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.

Eco print all purpose cards 植物印染紙卡

My travels to Portugal and Spain were fabulous.  Ever since I encountered eco print these years, I like to pick some windfalls for my experiments.  Although some people advocate regionalism, there's no harm to do windfalls from other regions as a keepsake or something special.  

Upon return last week I couldn't wait to try the paper prints thus made the cards. 

A set of leaves printed cards.  How did they make?

Ah ha.........

I picked some windfalls from my friend's house some euc leaves and some unknown leaves in Malaga. 

Just dipped the leaves in water and laid over papers

I made a stack of 10-fold 15 x 10cm papers, covered and clipped the top & back with rusted iron clippers.

Boiled in a rice cooker with water and some vinegar

Opened it after 1.5 hours boiling

Prints of dried euc leaves are quite strong and papers in a range of greys, charcoals and blacks with the effect of rusty water.

Among all I love this most, the unknown leaves.  The leaf shapes are pretty with rust deposit prints.

 I picked a few to make the cards.

Each card with a blank paper inserted and tied with thread

The all purpose cards are made.

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Cat prints 貓語

Cat walk -  can you see it ?

These days I've only cats and leaves in my mind - even doing eco prints with the idea of cats.  After I can control the leaf prints I started to sketch a picture with leaves and made it a tote bag.

這些日子鍥而不捨的要做到好一點的植物印染, 經過無數次的嘗試與失敗, 終於在老公大人的提點後在鐵質媒染上控制到清晰的效果, 他取笑說我日以繼夜, 夜以繼日的 "剪布" 做實驗 !  我想像用葉子構圖做了這個絲質布袋, 你看到

"叢林中的貓兒" 嗎?

A tote bag is made with both sides botanic prints, the top and the handles are also of eco prints.  I call this " A cat walking in the brush".

The cat shape is indeed cut from euc leaf

Below is how I made it 

Open the mirror fold

  

 All leaves are iron mordant except the middle one of orange

 Made two bundles.  See the different cats.

 I'm quite pleased with this experiment - bold, strong and sharp.

Cats cats cats, Mogi is my inspiration. 

This tote bag is small but still good for grocery shopping or whatever purposes.

I'm addicted to botanic prints. Spent quite some efforts and materials on experiments, not only to myself. When I almost daunted my husband gave me lots advice on iron mordant.  Without his support I wouldn't have achieved this pleasing outcome.  Thanks also for his gift of many yards of silk fabric on my birthday.  

On my day, I pamper myself a 3-week to Spain / Portugal for the wool extravagaza and get together with brilliant friends.

Hit my road tomorrow but not with Mogi....