Mending by wool 羊毛修復物

 The day I went to the shop to source silk fabrics, I found the very fine knitted wool.  So delicate and soft but I'm not sure if it's good for botanical imprints.  It's not cheap compare with silk I usually buy.  While hesitated the owner Mrs Chow said she got a piece with a little tatter that she could offer me special price.  I found it's only minor flaw I may use wool to mend it. So the 2-yd knitted wool went into the cooker for my experiment.
This is the piece I printed with assorted eucalyptus and rose leaves.  The shawl came out nice and the amended part just icing on the cake.

I intentionally to put the leaves only on the upper and bottom with the middle blank.

The left pic is the tattered part.  I put some wool over and underneath the wool fabric.  After rubbing and it's felted.

I put the leaves over the wool fabric with rose petals on the wool felted spot.

The upper part sandwiched with leaves so the "collar" both sides with prints.

The bundle was blended tightly.  I like to blend it and pull the tie string around firmly. The main reason is I boil it in my small electric cooker which barely fit this big round bundle.

Unwrapped after some time of boiling.  The eaves prints and hue of iron mordant.  The wool felted spot just got little purple from rose petals

It's not bad with wool mending.

Fingers crossed if to cut  two arm holes to make a vest.

Most likely leave it as it is.  This kind of knitted wool is so soft,  no crease, light and drapes well.

It takes up pigment and not necessary hemmed.

Such a good buy and experiment on new fabric.
Technique of making this natural prints available in my ETSY instant download pdf tutorial.

Gold prints 金黃印染

Every time I got the prints - such bright prints from green leaves, I really appreciate mother nature gives some eucalyptus such beautiful color.

每一次的印染效果總有不同, 特別是桉樹的顏色明明是綠色何以出現金黃.....橙色甚至鮮紅 ?  

樹木的奧妙, 尤是桉樹, 怎不另人讚嘆 ! 最近以尼絨做了幾項實驗, 桉樹的鮮艷最為特出.

Thought to put aside the dye pot for a while due to our Chinese New Year is approaching and I'm busy in family gatherings.  I've to clear the fridge but can I throw away those euc leaves blew from strong winds.  No no no, every piece is from mother nature and must be used up properly.  That's why I made a few bundles with all sorts of leaves I have before the festival.

Here they are.......

Simply the euc leaves and little rose leaves dipped in vinegar, bundled and boiled for 2 hours.

Gorgeous gold to orange color.  I really love it.

This is so impressive

This piece with euc cinerea from florist, some maple and rose leaves. All with iron mordant.

I made a total of four pieces, the former three are with iron mordant thus with darker shades.

  Orange is bold and outlines are clear.

I know maples are not sharp or bold, so I put a few euc cinerea to bring the red.

 Maple and rose leaves.  Euc cinerea is outstanding.

Euc and rose leaves

Rose petals and leaves 

Maple, euc cinerea and rose leaves

Before and after for reference

Maple, rose leaves and euc cinerea

 

Maple, rose leaves and euc cinerea

Euc and rose petals on the bottom - a little purple

"Hmmmmm, gold is bold...."

 

Make it a runner......

or wrap around to keep me warm?

 

Each of different patterns, some with dark shades.

"Want to know  how to make shades?  Mum has tricks "

 "Tell you the secret, Mum uses iron mordant synthetic fabric to cover the leaves and bundle up so have dark outlines and shades. "

 

Mogi, "I don't know if it's that simple, I wanna out for a look is my simple request."

Indeed fabric is the key success.  The prints are done on "boiled wool" I bought from the shop.  

It's marvelous to do prints with.  No wonder my overseas friend asked me to mail her some more after her experiments. 

Happy printing !

Cat prints 貓語

Cat walk -  can you see it ?

These days I've only cats and leaves in my mind - even doing eco prints with the idea of cats.  After I can control the leaf prints I started to sketch a picture with leaves and made it a tote bag.

這些日子鍥而不捨的要做到好一點的植物印染, 經過無數次的嘗試與失敗, 終於在老公大人的提點後在鐵質媒染上控制到清晰的效果, 他取笑說我日以繼夜, 夜以繼日的 "剪布" 做實驗 !  我想像用葉子構圖做了這個絲質布袋, 你看到

"叢林中的貓兒" 嗎?

A tote bag is made with both sides botanic prints, the top and the handles are also of eco prints.  I call this " A cat walking in the brush".

The cat shape is indeed cut from euc leaf

Below is how I made it 

Open the mirror fold

  

 All leaves are iron mordant except the middle one of orange

 Made two bundles.  See the different cats.

 I'm quite pleased with this experiment - bold, strong and sharp.

Cats cats cats, Mogi is my inspiration. 

This tote bag is small but still good for grocery shopping or whatever purposes.

I'm addicted to botanic prints. Spent quite some efforts and materials on experiments, not only to myself. When I almost daunted my husband gave me lots advice on iron mordant.  Without his support I wouldn't have achieved this pleasing outcome.  Thanks also for his gift of many yards of silk fabric on my birthday.  

On my day, I pamper myself a 3-week to Spain / Portugal for the wool extravagaza and get together with brilliant friends.

Hit my road tomorrow but not with Mogi....