Botanical imprinted leather and the purses 植物印染皮包包

 

There are lots of different types of hides in the market suitable for botanical printing. Since I don't know or even the shop I usually source supply does not know how the leathers were tanned, printing outcome varies with different sorts of plants.  I like to try imprints with my technique, particularly on sheep leather.  This one with cochinael background just printed and sewed into a messenger bag.

  

I made it box-sided for more room.  Detachable strap with buttons fixed inside and flap embellished with seashell.

 

Part of the printings with own grown strobilantes.

These days I was quite free and sewed a few purses. 

 

In case people who are new to botanical imprinted leather, here's a video clip of the piece I just done.

 

Most of my techniques are more or less the same but with various plants and dyes for different result.  This is a leather purse of two sides printed with lemmon marigolds, willow and ginkgo.

  

  

Another sheep skin with more flower prints.  The main flower is gerbra.

 

Close up of the prints of both sides.

 

This is a two-sided purse.

Since the experiment swatches are not big and I just made it a small purse size as iPad but all with inner pocket and lined with eco printed fabric. 

 

This iPad size purse with detachable braid strap.

 

My cat Mogi always curious for what I have been making. I really can't remember how many pieces I have mafe.

These are some of my purses, most were gaven away.  I like to do printing experiment and make use of the swatches to purses.  I sell my experiments of botanical imprints technique.  Here's my pdf instant download tutorial you may like to have a browse.

Creation in June 創意六月

 

June is particularly means to me. The month I was born, the month my son was born.  I find many excuses to celebrate in June.........

六月份是可喜的，我的生日及兒子出生月，就是很多藉口去慶祝去分享.......

上周與遠足隊友在藍天白雲走上山頂，視野無際⋯⋯

  回家路上大葉紫薇落花處處，告訴我盛夏來臨 ，好好把握這落花時節做我的創作.......就此做了這些印染。

 Last Friday morning before heading to Central, the assembly point for hiking, lots birthday wishes pouring in.  Friends' thoughtfulness already made me a day.

 We went up The Peak.  What a brilliant day with blue skies and rolling clouds !

 Up there we can see the further outlying islands, the cargo ships and some boats like ants over the sea. On the way my friend asked how I was up to these days.  I said same old just exploring eco printing, wool felting, teaching, managing my web site and answering queries.  I said no matter how busy I am I must do biking and hiking.  My friend said that's how we should enjoy while we're still doing well physically and it's simple to make own happy.  I couldn't agree more.  I am also delighted for my new listing of botanical enhanced eco printing tutorial eBook in my ETSY and it sells well since launched in two weeks.

 

Happiness consists in contentment. Life is happy with creation.  I love my teams.  Being with them I ride with my legs all over the mountains, trails up and down with nature inspired for my creation. After hiking, biking and celebration with family and friends of my birthday, Again indulged myself in experiments of the seasonal flower Lagerstroemia speciosa.

 

This is my favorite flower.  Now blooming in town and will last for a few months.

Can't resist to pick up some on the ground.

With a few casaurina, eucalyptus, the flowers and the leaves, I played the magic for the prints on cochineal dyed silk.

 After an hour boiling the prints come out with mordant.

            I'm quite pleased with the flower prints with outline and hue of stamens.

The other piece with marigold, yellow as expected

 I made two panels.  Here are the "Before & After"

The weekend completed with two pieces of prints that will be made into garment. After it's  done hope to show next.

Mogi, "stay tuned for the next post, a printed garment made."

As said June is the month to celebrate thus freebies to giveaway. Last week I posted in my Facebook whoever wants to know my tricks of strobilantes cusia leaf (traditional for indigo vat making 馬藍葉) purple shades natural printing as images I will send them the pdf file of my secret making. For blog followers I am also happy to share with whoever wishes to get it. Just email me terrieakwong@gmail.com I will send it out. No commitments, no promotions I just want to make sure I personally have the interaction with like-minded people.

Purple prints from strobilantes 馬藍的紫

 

A piece of the eco printed silk fabric done in the historic freezing weekend in our subtropical Hong Kong. My facebook friends asked what were our historic cold days. I said it's -3 in mountain top in 59 years.  Yes it's bitterly for me and for some plants.  

年前在港跟法國大師 Michel Garcia 學習藍草染, 綠田園給我馬藍 (板藍根)幼苗種植, 我後山的的一叢抵不著近日山上冰冷風霜, 但家中的一盆竟花兒盛放, 摘下幾片葉子做印染把色彩留下, 紫色的重疊效果與花兒一樣的柔和.

 Years ago when the French master Michel Garcia was performing a project in Hong Kong, I was one of the guests invited to join and learn from him. He made the indigo vat from the local strobilantes (last blog). The farm owner was so kind to give me a small plant to grow.   Because of the severe cold weather these days some of the strobilantes on the slope died but the one in my yard was embracing the freezing days even blooming.

 Can't resist to do an experiment again. I tried the leaves for contact prints before ( last blog ).  It works well on silk. So with other plants - the iron mordant casaurina, limonium, eucalyptus and mandarin leaves I made the simple placement

         A little limonium, casaurina and the leaves

 After 1.5 hours bundle boiling,  some overlapped purple and the main leaves direct on the fabric are darker that makes the shades while red is from eucalyptus.

 

The overlapped purple prints are just like the flowers colour.  The following images speak themselves.......

 The bigger one is strobilantes and the smaller green ones are mandarin leaves

 The overlapped purple prints and iron mordant limonium

 I'm happy with the prints so does Mogi !

   The fabric may be as a scarf or sewed into a dress, fingers crossed.  Anyway it's an experiment.
Instant download Tutorial for the ecoprinting is available in my ETSY
Linking party with Creative Princess