Bugs triggered me 技癢難耐

This nuno felt dress I made right after my workshop with Vilte Kazlauskaite last year.  I was quite pleased with this light and elegant first experiment .  My girl demonstrated it well, right?

去年在Vilte Kazlauskaite 的工作坊學習回來後, 馬上做了這件nuno felt雪紡裙子.

 I endeavour to have a change of this white dress which may be a risk to spoil it.  Fingers crossed but to move up, error and trial is the process of learning new skills.  I told myselt if this one turned out to be nasty, I can make another new one. 

雖然白色很清雅飄逸, 也想為裙子來一次顏色改變, 有可能會弄巧反拙. 可會嗎? 嘗試才有進步, 如何開始?  

Days before Hong Kong was devastated by the strong typhoon and many trees fell down.  On my way to the office my coach passed by the train station, I noted there were eucalyptus trees fell down.  It's a pity to see the scene. 

日前颱風襲港, 夜半十號風球高懸, 樹木東歪西倒, 在我上班途中經過中大火車站一帶的桉樹也連根拔起, 有點不忍.  那一刻使我馬上決定下班後去檢拾新鮮的樹葉做我的植物環保印染.

Such big trees took some years to grow but destroyed in a night. Sigh. A thought  hit me, why not pick some leaves for eco print. 

Immediately after work I went to the train station and got a bag full of two different kinds of fresh eucalyptus leaves.  In Hong Kong we're not allowed to pluck the euc. leaves.  Indeed they're too tall to reach by hand.  All those I picked on the road are "treasures" for me. 

如獲至寶滿滿的一袋兩品種的桉樹葉, 回到家裡立即把那純白 nuno felt 裙子進行實驗. 結果如何?  且看 .........

So, started the nuno felt dress for my experiment with the euc. leaves. Intended to have the  two different leaves types on the top and lower part.  Soaked the whole dress in diluted vinegar water.  Wrapped it and boiled for 45-min.

After 24 hours in a thermo pot, time to unbundle. Anxious to see how it will be......

The top is bold and bright with string marks.

But the lower part with this sort of leaves is not that obvious.

This is steps of making

Indeed I turned over the dress, the leaves were put inside (sandwich) so prints on both front and back. I rolled it up and tied it, boiled for 45-min and stayed in the thermo pot overnight. Unbundled it after 24 hours.

The front look

Back look with strings at the top.

Before and after.

Close up

Close look - nuno felt flowers, sheen of white mulberry silk.

Full look.

Before and after.  Daughter and Mother.

This is fine but my expectation is with deep brown or deep purple prints of leaves. May be if I bundled it with an iron rod or with iron in the pot, I can get it.  Anyway, worth for a trial,  I still have some leaves to test.

Could anyone tell me how do you think this outcome.

Thanks for stopping by.

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Blue, blue I'm not blue 撥開烏雲見蔚藍

Pastel blue is one of my favourite colors.

Today is raining. Weather forecast even for the whole week will be raining. What a gloomy week ! What matter most is color will change mood. Looking at the nuno felt top I made last weekend. I'm not blue. 近日烏雲密佈, 太陽也躲起, 藍天不現, 祗要好心景, 每日都是蔚藍天.

夏天將至, 我仍醉心做我的羊毛創作, 朋友問香港那麼熱, 穿有羊毛成份的衣物不是很熱嗎? 我說祗用少許羊毛以雪紡做的衣物是輕而薄的, 日前我做了這件雪紡上衣, 不是很清新嗎?

This photo was taken last Sunday near my studio. It's a fine day with breeze.

Here in Hong Kong, weather in summer is humid and hot but still I can make apparel with wool. My friends asked if it's hot to wear something made with wool. I said not really if we just use a little wool to make a nuno felt dress or top like this is airy.

You see I only used a little bit of merino wool on the upper part of a crinkle chiffon base.

Materials are only merino wool, mulberry silk, scraps of chiffon.

Same as I did before. This is a one-piece chiffon without cutting. I put the foam resist in between then scattered some white merino wool on the upper part and along the waist lines then covered the chiffon.
Put scraps of chiffon, mulberry silk, merino wool over the upper part.

Done the rolling and light rubbing. The agitation made wool felt with chiffon to form the special textures and the waist lines "attached". I cut the neckline then the top is made. Basically no needle is required to make a top like this.






I used the same crinkle chiffon with merino wool to do a "rope" around the waist.











Close up of texture

Front and back look.

I like to do apparels for all ages. I need a young look to enhance my piece. My daugter just got married. Yesterday when she's back from honeymoon I grasped her to show it.

Nuno felt is a wonderful thing. The texture is what I want to make. This shawl goes well with my gown on daughter's wedding.

My marvelous piece ! Am I boasting ......?!

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Eco print nuno felt loose blouse 植物印染 nuno felt 襯衫

A long weekend Easter holiday just started. Time for my creation. It's getting warm but wool can still be used to make summer clothing. On my morning walk yesterday I passed by a eucalyptus tree and got some windfalls. Together with some fresh bought from a florist I decided to do a loose blouse with simple nuno felt.

趁復活節長假期, 我把在路上檢拾的桉樹葉和在花店買的一起做了一件nuno felt 鬆身襯衣, 配上重新改做的腰帶, 羊毛既是冬日物料亦可作夏日輕薄衣物. Within 18 hours I done the nuno felt eco print loose blouse as well an upcyled belt.這是 "一件頭" 襯衫, 左右從腋下至衣腳祗用羊毛氈化結合, 基本上是不用針線的, 所以這是一件很簡單易做又方便的襯衫.
Steps of making :

1. I used a foam resist.

2. Folded the resist with white crincled chiffon
3. In between the folded chiffon, along with the foam resist I laid the thin merino wool along waist sides from "underarm" till the bottom then fold covered the chiffon. Scattered a little wool over the upper part. Followed by the usual rolling and fulling. This steps are rather simple and easy. Less then 30-min. I finished it.

4. I laid the eucalyptus leaves. Narrow ones were windfalls, heart shaped were from florist. Covered with plastic wrap.

Bundled and boiled for 30-min. Left in the thermo pot overnight. I was too impatient to unbundle it this morning. Should I have left it longer it might have been bolder. I'm not sure. Patience is my Achilles' heel!

Close up of prints. Some deep red on the part with wool, some light green just on the chiffon.

Front and back sides

This blouse is made of a one piece fabric with nuno felt skill. Basically not a stitch is used. Two sides are fixed with wool agitation. I just cut the neckline for slip on.

The belt is made of my son's discarded jean belt. I've the rust-dyed silk I don't like much. I wrapped and machine sewed it to a belt.

Front and back look

It's simple, it's easy to make, it's subtle, it's organic. Right? Holiday just started I've already done three pieces of eco print blouses. I'll show you bit by bit in the coming days. If you do not find being bombarded, please stay tuned.

Until next time.

Happy Easter !!

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