Color from Mother Nature 奇妙色調

For the preparation of upcoming eco print workshop I tried the fabrics bought.  I'm serious in teaching.  I make sure the materials are good. Done a few pieces in the last 24 hours.  

All with fresh or dried euc leaves, barks, rose leave, air roots..... 

 Leaves prints on a wool felt scarf

  Different shades of orange color of euc leaves.  All are strong 

 Soft and light chiffon scarf with fresh euc leaves

 My first trial with banyan tree air roots to make a painting of "grasses and flowers"

 Folded to have double side

 I may make a tote bag with this double-sided fabric

  Floating in the air

 Propellent of curiosity of eco print will be long.  We've a saying "A journey of thousand miles begins with a single step".  There're lots to discover, lots to experiment. 

 Are  the 4-legged ones walking faster to success !!??

 Mogi - my 4-legged.  I count on him to  show my piece in a good manner.

Oh dear,  you. behave...... 

 Giggle...

 Prints of bayan tree air roots are wonderful to discover.  Tried before the leaves but no avail.
 

 But the thriving leaves are good shade for sunshine and rains

 A bounty of beauty from Mother Nature.

 Curiosity of eco print drives me into never ending experiment.

Mogi said, "mum, do whatever you like, whatever you find happines but don't bother me.  I wish I've wings to fly......" 

  Linking with Happyhourprojects
Linking with FineCraftGuild

Bugs triggered me 技癢難耐

This nuno felt dress I made right after my workshop with Vilte Kazlauskaite last year.  I was quite pleased with this light and elegant first experiment .  My girl demonstrated it well, right?

去年在Vilte Kazlauskaite 的工作坊學習回來後, 馬上做了這件nuno felt雪紡裙子.

 I endeavour to have a change of this white dress which may be a risk to spoil it.  Fingers crossed but to move up, error and trial is the process of learning new skills.  I told myselt if this one turned out to be nasty, I can make another new one. 

雖然白色很清雅飄逸, 也想為裙子來一次顏色改變, 有可能會弄巧反拙. 可會嗎? 嘗試才有進步, 如何開始?  

Days before Hong Kong was devastated by the strong typhoon and many trees fell down.  On my way to the office my coach passed by the train station, I noted there were eucalyptus trees fell down.  It's a pity to see the scene. 

日前颱風襲港, 夜半十號風球高懸, 樹木東歪西倒, 在我上班途中經過中大火車站一帶的桉樹也連根拔起, 有點不忍.  那一刻使我馬上決定下班後去檢拾新鮮的樹葉做我的植物環保印染.

Such big trees took some years to grow but destroyed in a night. Sigh. A thought  hit me, why not pick some leaves for eco print. 

Immediately after work I went to the train station and got a bag full of two different kinds of fresh eucalyptus leaves.  In Hong Kong we're not allowed to pluck the euc. leaves.  Indeed they're too tall to reach by hand.  All those I picked on the road are "treasures" for me. 

如獲至寶滿滿的一袋兩品種的桉樹葉, 回到家裡立即把那純白 nuno felt 裙子進行實驗. 結果如何?  且看 .........

So, started the nuno felt dress for my experiment with the euc. leaves. Intended to have the  two different leaves types on the top and lower part.  Soaked the whole dress in diluted vinegar water.  Wrapped it and boiled for 45-min.

After 24 hours in a thermo pot, time to unbundle. Anxious to see how it will be......

The top is bold and bright with string marks.

But the lower part with this sort of leaves is not that obvious.

This is steps of making

Indeed I turned over the dress, the leaves were put inside (sandwich) so prints on both front and back. I rolled it up and tied it, boiled for 45-min and stayed in the thermo pot overnight. Unbundled it after 24 hours.

The front look

Back look with strings at the top.

Before and after.

Close up

Close look - nuno felt flowers, sheen of white mulberry silk.

Full look.

Before and after.  Daughter and Mother.

