From scratch to styles 簡約被搭

Since back from NA, my plate is full. I wanted to do this and that. I want to make pavepol Sharon was so kind to teach me, I want to make another teapot learnt from Pamela A. McGregor.  All that will be done in a couple of days. 

 Before that I went to the fabric shop and sourced the "boiled wool"  for my experiment with assorted leaves.  I was hesitated if it's truly wool fabric.  The shop owner immediately burnt for me.  Hmmmm, smelt good !  Bought a yard for testing. How it turnout ? Photos speak themselves.

   These days we're getting into winter, it's chilly today at 9C only.  Wrapped me up and walked in the sun.

回港一星期了, 仍是馬不停蹄, 滿腦子想這想那的, 不過, 第一時間仍是去我的不二之選布行 "滿裕布行" 找料, 給我找到白色羊毛絨布, 買了一碼做植物印染試驗, 果然是好料, 就以這一碼的料子做件簡約被搭, 今天很冷, 被在陽光下, 洒出金黃.........

 

A two-fold shawl

 

Slip into arm holes.....

 simply a vest

 No more no less, just a yard of fabric

 

From scratch to styles, a vest or ....

 

a shawl also makes my days warm

 

Here's how it's made. The "boiled wool" is great for cutting, no sewing needed. I put kinds of eucalyptus leaves, rose leaves, onion skins and a little tea leaves over the fabric.  Rolled up with a thin paper core and simmered for 3 hours in a pot with onion skins and vinegar.

 

I used onion skin from one onion for boiling since I don't need too strong but still got the dark tie lines.  Still good for me.  That's the experiment I got from here that all pigment from onion skin absorbed by the wool fabric as the water in the dye pot is so clear after 3 hours boiling.

 

Unwrapped.... rose leaves, euc leaves and onion skins....

 

Bold and clear prints of euc and rose leaves with little tea leaves spots

   

Euc cinerea is particular impressive

  

Euc with seeds of orange but brown leaves

  

Rose leaves and onion skins

  

Brown spots are tea leaves

  

Well, I cut the flat fabric two arm holes with the copy of a vest since I'm no good in measuring.

 

Lined the two holes with tore silk scraps from my "not-so-good" prints

  

Hand stitched the arm holes

  

So, no more no less.  I made the flat sheet with two holes.

  

Make it a vest...

  

or double fold to make it a shawl

  

 Mogi, "Mum, you made it, you made a bright warm day!"

Eco print and nuno felt shawl 植物印染披肩

 

"What's the setting?"

"Well, a workshop for two students to do eco print and nuno felt shawl."

周日午後的植物印染準備就緒, 雖然祗是二人的家中課堂, 我仍是一絲不苟的做好準備,  

一個下午各人悠閒地完成一件印染披肩及圍巾, 

  

Mogi, "can I have my footprints on it?" 

 

"Mum, have you got all ready yet?"

"Yes, Mum's painstaking, all well prepared, some leaves with iron mordant, some with alum and some from Argentina from my fb friend Delia.

 

Placed on the silk chiffon and boiled for .1.5 hours .

 

Unbundled, brown of liquidamber, orange euc, green rose leaves and tie lines....

 

Followed by nuno felt to make a shawl

 

Making this shawl is simple and easier.

 

Just a little wool and rubbing & rolling

 

After an hour, finished and here they're.........

 

Yes, only you can make it like this unique color, pattern.  Thanks A.T. for joining my workshops a few times.  You're my great supporter.

Leaves print means lots 又是植物語

If a slip dress like this sold in a shop is nothing special or even customers may find the prints not impressive.. But.... to me, it means so much. 

若果這一件裙子掛在店內, 毫不顯眼, 祗是普通甚或陳舊 look. 於我而言, 這裙子是我的代理作, 因為葉子是在葡萄牙農莊採摘及實驗示範的絲質料, 我把四片裁縫成一件裙子. 配上 nuno felt 小背心, 一套輕柔夏日裝 .

 Mogi, "oh yeah, it's mum's signature dress". 

The dress is made with four pieces of these leaves prints I done in Portugal recently.  I know each piece of leaf where I got and how I printed.

The leaves of euc,  rose,  oak,  chestnut......

The different euc leaves from a friend's house and the tie lines made with nylon strings....  All these made the dress prints.

The dress does mean something for me - a keepsake of the holiday.

The dress is what I say subtle and natural.

I made the nuno felt vest to make it a set. 

How it go with my girl?

A casual wear on the beach

This means a lot to me - a dress of holiday.