Bright botanical imprints workshop 金黃耀目植物印染工作坊

 

 Year 2020 is closing and it's my last fibre art workshop. What's best to show off what I am doing is wearing something of my own creation.  The eco printed face mask and nuno felted scarf are my daily wearable must. 

2020快要完結，通常我出門身上總有一兩件自己的纎維製作，這年一個疫情，口罩已是必需品。

 

The name of the studio is "Gaap Jyut Bing" something looks like ABC.  Simple and easy to remember.  This is where the workshop took place.

 

Display and entrance are kind of reminiscence. 

今日是年終最後一堂的植物印染教學，工作室名字「甲乙丙」予人親切易記如 ABC、123，門面懷舊擺設，內裏寬敞裝潢別緻，學員半天笑談弄枝葉，製作了獨特鋪陳的純絲圍巾。

  

A group of four included pairs of parent-kid made the eco printed scarfs in four hours in the spacious studio.

 

 This is a special workshop for the group of whom I knew in the biking team.

Year 2020 is a difficult year since COVID-19 outbreak and almost all activities called off. Schools have to close for zoom teaching and many people have to work from home. A few family members joined my regular biking team and we're getting quite well with the kids since early this year.  One of the team members, KC is the owner of the studio and invited me to offer a session of eco printing workshop.

這年突然而來的疫情打亂全球，我的海外教學議程告吹，留港閒來多是踏單車及撿花草作實驗，疫情下也多了家庭成員參加我的車隊出行，當中小孩子特別活躍開朗，我們很投契，成員KC的工作室「甲乙丙」安排了這場植物印染工作坊，一個周日半天親子活動，孩子把洋蔥皮剪成心型及零碎襯托枝葉，砌成的飛鳥狀，很有心思，扎作好放鍋中煮，一個多小時後，喜孜孜的解拆，各人構圖不一，有簡約線條，有豐富重叠，金黃主調黃葉舞秋風，每片都是葉子原有形狀，有些葉脈清晰呈現，好一個別開生面的植物印染體驗，有別於傳統的扎染效果。

A bunch of flowers from my rural neighbour after riding and that's what I usually gathered after biking.

 

Video of the fun played in the studio.

It's parent-kid interaction, kids are very imaginative and talented.

 

 Less is more.

 

 After layout on the fabric and bundled boiling for 1.5 hours.

Here came the outcome.

Looks like a flying bird.

Yellow from onion skins and leaves of lemon marigold as well ferns.

Just stokes of casaurina and lemon marigold flowers.

Simple and clear.

Prints of both sides of leaves.

Onion skins printout looks like a flying pigeon.

Printout of leaves tended yellowish as silk fabric mordant in alum.

The rich golden yellowish looks like autumn windfalls.

 

 A piece of rich printout with ferns, onion skins, assorted eucalyptus, passion fruit leaves, casaurina and rose leaves.

 

 

Each group find their unique printings.

 

Thanks for the studio host Florence's yummy Earl grey tea chiffon cake.

Me and Mogi loving it.

Fibre arts creation 纖維創作

Year 2020 is difficult for all of us.  We used to travel for teaching or learning overseas but all schedules hold off or cancelled. People in lockdown have to find something engaged. I need to review what I have been doing these years. Though I addicted to eco printing I find wool felting, my initial encountered fibre arts, is versatile in my creation. I'm back to felting table  these days. This is a knitted wool jersey I sewed it a raglan tunic with only neckline wool felted. 

這年不能遠行，日子還是要過，待家也未有閒着，拿來一片針織羊毛料做衣裳，領圍則以羊毛混纖完成，這純白上衣襯上手作植物印染皮腰帶及羊毛混纖手袋簡約自然。

 

 White is pure and goes well with botanical eco printed leather belt and accompanied with  nuno felted purse.  I like the set but can't resist to do eco printing on it just with basic skills and simple eucalyptus layout.   Here come the result.......

就是按奈不着那細柔的羊毛布料印上桉葉的效果，我急不及待，白色的衣裳馬上與桉葉結合成另一欵襯衣，明亮的白中有橙紅。

Simply with eucalyptus leaves and a few strokes of casaurina.

 Just don't want to waste the remnant I printed it the same tone. Looks like set of tunic and mask.

 

Another fibre creation is wool felt purse.

  

Weather is becoming cool and wool felted purse is a warm accessory. Made this seamless purse with inner pocket.  Both sides embellished with lace and yarns with nuno felt technique.

為機構再續纖維藝術教學，我又重拾羊毛氈創作，就這麼又做了兩件無縫手包，一件蕾𢇁混線，另一件後期再做植物印染。

Another seamless purse done with white wool fleece then eucalyptus printed.

 

A hat round with wool jersey eco printed scraps.  Set of fibre art creation - wool and eco printing.

帽子繞著桉葉印染配著肩包與腰包。

 

Strolling in my area wrapped in eco prints. Sounds no one recognises me.

Thought Mogi approves it and likes sitting in the shade with fragrance of eucalyptus.

 

The tunic in white with wool felt neckline I have only dressed once for shooting. Now eucalyptus printed and will be my casual winter top, bright color makes me cheerful.  

DIY botanical imprinted tote bag 植物印染皮包

Sometimes I got the hides for botanical imprinted with less pleased outcome but just don't want to waste it.  I made them into nice combination and practical use. Done a few botanical imprinted leather tote bags with swatches and up-cycled accessories.

有時我的皮革植物印染效果未如理想，不想棄之，最近買下幾片羊仔皮，誰知加熱後縮到一半原來尺碼，且硬如皮盾，唯有祇作冷泡扎染，於是就把早前的實驗碎塊與扎染羊皮及舊皮手袋手挽、拉鍊配件拆下重用，就這樣做了幾個輕巧實用皮包，送給好友，希望受樂受用！

 

Each of different sides of which the leather pockets are made of botanical prints while the whole bag is still of dyed leather. 

 

This one is a failed print which shrunk too much almost half the original size but the "wave of shrunken texture" is unique so I just sewed it as it is for the external pockets.

I bought a few hides in a local shop at very cheap price but after a trial found it's no good for eco printing as after heating it shrunk half the size and hard as a weapon.   It's better just to do cold tie dye with natural extracts. 

Made a damped tie dye in logwood or lac extracts for a few hours.

With those swatches done before I started the tote bag sewing.

Sewed the inner pocket with the canvas printing and dismantled the handles and zipper from the wore out bag for the up-cycle making.

Both sides of the eco dyed leather tote bag with upcycled handles and botanical leather imprints.

Tote bags of all leather,  soft and unique also with inner and outer pockets.  It's roomy and practical.  This special one I made for my daughter's mother-in-law.  Today a leisure walk to the seashore where my studio located. 

A gift of handmade tote bag is a touch of love.  I embellished with a ceramic button knot made it a two-styled bag.

 

Carry it to the seashore and listening to the wave......

 

Another cross shoulder purse accompanies the tote bag gift.  The zipper is also from the up-cycled purse.  This is eco printed linen fabric.

One side with the outer pocket of leather prints and zipper with my ceramic bird pendant with wool felt wings.

 

Thought this is something represents what I am doing. From ceramic making, wool felting to eco printing. Whenever I am asked what's my current profession.  I would show my style that's why I always wearing in my way with own creation.

 

Botanical imprints on leather is interesting.  If you can source reliable hides you can make colorful, soft and impressive printing.  I have instant download pdf tutorial of making leather botanical imprints you may find interested.

 

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