Series of eco fashion from trio-design 設計師的自然回歸時裝展

Not long ago I was approached by young fashion designer/ artist SeeManHo for the bespoke natural prints for her eco fashion exhibition. Concept was all natural and back to nature. With another felt maker Magenta who made the wool felt part, designer SeeManHo made a series of eco fashion with my natural printed fabrics.  Her design is simply fresh, natural and well fit the theme.  Fabrics printed mainly of eucalyptus cinerea and casaurina. Since cotton needs mordant before printing, I have to make soybean mordant thus the process took quite some time to finish.
早前為香港年輕時裝設計師何詩敏 (二犬十一咪) 以天然植物印染 一批主題綿布, 她設計了一系列的自然回歸手工時裝 , 配搭另一位羊毛氈工藝家 (Magenta) 的服飾, 展現自然柔和的簡約時裝.

Wool felt cape and single sleeve by Magenta

 

This set of black and white, printed with casaurina.

 The linen pants of eucalytpus and casaurina

 A few panels printed with iron mordant euc and casaurina

 All fabrics are bundle boiled for two hours

Such fresh and natural printed series of eco fashion. 

Photo credits to SeeManHo.

Natural dye sustainability program 可持續天然印染社區發展

Nuno felt and natural print and dye

Further to my last workshop of natural dye in THEi for their sustainability program, today I was honored to be a guest for their students to conduct a series of workshops for the trainers of Salvation Army to deploy the sustainability program in the coming year.

有幸今日參與 THei 學生為救世軍義工成員的天然印染工作坊, 這是學院與救世軍的一項可持續發展項目之一.  席間我也示範 nuno felt 及純羊毛的印染效果. 我特別有興趣以紅花可做熱染黃色及隨後泠染的粉紅, 一天的工作坊各人喜孜孜拿著豐富色彩回去, 我也有幸捧著學院講師的著作 "布喜" , 絕對是我的 一本天書. 

After the leuctuer's briefing the workshop started with practice on natural dye with Safflower which gives yellow in hot dye then cold dye to get pink color.

Shades of colors are pretty on different fabrics depend on timing of dipping.

Yellow can also be got from Turmeric dye

So bright yellow on silk and cotton 

While they're practising natural dyeing, I made a wool felt purse to show them the difference on wool dyeing/printing.

The purse was dyed in Turmeric dye pot with eucalyptus prints.  It looks mustard yellow.

They're impressed with the outcome of leaves prints.

I also done two pieces of nuno felt with crinkle chiffon base.  Bundle dyed in Turmeric and iron pot separately.

Their pieces are fantastic.

With iron mordant sandwiched fabric the leaves outlines are great.

Clear outlines of maple, rose and euc leaves on silk.

Paper prints were tried.  Also cotton glove dyed in hot Safflower then cold Safflower was pretty, shades from yellow to orange.

The trainers from Salvation Army and students from THEi are wonderful.  Some participants from Salvation Army are voluntees who will train others for further development in the organisation. Thanks for THEi for the sustainability program.  I walked away with new skills of natural dye.  What's more is the book "Fabric-lous 布喜", the author is one of the organisers.  The book is informative with step-by-step easy guide.  My bible for fabric design!

Rust dye chiffon scarf 鏽染絲巾

Accidentally I found the easier way of iron mordant.  This is not my discovery.  Experts may already known and used it. 

 很偶然我的鐵鏽媒染有新發現, 可能專家們覺得我小兒科, 這鐵鏽媒染對我而言是簡單、快捷及不會太濃黑。且看做法.......

This is the way I make the iron mordant by wrapping the chiffon around a rusty pipe, clamp it with rusty clips.  Pour vinegar diluted water over the bundle.  Let it soaked, set aside in open area for some hours.  For me 8-hour is fine to get fabric rusted.  I've made two pieces.

This is one of it.  Indeed rust prints are almost good enough.  

My thought was to wrap with euc leaves to get bright orange color over brown rust marks.  I bundled and boiled in clear water with some vinegar .  After opening some brown rust marks got dark after boiling.

Rose leaves and euc silver dollars leaves are dark with some tie marks.

Though not as expected to have orange prints, I noted the brown rust "penetrated" fabric so most part got iron mordant to dark color in the boiling pot.

The chiffon scarf with both ends some rust marks while the middle part has soft grey. 

This one is longer

This one is wider with some bold euc leaves prints and a little purple.

I like the shades of dark and the tie marks.

I used to wrap with rusty objects and boil for some hours but it's too dark or fabric "rotten" by the iron objects.  After this experiment I'll do my way to get fabric iron mordant so it would not be too dark.

Before I do not like much dark scarf but this gradation of colors even with a little purple in the middle.  Loving it ........Thanks for Sandy D who taught me the way to do rust marks while we're in Spain.

Incidental outcome 錯有錯著的效果

"Blue, blue, mum never blue.....  how come mum made it blue", Mogi curious.

何以天然印染的白色羊毛衣有藍染 ?

A wool top of prints of eucalytus leaves with blue background.  How come?

Digged my wardrobe to do eco print experiments, I found this wool top with a blue stripe.

Placed the rose leave, eucalyptus leaves and twigs. rolled up and tied a bundle.  Boiled for an hour.  Oh my God....... it's breeding.... "blue blood".

The blue tie stripe was breeding and made the whole bundle blue.  Fortunately the leaves marks are still clear.

Thought it's the chemical dye of blue that made the eucalyptus leaves from red to dark. Oak leaf is same usual dark.

Twigs outlines are clear and bold.

Rose leaf is clear.

Tie marks on shoulder.

Mogi, "haha.... mum, you can't claim this is eco dye...."

Mogi, "no eye see it, mum should mind any color other than white when doing prints."

The accidental outcome is not too bad but it's not my idea of eco print.  Anyway, a lesson to learn.

這是錯有錯著的效果, 但我不能說是天然印染, 下次我要特別留意不可混有其他顏色做印染.