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.

New prints after Israel 以色列學的針松印染

 

From the workshop in Israel, I learnt from Irit Dulman  the prints of pine - Casuarina.  Yesterday I went to the area near my studio to source the pine.  To my surprise there're a few.  I picked a little and tried on a silk fabric. Here's the one just done.

 

I'm not sure if this is the sort of Casuarina.  No harm to do experiment with it.

 

I laid a few different plants - euc, rose leaves, camomile and other unknown.  I put on half  the fabric and folded. 

 

After 1.5 hours boiling.  Camomile is bright, pine is not so but still clear .

 

Before and after for comparison

 

Just love the yellow prints, golden yellow.

 

The two-fold come out funny

 

Try your imagination........

 Simple prints tested.  Another scarf for the light summer breeze.

Thought the iron mordant for the pine is not enough.

 

Another silk fabric I printed with pine is darker. So that's the difference of mordant.  Will show more after the fabric turned into a wearable.

Botanical imprints workshop Israel 以色列植物印染

To prepare the workshop taught by Irit Dulman, we went to the Forest-Abboretum to pluck  sorts of euc leaves and the yellow flower Camomile Dyer

Make sure all in good order

Lots of leaves, euc, Casuarina, guava, oak, maple... 

The yellow flowers are so yummy.....

We're kind to nature. The snails attached under the petals were set free. We picked them out and put them back to the flower field before we soaked the flowers in alum.

Next morning, The workshop ran on schedule with Irit's introduction and demo.

Students started the laying and bundling.

After 2 sessions of different skills, it's my turn to share.

Irit's students made amazing prints. The Casuarina and yellow flowers are quite strong prints.

Students each done a few bundles with different methods and mordants

Opening bundles are always excited. 

Prints on this cotton top are so fine and detailed.

All these amazing outcome  under the guidance of Irit Dulman are truly amazing.

Bundles of these in purple dye pot are waiting to open.

Effect on cotton with fine outlines

Casuarina and the yellow Camomile Dyer are bold and strong with iron.

Such great experiments with different skills and different come out.

I'm glad for the chance of meeting some Facebook friends here in Israel.

Thank you so much for Irit Dulman's excellent organising for her wonderful workshop with a bunch of lovely ladies.  I learnt the new skills and happy to share a session with them. 

My big project is going on. What's it? Stay tuned.