Eco prints & nuno felt reversible dress 植物印染羊毛混纖裙子

 

 Fun to play with eco dyeing and the Lagerstroemia speciosa is my fav these days. I dyed the knit silk jersey with Lac then printed with the flowers and leaves.

大葉紫薇花期悠長，做各樣印染試驗仍不厭倦，配以不同天然染色效果獨特，把其中一塊印好的𢇁料以羊毛混纎做了這件無縫雙面穿著的裙子往海邊走走......

 I like the tube width jersey. Just printed the front main pattern and little on the back then make a garment as I wish......

 With small amount of merino wool I made this nuno felt seamless and no sewing dress -  a reversible textural garment.

Top with little merino wool 

  

 

The reversed side of  textured surface, goes with a removable cowl neck of the same material.

Since it's light silk jersey, prints on both sides looks almost the same. 

The back of the side with merino - the "wave"

 

 The back of the same dress, textural surface of nuno felt effect.

 Nuno felt making with tube width silk jersey is simple and easy as no hem is needed.

 Eco prints on both sides looks almost the same.

  Now still lots of blooming Lagerstroemia speciosa. 

Will have more ideas of prints to play with.

DIY eco print fabric purse 植物印染布藝袋子製作

 Fall is approaching. 

 I wanted to make a fabric purse with natural prints,  simple and light as well roomy.

秋色落葉紛飛沓至, 何不做一個秋意的布藝手袋, 自己的鋪陳製作, 簡約別緻.

After the panel boiled with leaves for 1.5 hours, opened it with all natural shades from yellow to orange to brown......
Ready to make a purse.......

 I folded the panel to cut two pieces and another two pieces of same size of cotton fabric for lining.

Sewed it, a purse of two different sides is made.

 It's a reversible purse with styles of "long & short".

 A roomy bottom

Reversible sides 

 I fixed wooden buttons inside the purse.  If I want a short style I just enclose with the loops and turn it over to make a box bottom.

 

            Two styles of short and long

 The purse making idea from DIY Tutorial Idea blogger,

while this fabulous natural prints instant download is from my ETSY (English version), (Russian Version)

Back to basic natural prints 簡易天然植物印染

 After spending quite some weeks in the "technical" natural prints/dyes, now back to nature, back to basic doing this simple yet fabulous shades printing. I intended to make something of autumn feel. With a little leaves of eucalyptus, sumac, pines and onion skins on this wool blend cotton panel, I made two different layouts. 

 

 Composition like this........   

                                                                      After 1.5 hours boiling, landscape looks like       this.

 The other end of the panel prints as this.

I have my way of making from basic to fabulous shades with step by step tutorial with images and samples. If you are interested, here is the instant download tutorial (English version) and (Russian version) in my ETSY on line shop.

 

The fabric has now been made into a reversible fabric bag. 

 Details of the bag making to follow next.

Natural flower prints 天然花兒印染

  

 Another good day to do experiment with fallen flowers. 

First time to print the Chinese Hibiscus (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis) was impressive. Though color is not strong, shape is nice.
那天秋風吹落滿地大紅花, 檢拾花兒加點草和葉子回家做了實驗, 淡淡粉紅與粉綠, 好一片柔和的印料.

 

To work with techniques learnt from Irit Dulman. I made this tube width knit silk jersey with prints on front and back. 

This is Chinese Hibiscus.  The day I walked up the trail behind my area, found lots of fresh fallen flowers that triggered my experiment with it.  Collected a few sumac leaves and other climbing plants on the road side, immediately I bundle boiled the fabric after mordant treatment.

Wow, opened it  to my surprise it works.  Outcome is soft with other leaves on the fabric.

 

 Before and after of the prints

 

Since it's tube width, either side can be front or back.

Side A of the fabric

 Side B of the fabric

 

 Last week I buried myself in the dye pot for the experiment of techniques learnt in Irit's workshop in Spain. Doing this is to refresh my skills on our native plants with different ways of dyeing and mordant.

I received some queries about the making.  As code of ethics and respect to the teacher, excuse me not going into details but I am happy to share the outcome of my experiment as  reference of feasible flowers or plants for the techniques for anyone who already know the skills. 

 

The knit silk jersey of 3 different prints on the dummy.   

Fabric will be sewed into garment after I have ideas of making.

Flower contact prints on fabric 布料上的花兒印染

Over the last long weekend I was filled with activities in the mountain and land as well by the sea.  While enjoying my outdoor hobbies I got inspired by the scenery and created my works quietly.  The pink flowers of Lagerstroemia Speciosa are blooming in our town.  The prints of the flowers have dominated my eco printing these days and can't resist to do more experiments when the flowers are at fingertips.  This is the natural contact prints I just done  with the plants collected in the outing.
過去的長周末在大嶼山遠足、地上踏單車、海邊聽濤.......好一個愉快的假期。其實在這假期中的戶外活動我不時都找靈感做創作，這季節，滿城燦爛的大葉紫薇成為我的主導.......

This knit silk jersey was dyed and printed with the techniques learnt from Irit Dulman in Spain. Fabric is of tube width 22". So I made two sides in one off. The front is of full layout.

While the back is only on the bottom.

This shows the before & after prints.

Before you read more about the creation of this prints, I believe you're also interested in our scenery. Last Friday I went hiking on Lantau, the biggest island among 263 outlying islands in Hong Kong.

Along the trail views are stunning.  I passed under a big casaurina tree and got a few long and strong pines for printing.

The next early morning I went up the trail behind my apartment in order to get some weeds. The round building, once the tallest in our city is next to my block and I worked there for more than 25 years. Though among the high rises we're in the lush.

Sunday biking in the New Territories - my fav sport.

 

Along the cycling path with brilliant views of mountain and river

I stopped by the village where my school mates lived when we're small.

 

Still there are some typical houses, fusion of traditional and modern elements. 

I forwarded to the area where I spent my childhood in Shatin.

The route lined with eucalyptus trees. 

Cycling along with the fragrance of eucalyptus is pleasant.

On the way back I found many Lagerstroemia Speciosa blooming

 

The flowers triggered my experiments of printing 

 
Back home I sketched the layout after a scrap test with lac.

First off to dye the fabric in Lac bath

 

Then layout and boiled for an hour.
Opened it with delight as it's the first time I done with the crimson background.

The front and the back prints

Lagerstroemia Speciosa is always good for my experiments. This kind of "discharge" prints particularly nice with this flower.

 

I'm pleased with the outcome.  

I'm more than happy that many people find my works different. I must thank for the brilliant  teacher Irit Dulman's guidance and inspiration. Without her teaching I couldn't have developed my way of working.  

I really love the color and the prints. The piece will be made into wearable.

 

Before cutting it I rest it on the shore near my studio. Let the wave wash my mind and think about the design of garment. 

 

Indeed I've made one piece of Lac dyed and other of cochinael.  The latter with different layout, will show next.