Eco print rose leaves 玫瑰葉印染

This is the third piece of eco print top I made during Easter holiday.

Books by India Flint

Since I received my books "Second Skin" and "Eco Colour", I've never stopped trying. I got more info from the books.This time I done with silk. I soaked the silk fabric in sea water overnight. Then put some rose leaves, rose petals, euc leaves, kind of orchids and a few leaves of
chrysanthemum and it's flowers. Steamed for 40 min and stayed in pot for 2 days.

Result with euc leaves and rose leaves are green and bold but others are not. Wondering if rose leaves are good on sea-water-soaked silk?

Anyway I still pleased with the rose leaves and used the nuno felt skill to make the neckline for the one piece top. Then machine sewed both waist lines.

Here's the look. Green is subtle.

Euc leaves (red ones) are not that bright as on chiffon. Wondering if it's because I used the leaves stored in fridge for 3 weeks?

This is back side.

The top looks a bit small. I may transform it into a girl's dress.

Now that Easter holiday just over. Routines back to track tomorrow. April has least working days. Wow, I'm still in holiday mood !

Simply Life - Food for Thought 深思的簡約生活

In office days, when I'm not engaged, I'd like to bring lunch pack. My meal can be very simple, sometimes rice, sometimes sandwich or salad. Meals going with own made culery is pleasant.

This is fried rice with some chicken fillets, pumpkin and beetroots. Healthy and nice color.

簡單的一餐, "有營有色" - 我的簡約生活Bon Appetit ! - bottom of the plate, sometimes for covering the bowl. Turnover is a picture plate.

Poppies, lavender are my favourite flowers. My painting on ceramic is not good. I can't control the color. Come out always not so bright after fired. Recently, I tried experiments of eco print/ dyeing. Thought beetroots can give brugundy color . I sliced the beetroot and boiled in a pot. So pretty color but when I soaked the fabric in, color doesn't bright as the purple beetroot, only brownish. I gave up.

Then cut the rest beetroots, pumpkin, a little ginger and some boiled chicken fillet. Put all together in a pan with little oliver oil and salt. Covered and heated for 10-min. Pour the cooked rice, stirred with an egg, that's it - a colorful bowl of rice without much seasoning. Sometimes I find myself eclectic in eating. I eat like a bird. My eyes are bigger than my stomach. Buffet is sumptuous but too much and my waste. My motto is "enough is enough".

That day after the light lunch, I promenaded along the office waterfront.

Stolled along and got some leaves with little purple rims. Wanted a go for leaves print.

Laid the leaves with other eucalyptus leaves and caps. Bundled, brought to boil and kept in the thermo pot overnight. To my surprise the green leaves gave green color and caps gave brown though not too bold. The outlines still clear.

I also put the small "round-paired" eucalyptus leaves which used to give deep red/orange color but this time only green. These leaves were stored in freezer for a month. I was wondering if the freezed leaves have any difference in eco print. Have so many queries in mind. Eco print is interesting. Sometimes pleasing outcome, sometimes daunting. Very anxious for the arrival of just ordered book "Eco Colour". Hope to find some hints and answers.

What to do with this piece? Make it a scarf or a bag with stitches outlining the leaves? Of do a nuno felt dress....... ? No idea yet. Doing something unique with hands and eco friendly is food for thought.