Eco-print and upcycling to brand new tote bag making 換然一新的袋子製作

The tote bag is made with swatches of my natural eco-prints on both sides.  This side is cotton. 

一片舊綿衣布, 一片絲料子, 印上植物染, 攜著個人風格袋逛街去.

This side is silk

 

A piece of used cotton Tee making the second skin of a tote bag. Both sides of natural prints make the textile art.

Lining with linen, inside pockets and room enough for the big reference books

or a grocery bag for happy shopping

 

The making of the tote bag started with the eco-prints on the fabric. 

I cut off a scrap of my father's old cotton Tee

 With iron mordant the cotton then placed a few eucalyptus, mulberry leaves and casaurina

Covered with another scrap of soy milk mordant cotton and bundle boiled for 1.5 hours for the mirror prints

 Prints on cotton is dark with iron mordant as what I expected looks like ink painting

 

The other mirror print on soy milk mordant cotton is red with euc but mulberry is blurred.  

This scrap will be used for other project later.

 This is the "before & after" of cotton Tee prints

 The other side of the tote bag is silk printed with this sort of unknown leaves

 I sewed the tote bag with swatches of the experiments

To make use of other "not quite good" eco-printed swatches, the straps are part of them.

Finished with the approval of Mogi

Seems he's rather curious of the outside world

 Well, a tote bag up cycled with used cotton Tee is now a brand new one for my shopping

Doing eco-prints with textile is fun.  You can create your unique fabric prints. I've the instant download tutorial of making "Botanical imprints" available on my Etsy on line shop.

Mogi, "it's a sunny day, I'm sun bathing. Have a good day !"

Eco print tote bag 植物印染布袋

My "By-product" of eco prints -  a tote bag. 

After some experiments of rose and euc leavaes on cotton scraps, found my way to do something with them.  

I sewed this as inner pocket for the cotton bag.  

The bag with lining 

Reverse side of the bag 

I bought the cotton fabric in the market.  It's a good buy but if I just made a bag of plain without any pattern, it's not my way.  I do it with my own personality rather then the mass production of common.  So on the outside, another piece  of my leaf print is sewed on. 

Rose with iron mordant -  the upper side is smooth and a bit green on cotton while iron mordant euc silver dollar are a bit brown. 

The prints are botanic alchemy. 

Now that the bag is with inside and outside pockets of my eco prints. 

This cotton bag is big enough and strong to carry some books.  

That's my way of making.

Make it a bag 植物印染布袋

Mogi, "Mum made a tote bag with her eco printed fabric."

"She laid out assorted euc leaves and rose leaves.

What?   Make a face? "

I put the leaves on a 100% silk fabric. Euc leaves for ears, eyes, stalk peels of rose for the head outlines.  Two-fold wrapped and boiled in water with a little vinegar for an hour.  Unbundled and sewed a tote bag. 

Mogi, "Mum, it doesn't look like me. Christine S. said it looks like a panda rather than a cat !"

It doesn't matter, just for fun to have a pattern bag.  I made the bag with lining (scraps of curtain samples) and straps (cotton dyed in my Portugal workshop last).

A finished look of two-side bag

A bag for carrying books, for grocery ..... anything as l like.

Another smaller bag also made with eco prints for my friend "IL".  I gave her two years ago a bag with painting.  I know it's washed out.  Just wanted to give her a new one. 

With the lining and inner pocket written - "I'm Original - tk"

Straps are waist strap from used coat

The fabric and leaves are soaked in alum. So prints are a bit yellowish. 

Wish "IL" loves this bag

We're into summer.  Mogi, it's so hot for holding you around but you do inspire me creation!

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