Gift set of natural printed pouches 植物印染包包禮物

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 YaLing is one of my students in Taiwan. She's very enthusiastic of natural printing and wool felting and invited me for one-on-one tutelage twice.  She's very generous and so kind that I cherish very much our friendship.  I just wanted to reciprocate her hospitality by making something special and functional. So I printed the fabrics and sewed a series of pouches for her.

YL 是我其中一位很好學熱誠的台灣學生，她對植物印染及纖維創作的熱忱兩度邀請我親往教學，安排上一𢇁不苟，體貼細緻，實在很感動。為表謝意，我為她製作了一系列植物印染包包，我愛親手弄禮品送給我喜歡的人，雖然坊間可以很便宜買到更精美設計的大小包包，我仍是真摯地手作送予會欣賞心思的人。包裹日前收到後YL 馬上給我她在公園𢹂著包包的影子，很可愛的女生。

 

Layout of plants on fabric with appropriate mordants for fabulous effects I learned from Irit Dulman.  This image of "before & after" with different species of eucalyptus, onion skins and yellow Tithonia (Mexican sunflower 五爪金英）YaLing also knew how to make it now.

 

 The cotton "iron carrier" has the mirror prints but not the same color tone as on wool.  Prints on cotton is darker with flower shapes while on wool is more bright.  It's pretty to do something with the cotton prints.

I sewed a simple tote bag with the ready made handles.  That's it.

 

 

Finished the tote bag then used the remnant of the same fabric I sewed a smaller pouch with zipper.

The pouch printed with the leaf of Tithonia too.

I've a bigger piece of silk prints with sumac done before.  I sewed with handle straps and inner pocket so that it can be folded for easy storage.  

YaLing gave me some beautiful handmade papers from Taiwan.  I treasure them so much.

I made a batch of paper prints  

They can be pages for art journal or blank greeting cards.  

 

A set of natural printed pouches was mailed to Taiwan last week.

 

  

YaLing received with surprise and sent me immediately the photos she took during lunch break. 

Nowadays the mass production of pouches in market is very cheap.  Who would like to spend hours in making?  However I like handmade gifts for special ones.  I know they would appreciate the thoughtfulness of the maker.

There are many ways of making "iron carrier" or "iron blanket". I've a post I made it previously.   Based on that accidental outcome I tried on the "iron carrier" for shades.  Here's the post of the effect.

Fun play natural printing with friends 與友植物印染分享

 

It's too good to have friends coming for the fun play of natural printing.  My hiking mates Ellen and Joyce are nature lovers and I sometimes show them my natural prints.  Last day  they come for the experiments.   See Mogi is expecting the outcome....... 

一個下午與友玩玩植物印染, 逗逗貓兒, 隨後我又繼續印染及以他們送給我的果仁烘了些曲奇餅, Ellen 和 Joyce 是我遠足隊友, 我們很愛大自然 , 因著共同興趣, 我樂意與友分享植物的奧妙, 且看這些葉印......

  

They made the prints under my tutelage

Lots of leaves to try for their first time of fun play

Ellen and Joyce are very imaginative .......Dogs and cats silhouette Ellen cut from banana leaf.

  

Dragonfly and hedgehog in the range as Joyce placed.

What will the prints be?  Let's see after 2 hours bundle boiling.

 

While the bundles in the boiling we're having the rich cheese cakes brought from them.  I showed them how I printed the wool fabric with the eucalyptus just got from my bike ride.

 

Well...... moment to open the bundles.

 Nice prints from rose leaves and others.......

  

Orange and red from eucalyptus, lines from casaurina, green from rose and mandarin leaves

Brown from other species of eucalyptus and it's buds

  

Dragonfly !!!  Yes, Joyce made it.

 

The dog prints are a bit blur. I've experiments with silhouette of cats and dogs it's better to soak in iron water for some time beforehand.

It's cute to have the print of a dragonfly as what Joyce expected  The head with cone of casaurina.

 

Hey, it's hedgehog from eucalyptus buds

 

Friends are very imaginative and a lovely afternoon we all have.

Mogi is pampered with their cuddle !

     

 

After Ellen and Joyce gone I made use of the scraps of the "iron carrier" prints from their scarf.  Sewed two cowl scarfs.  Part of the prints left from their original leaves.....the dragonfly still on.

 

Each of the cowl scarf connected with other "leftover" of my previous projects.  

 

Ellen and Joyce are so nice to give me some nuts on their visit.  I made some cookies with them.

I am happy to share with friends with same passion.

How sweet my friends are!  

They made me to pick up again cooking.  Hope the cowl scarf and the cookies remind their fun time with me.

The blue dyed nuno felted scarf 藍染羊毛混纖圍巾

     

The blue nuno felt scarf just made but blue is not dyed from indigo. 

這片藍色染圍巾的藍並不是來自藍草染, 那是取自友人絲路旅遊回來送給我的黑杞子手信, 我泡水飲用後把渣滓加水及明樊染了雪紡, 然後加些羊毛混纖完成這圍巾.

 

After drinking the wild black wolfberries (gogi berry) tea, I sieved the residue and squeezed the liquid for the dye.

Soaked the tied white silk chiffon in the dye with little alum then it turned into blue immediately.

After two days I put in water with little vinegar to fix the color.  

I extended the dyed chiffon with merino wool, a little lincoln wool for texture and mulberry silk for the sheen effect.

Here's the look.................

 

A friend gave me a box of dried black wolfberries from her travel in the northern China.  It said that it's rich in nutrition ingredients and very good to health. Now I still have some to drink and play for blue before I start my indigo vat.