Alpacas trip

Thank goodness It's another good day!
 

I left Toronto my host warm house to another friend's alpacas farm - The Old Mill Alpaca In Colborne. 

好一個美麗旅程，離開多倫多再往160公哩外Colborne 外朋友的羊駝農莊，在這裡有玩不完的軟柔駝羊毛及週邊植物，正是此行交流分享的第一站.....

Amy has a farm of 83 alpacas, 12 dogs, 4 cats...... what a big pet family. Each alpaca has s name. Everyday Amy calls them and cuddles them.

All those furry friends are so warm and friendly. My stay in the farm for a few more days will surly be creative with the "fibre from Gods" and the local hedgerow vegetation. I've already done wool felt flowers with the fleece and eco prints. Fun are going on with the team ......

A flower brooch made with the alpaca fleece

Eco prints with sumac, maple and rose leaves on cotton.  These are trials on the first day. Will do some more and share.

Travel + teaching makes colorful life 生活 - 寓教學於旅遊

Soon I will have a workshop for the making of eco prints and nuno felting in Vancouver, Canada. 

With nature inspiration to make own hand printed botanical pattern and felt it into garment is kind of slow fashion. 

這兩個月我遠行旅遊及教學，八月份英倫、愛爾蘭之行是與友交流聚舊，九月的加拿大是深度教學與旅遊，其間在溫哥華 BC 省主要是教授植物印染及羊毛混纎時尚衣飾製作。

 

 In the workshop I will teach how to imprint directly with leaves, weeds or flowers gathered locally onto silk fabric then make it into wearables. For more info please contact Genoa Daniel genoa55@gmail.com  or Norman Janes norma.janes@gmail.com

 

During the sessions students will learn the prints making with natural resources, extracts and mordants from basic to fabulous shades.

   

    

After the first part of the workshop, students will make a multi styled wrap (scarf-vest) with nuno felt skills.

 

The printed yardage can also be sewed into garment at home or with nuno felt skills make it into a seamless tunic dress in the second part of the workshop.  Students will have hands on experiments of making eco prints samples and two pieces of finished garments.  That's the workshop scheduled in

 Sept 22-25, 2017

 

In Aug and Sept I am off to Europe and Canada. Before my first leg in London and Ireland this week, I grasped the nice hiking with friends in the north of Hong Kong. It was a rainy day but fortunately when we're on the hill top rain stopped and it's clear we can view the well developed China  from Hong Kong border.  Hong Kong is greenery everywhere though some have the instinct of high rises only.  We do have undulating mountains, sea and well accessible networks.

Almost two months away I will surely miss hiking and biking in Hong Kong but anticipating the reunion of friends with same passion in Ireland and UK where we will play with eco printing and wool felting. 

Thank you for my readers who follow my blog. I will still writing when I am on the road as I always said my life is "travel + teaching + playing - I color my life"

外遊的日子我當然很想念香港，謝謝你們的追隨，路上我仍會更新動向。

遠行⋯⋯我仍找緊機會騎單車、走山野，生活是調色盤 -自我調色、調適，自會絢爛！

 

Want to learn ecoprinting and wool felting? Here's the path.....遊走植物與羊毛的創作路

  

This silk yardage I printed with leaves collected in my area with "mix and match" eco-prints technique for the shades. All done with natural resources. 

Just a little merino wool I made a seamless reversible nuno felted dress with own printed silk jersey. I have been doing research and experiments with different plants and techniques in this area. By chance I am invited to teach in Canada this fall.

During the 4-day workshop I will teach the skills of natural printing on silk yardage then make it into a wrap/vest and another one into a seamless reversible nuno felt top/tunic. 

We will use plants to derive pigments with natural extracts

 

Shades and outlines on fabric

I was asked how to become so addicted in fibres.

Well, that's the magic of wool.  I was fascinated by the versatility of wool with nuno felt technique. Then printed and dyed own yardage for garments making.

 

These nuno felt dresses with logwood dyed and assorted leaves prints.  Wool is not only warm but also airy and light.

 

My passion drives me to design a series of rustic costume for the fashion walk.....

passion drives my overseas teaching and interaction....

All those interaction overseas earned me friendship with like-minded people

I like simple and developed my way of working

 

Particularly like to make reversible, functional, multi-style wearables

During the workshop in BC Vancouver I will teach to make this multi-style wrap/vest with own printed yardage.

As well a seamless, reversible nuno felt tunic/top with textures.

For details please contact

 Genoa Daniel email : genoa55@gmail.com

Norma Janes email : norma.janes@gmail.com

Another teaching in Shanghai 又到上海教學

 

 Samples packed, tools packed.......  Yes, this batch is a few of the botanical imprinted samples with assorted leaves on wool, silk and linen as well the handy tools for my teaching in Jinze , outskirt ancient town of Shanghai for eco printing and wool felting workshops this week.

一切準備就緒, 植物移印染樣品及羊毛氈化工具, 甚至羊毛料也特別從英國訂購一同送去上海金澤古鎮教學, 這星期將會沈醉在典雅古樸的工藝坊與學生們研習創作, 沒有互聯網, 沒有臉書,靜待一周後, 回來再見......

 "Mum, make sure the wool is not overweight."

Some 20 kg of Finn and merino wool ordered from UK are shipped together as we wanted the best quality of wool for the students.

 Samples of wool felt purses, eco prints, and nuno felt wearable for the workshops.

 We'll immerse ourselves in the ancient campus of the Jinze Arts Centre........

a pretty venue with the waterway ........Will have no blog, no facebook and no internet for a week, until mid of next week.......

Thanks for stopping by.

I'll be back with updates,,,,,,, stay tuned.

 

Natural dye sustainability program 可持續天然印染社區發展

Nuno felt and natural print and dye

Further to my last workshop of natural dye in THEi for their sustainability program, today I was honored to be a guest for their students to conduct a series of workshops for the trainers of Salvation Army to deploy the sustainability program in the coming year.

有幸今日參與 THei 學生為救世軍義工成員的天然印染工作坊, 這是學院與救世軍的一項可持續發展項目之一.  席間我也示範 nuno felt 及純羊毛的印染效果. 我特別有興趣以紅花可做熱染黃色及隨後泠染的粉紅, 一天的工作坊各人喜孜孜拿著豐富色彩回去, 我也有幸捧著學院講師的著作 "布喜" , 絕對是我的 一本天書. 

After the leuctuer's briefing the workshop started with practice on natural dye with Safflower which gives yellow in hot dye then cold dye to get pink color.

Shades of colors are pretty on different fabrics depend on timing of dipping.

Yellow can also be got from Turmeric dye

So bright yellow on silk and cotton 

While they're practising natural dyeing, I made a wool felt purse to show them the difference on wool dyeing/printing.

The purse was dyed in Turmeric dye pot with eucalyptus prints.  It looks mustard yellow.

They're impressed with the outcome of leaves prints.

I also done two pieces of nuno felt with crinkle chiffon base.  Bundle dyed in Turmeric and iron pot separately.

Their pieces are fantastic.

With iron mordant sandwiched fabric the leaves outlines are great.

Clear outlines of maple, rose and euc leaves on silk.

Paper prints were tried.  Also cotton glove dyed in hot Safflower then cold Safflower was pretty, shades from yellow to orange.

The trainers from Salvation Army and students from THEi are wonderful.  Some participants from Salvation Army are voluntees who will train others for further development in the organisation. Thanks for THEi for the sustainability program.  I walked away with new skills of natural dye.  What's more is the book "Fabric-lous 布喜", the author is one of the organisers.  The book is informative with step-by-step easy guide.  My bible for fabric design!