan top.  After all done I took photos on my girl before sending the parcel out. Prints mainly around collar and shoulders while sleeves with dyes and stains of cochinael.  

 

Back is also with little green leaves from France collected along the canal

A silk top all with natural prints/dyes is now with bella Helene

I am happy that it fits Helene

 

Eco printed tote bag with "grumpy" for Brigitte

 

My last stay in France was memorable with Helene and Brigitte. Both are my good friends. Of course not to forget also something I made for Brigitte. It's a tote bag printed with eucalyptus, casaurina and leaf cut into cat and dog silhouette.

 

Brigitte's tote bag with two compartments and lining.  Both sides printed. Size is quite right for her "grumpy" or a wine carrier

 

 

"Before & After" of the prints on wool flannel for the tote bag

The natural printed silk top looks good on my oriental girl and the French bella.

I like the chance of practise. 

Thank you girls for the modeling.

Intensive natural prints tutelage 植物印染密集教學

A pile of colorful natural prints done by one student in the intensive tutelage.

 My student Mag learnt from me a piece of eco printed scarf two years ago. She is very enthusiastic to learn the in-depth technique recently. Frankly speaking, in Hong Kong I hardly find students who are willing to spend more time and money in exploring the techniques.  May be buying the ready made is cheaper. Making by own is too time consuming.  Or may be they find such natural prints, contact prints, eco prints, botanical prints......whatever the name of skills it's called.......is "imperfect" .....sometimes with hues that they're not expected. As we love handmade, one-of-a-kind stuff and enjoy the process of expectation, we're hooked doing one after one.
I'm indulged in the aesthetics of creating "Imperfection".

植物印染在香港仍是冷門手工藝，對此認識的人不多，兩年前學生 Mag 

跟我製作過一次簡單印染，想不到她說要認真學習從基本到多層次變化的技巧，願意花時間學費研究的本地學生始終不多，這麼誠懇，就在兩天的密集個人課堂我教授了多種技巧，用天然材料製作了十多片不同圖紋色調的布料，當中有𢇁、綿、羊毛絨布等，學生説這是「雞精」課程, 給她增加了很多養料。

 I have everything well prepared for the intensive two-day workshop .  Plants mostly windfalls collected from nearby, onion skins free from grocery.  Only the eucalyptus silver dollar bought from florist together with a free bag of rose leaves for the dyeing.
 I taught from the basic of making iron solution with found objects to shades making with mordant.  Fabrics are silk, chiffon, cotton, wool flannel.  Techniques are contact prints, natural dyes with skills of making tie marks.
 Ingredients are not that expensive but patience and sincerity are matters most.

The main object of the contact prints is to do with clear shades and hues just with the simple natural media. The first sample of different outcomes with only iron and alum mordant.

Mirror prints on cotton and silk with assorted leaves

Looks like Vietnam rice rolling..... ready to steam.  Just in an hour two different ways of making two styles of scarf from one dye pot.  That's my skill of  "killing two birds with one stone."

Another piece of tie dye technique combined with contact prints all done in piece

Student knows me well I want to teach her how to save time but make two or more ways in one go.  Here's another piece.  Just a little leaves we made the scarf of both ends differently - one end  is rich in tie marks and the other simply with leaf marks.

Way of folding to make prints and tie marks across the scarf.  

Scarf with sumac leaves picked from my apartment behind

Different outcome of "moon side" and "sun side" of leaf placement

Next technique is interesting.......  with Mogi's curiosity ......
We made the mirror prints on cotton and silk......

A few casaurina, sorts of eucalyptus and rose...... two prints done in one bundle!

The last one on wool flannel with bold, clear and delicate prints after all.

 

A pile of 12 pieces done in two-day intensive tutelage workshop by my enthusiastic and lovely student Mag.

 

THANK YOU Mag for coming .......

Mogi and I always love students and awaiting next cuddle.

If you like to learn the basic, simple yet fabulous shades, you may follow my pdf instant download tutorial file (English version) (Russian version) from my ETSY.

Sporty and the quiet creation weekend 動與靜的一天

 Other than Friday hiking I just joined a Saturday biking team. We're well equipped. Today our team cycling along the river bank, the pond and the plantation of eucalyptus.  While passing through the eucalyptus I found a blown out branch on the ground.  Such a good find ! Of course picked it for my experiments. Way back downtown to collect from the shop a big roll of silk fabric. Just a good time for my testing the evening.

不是 "牛下", 我們是 "牛徑村單車隊" - 一個專業人仕組成每周六從新界牛徑村出發的單車隊, 今日途經山貝河南生圍, 大片植林尤加利樹, 地上剛有掉下來的椏支, 當然拾回家做我的植物印染實驗哩! 橫水渡回程返深水埗到布行預留給我的大匹絲料, 回家馬上做了撿來的葉子做實驗, 掂 !

 Many species of eucalyptus on the way passing through

 

Beautiful skies and water

 

 This pond, once a huge fishing pond but now getting smaller since properties developed

 Our team and my good find of the blown out eucalyptus

 No matter hiking or cycling I can easily get some plants for experiments

  

Way back by the small boat

 

 

Heading to the downtown fabric shop for my silk collection 

 

Eager for the prints testing with fabric and the euc found...... it works.... my concern is the fabric works since I wanted to make sure it's silk.

The bottom part of the strap is alum mordant while the top has not thus different shades

 

Mogi, "mum, it works, both the plants and the fabric.  It's a big roll how would you do with all?"