"Slow fashion" making 慢活時裝的製作

 

Following last post of the leaves collected in the field, here to show how the prints are and the final works of the printed fabrics.  

上一網誌提及在田野撿拾的葉子研究, 這次特別利用烏桕葉構圖做了幾幅布料印染, 也剪裁製作成 "慢活時裝 " 系列.

  
The chinese tallow is good with iron.

I placed the movement on bottom of the silk.

 

On other pieces I placed assorted small leaves of euc, guava and chinese tallow as well pine needles

 
This piece was Intended to boil in a pot of cochinael for the pink on sleeves

 Almost finished but a collar to add.  I dyed the viscose in a pot of tree barks for the brownish collar..

 

All finished but wanted to do the buttons with printed scraps. I cut off the wooden chopstick and wrapped it.

All done, a shelter for Mogi

   

An outfit with styles of high collar that can be folded in & out.

 

 I always want my garments to suit all ages and easy going

  

That's what I have done recently. Just fine with our mild winder.

Inspired natural prints garment making 田野創意植物染

 

Floating leaves in a breezy winter day...... A light silk outfit is just fine.   Yup, intended placement of plants on the bottom is the theme of this garment.

一件植物印染的製作花了數十小時方能完成, 每一件的製作過程都有靈感來源和故事. 就如這件絲料印上的葉子取自新界塱原農夫剪棄地上的番石榴葉及一撮烏桕加上課堂剩餘的桉樹葉及針松, 簡約鋪排印上. 

話說塱原這近深圳的濕地,禾田阡陌吸引我不同時分到來為一睹稻米收成的色調與豐收,從遠足到踏單車中找到創作泉源.

The prints with the leaves collected in a morning walk and already made into an outfit. The main leaves used are guava and chinese tallow with eucalyptus and pine needles.

  I do hiking almost every Friday.  This is the north mountain in between Hong Kong and China. View is splendid from China on the left to the right Hong Kong.

 Up on the top of Hong Kong region we saw the lowland then we went down and crossed the field. That's the first time I went with our hiking team.  I almost felt in love with the tranquil wetland.

 

 Again and again I went there in different times to view the paddies color change.  Many foreign friends have the instinct Hong Kong is only of high rises. I told them vibrant Hong Kong still has greenery in a stone throw away.  

That day I woke up at 6 am to catch the train to the north in order to have nice shots of the paddies.  The birds were earlier than me in the pond.

Rice paddies in full harvest while lilies are gone.

 That's the view I wanted to see in the morning beam

 

 Farmer's good harvest after hard work

 

Paddies into straw......

   another nice view 

 

In noon I still wanted to see more thus rent a bike along the river and into the village 

 

 Back to the field and picked the guava leaves trimmed by farmer

 Wetland in the dusk and time back home

 The chinese tallow are good for prints.  Can't resist for a go.

 Back home with the little leaves I immediately made the prints on raw silk

The "before & after" of the leaves placement

 I made the prints for an outfit with placement in mind. Two front pieces, one back and two sleeves.  All took me lots of time for the bundling, boiling, ironing, sewing......

  

 I'm too impatient and already sewed the outfit.  Next will be details of the prints and making.

Stay tuned.
Linking with diybydesign party

Mix & Match natural printed outfit 拼拼貼貼草木印染外衣

 

Have done so many panels of prints experiments.  Some good some so so but just wanted to make use of every single piece I sewed together with the pattern learnt from Rivital Avidar with little modified. Of course some printing skills from Irit Dulman.  I like the high slits of traditional Vietnamese costume. This outfit is made with 6 panels cut from the width of different fabrics. They're sorts of silk and wool cotton blend also done in different techniques of natural prints. So far it is the outfit I like most. You'll see details of close look.

The outfit with all-side prints and two wooden buttons.  The back prints with eucalyptus and Lagerstroemia speciosa as well sumac.

 

The main part of front is eucalyptus and papaya with madder. Sleeve blue from indigo.

"Before and After" of the front prints

That's the casual outfit 

 

Just fine in a breezy winter here in Hong Kong 

So the outfit I made with natural prints of eucalyptus, rose & leaf, sumac, casaurina, Lagerstroemia speciosa, papaya leaf and natural dyes of tannin, madder and indigo.

In a nutshell this is the signature garment with all the techniques I learnt or developed myself so far.

Some people asked me the tutorial printing of this garment.  As I said it's the combination of a few skills from basic to advanced that takes some time to achieve.  Sorry for not able to show all techniques right now.  However a part of this outfit, i.e. the eucalyptus on the front and the sleeve I have detailed pdf tutorial on my ETSY.  Here's the link of shopping.

Natural printing Parent-Child Activities 草木印染親子活動

 

Children are creative and naive. Last weekend I taught the eco printing with groups of parents and children in the Hong Kong Heritage Museum. This is one of the students' silk prints. 

  「草木染初探」工作坊是香港文化博物館這一季的親子活動，這日我為小組準備了簡易製作, 利用效果顕著的尤加利、桔子葉、 洋蔥皮及姜黃粉，大小朋友在歡樂歌聲及遊戲中完成鮮明的絲料小製品。

The Museum located by the river in Shatin.

 

It's a parent-child activity, the youngest is 5. They're very creative in placement. 

After introduction and wrapping, bundles are ready for cooking.

 

While boiling the bundles, it's time for fun play and singing about leaves, trees, soil and air...... that bring benefits to human and animals ....... 

Lyrics of positive message for the appreciation and care of trees and leaves.
All participants are so impressive and engaged.

Bundles done in 50 minutes cooking. Looking eagerly............

 

Unwrapping carefully with little helping hands...... 

 

Interesting to find the prints....... wondering why red from green leaves? 

Colors from yellow to gold, green and red.....

Mirror prints is pretty balanced

This is an intro of eco-printing workshop for the parent-child activities.  Since they're young and new to such craft, I taught the simple yet anticipated bright outcome. 

We used different sorts of eucalyptus, Chinese mandarin leaves and onion skins boiled in dye pot with turmeric for yellow tie lines.

Happy group with their works.

Such workshop is part of the quarterly activities and one of my involvements arranged by a Community Art Charitable Organization "Art for All" in the Hong Kong Heritage Museum with the theme of "Fashion + Paper, Scissors and Rock", combine fashion design with traditional craftsmanship.

此次草木染工作坊是非牟利慈善機構「全人藝動  」與香港文化博物館策劃的其中一項活動，以「衣+包、剪、揼」帶出傳統與創新的時裝設計同時展覧中，明年1月18日的「水上華服誌」服裝秀 ，我的植物印染鄉土系列服裝會與其他創作人的設計同塲展現，這將會是我2017年的首項公開活動。

 

A cat walk "Floating Fashion Gala of the T'ang Clan" with the idea of boat people (fisherman) will be taking place in the Museum in Jan. I will join with other designers/artists to have my series of rustic fashion made with new technique of natural prints and dyes for the show.

 That will be my first engagement of natural prints in 2017.