This is fine but my expectation is with deep brown or deep purple prints of leaves. May be if I bundled it with an iron rod or with iron in the pot, I can get it.  Anyway, worth for a trial,  I still have some leaves to test.

Could anyone tell me how do you think this outcome.

Thanks for stopping by.

Linking with WeekEndShowOff Party

Eco leaves prints comparison 植物印染效果比較

Done a few pieces of eucalyptus leaves prints for comparison. They're yummie color. I done on a wool felt scarf, a nuno felt book cover and a box (the box is a kind of very special material!). I don't know the proper breeds of these eucalyptus leaves. Just found two of these are very good on wool. I also put a few maple leaves but effect is not that sharp . The "heart" shape and the "willow" shape leaves give bold and bright red (or brownish) on wool.

Love the come out on wool felt scarf.

Compare the two pieces, the left wool felt scarf got bold color and the right silk scarf got pale red. Both are good to my expectation.

Mobi, "hey, what's up? Can you do something for me?"

Fresh Eucalyptus leaves on the box also bold. I made this felted box with my Tiger's ......... Don't feel weird.

Tiger was my cat for only 4.5 years old. Since he's a baby I combed his hair and kept for doing something with wool felt skill. Though he's no more with us, he's always in our mind. It's good to have something as a keepsake.

Simple eco-print and dyeing 簡單環保植物印染

This weekend I did two pieces of nuno felt scarves and tried different eco-print and dyeing. The left one is done with eucalytus (桉樹或稱尤加利) barks & leaves and the right one is onion dyeing.

日前做了兩件nuno felt 圍巾為的是要實驗環保植物印染法. 我在路邊拾了些桉樹葉及樹皮. 一件用樹葉, 一件用洋蔥衣, 很簡單的, Yesterday I picked some fallen barks and leaves for eco-dyeing. Indeed I'm not sure if it's eucalytus as leaves are long different from others. The bark looks like eucalytus. Anyway they can be used for dyeing.
I made two nuno felt scarves in a run. I laid one sheet, wet it then cover with bubble wrap and laid another sheet over the bubble wrap. Rolled in one go. I was a bit lazy but this kills a bird with one stone. As both were thin I only rolled for a while. Saved energy !

先做好兩件nuno felt 圍巾, 浸在混有白醋的水中一刻, 這有助上色.

After all felted. Washed throughly and soaked into water with some vinegar for a while. I scattered on the scarf with some leaves and barks as well some onion skins then bundled it with cotton thread. I steamed it with a rice cooker for around 45 minutes and leave it overnight. During steaming the room was full of pleasant fragrance of eucalytus. Sort of theraphy ! 一條圍巾包紮著桉樹葉,樹皮及零碎的洋蔥衣, 以電飯鍋蒸45分鐘, 待十小時後解開. Next morning I was so eager to see how it turned. Slightly unwrapped a little. Oh, got colored. I unwrapped the whole bundle. It turned out onion skin has strong brown color than barks. Leaves have some greenish. It looks like this. The middle brown effect is of onion skins, more bold. The other nuno felt scarf I tried with onion skin dyeing.I put all the onion skins in a new short panty host and boiled it for 45-min. Taking out the skins, I put the scarf and simmered for 30-min till it cool down.

用洋蔥衣漂染的先熱一鍋水加有洋蔥衣, 煮30分鐘, 取去渣滓, 放下圍巾慢火熱 30分鐘, 待涼, 取出, 稍過水便成.

Onion skins bring out strong brownish.




I'm not sure if this is the correct way to make eco-print or plant dyeing. For onion skin dyeing the pot I only added some salt. I don't have any mordant in hand nor any knowledge about mordant. This is my second experiment of eco-dyeing. It's fun and environmental friendly. Will read more info and try to do with other leaves and bundle for a longer time to have bold color.

Linking with Freestyle Friday

Linking with Creativespaces

Linking with A Creative Princess party

Linking with Motivate me Monday
Linking with Debbie Doo's Newbie party.