Various botanical printed leather purses 多花款的皮革植物印染

 

It's a difficult time for most people these days for the lockdown.  Me too no good for group biking or hiking but with limit plants around my apartment I can still engage in sorts of creation with my workmate Mogi.  My friends find him a superstar and a good company to show my works.  He's such a lovely brat.  He never finds boring and so attached to me.

Well, I just done a piece of leather printing and going to do another one he immediately grasped it, quite territorial.  

 最近疫情不便往外跑，呆著又不是味兒，

家居的花兒植物可使我打發，利用當令的小野菊及紅花西番蓮做皮革實驗，不同的皮革物料有著不一樣的效果，當然又是印染後車縫小包包，且看有多少......

 I do botanical printing with seasonal flowers.  When there're special species I keen on trying.  These days I tested the new found passiflora coccinea, the red flowers. Combined with others I made some sample scraps on leather.

Passiflora coccinea prints so nice on leather with different color shades from red to brown.  Rational behind I have no idea.  It must be due to tanning of leather done in the factory. Can't rule out the chemical treatment. 

 Another seasonal flower is chrysanthemum coronarium I grown from the seeds Israel master Irit Dulman gave me.  I love this flower so much.  It prints strong yellow.

 

 Start the making is to wet the leather and roll up.

 After heating pigment of plants released on leather.

 Now that the swatches are good to make into something functional.  So I cut it to make a purse, not one piece but so many after numerous experiments.

 

Purses with natural dyes and prints.

  

Wallet made from one folding piece.

 

A small one for keys or cards.

 

A wallet or a waist purse.

 A few more for cosmetic or whatever purposes.  

 

Some of the leather cases made these days..

You will see the fun of peeling off the flowers.  Interested?  You may like to view the instant download pdf tutorial from my on line shop.

The new plants prints incredible 奇妙的植物印染

 I'm really into natural botanical imprints, particular the bold prints of this yellow flower and leaf marks. Three weeks ago the garden owner Miss F gave me such plants I've been doing lots panels experiments.  I have to find out the exact plant name to do some research.

近日熱特別喜歡研究的植物是這金黃花兒，終於在嘉道理農場找到正確名字，是芬芳萬壽菊，其味的確清香入口，原來真是葉子可作茶飲及食用，這些日子作了的試驗品當然又做了些實用物送給別人也自用。前兩天特別去了嘉道理農場看花，下雨天也是怱怱的但在藝舍觀賞遊客以

Know there're some in the Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden (KFBG) so I went there to get the name and see what others inspire me.

KFBG is located in the northern slope of Tai Mo Shan in Hong Kong with serene surrounding of beautiful forest and mountain.  My last time there was 2012  with French natural dye expert Michel Garcia for the workshop (last post)

KFBG was established in 1956 with mission to raise awareness of ecological and sustainability issues and base for Kadoorie Agricultural Aid Association (KAAA)

It's a rainy day so just a short visit to see the farm of vegetable and the Art House 

Caught my sight was already the bush of this yellow flowers with very pleasant fragrance.  I asked the staff and got the name of the plant it's Tagetes tenuifolia Lemmon Marigold (芬芳萬壽菊)

 

 

I walked into the Art House.  It's open free for visitors to get inspired with nature related art and handicrafts.

 The Collaborative Art - "Nature's Weavers"  is being held.  Visitors are free to get involved to create a giant woven artwork with provided yarns.

 My aim of visiting was to see the flowers so I made a little orange flower looks like marigold.

There's some other creations by visitors they used the materials from the farm.  Very creative and pretty.

All of nature related displays of harmony

 How great I know the plant is Lemmon marigold.  Flowers and leaves are good for prints.  Leaves are good for tea and ediable.  

The recent prints on small pieces of silk and linen were done.

I like to make use of the prints. This one is sewed into a tote bag with Mogi's helping hand.

A tote bag I like but as a "thank you" gift I gave it to Ms F's sister as she's so nice to give me such beautiful plants for my exploration.

 With those Lemmon marigold leaves and the crown daisy from Ms F I printed on linen and silk. The linen piece was sewed into a clutch.

  "Before & After" of prints on silk 

 This is linen

 

Also prints on linen

 

My visit was in a hurry but I must be back again soon to see more and up to the mountain for hiking.

 

 I will do more prints with this plant. I am going to plant my own and do a series of natural prints.   Next I will show the fashion with such amazing prints.

Gift set of natural printed pouches 植物印染包包禮物

1 

 YaLing is one of my students in Taiwan. She's very enthusiastic of natural printing and wool felting and invited me for one-on-one tutelage twice.  She's very generous and so kind that I cherish very much our friendship.  I just wanted to reciprocate her hospitality by making something special and functional. So I printed the fabrics and sewed a series of pouches for her.

YL 是我其中一位很好學熱誠的台灣學生，她對植物印染及纖維創作的熱忱兩度邀請我親往教學，安排上一𢇁不苟，體貼細緻，實在很感動。為表謝意，我為她製作了一系列植物印染包包，我愛親手弄禮品送給我喜歡的人，雖然坊間可以很便宜買到更精美設計的大小包包，我仍是真摯地手作送予會欣賞心思的人。包裹日前收到後YL 馬上給我她在公園𢹂著包包的影子，很可愛的女生。

 

Layout of plants on fabric with appropriate mordants for fabulous effects I learned from Irit Dulman.  This image of "before & after" with different species of eucalyptus, onion skins and yellow Tithonia (Mexican sunflower 五爪金英）YaLing also knew how to make it now.

 

 The cotton "iron carrier" has the mirror prints but not the same color tone as on wool.  Prints on cotton is darker with flower shapes while on wool is more bright.  It's pretty to do something with the cotton prints.

I sewed a simple tote bag with the ready made handles.  That's it.

 

 

Finished the tote bag then used the remnant of the same fabric I sewed a smaller pouch with zipper.

The pouch printed with the leaf of Tithonia too.

I've a bigger piece of silk prints with sumac done before.  I sewed with handle straps and inner pocket so that it can be folded for easy storage.  

YaLing gave me some beautiful handmade papers from Taiwan.  I treasure them so much.

I made a batch of paper prints  

They can be pages for art journal or blank greeting cards.  

 

A set of natural printed pouches was mailed to Taiwan last week.

 

  

YaLing received with surprise and sent me immediately the photos she took during lunch break. 

Nowadays the mass production of pouches in market is very cheap.  Who would like to spend hours in making?  However I like handmade gifts for special ones.  I know they would appreciate the thoughtfulness of the maker.

There are many ways of making "iron carrier" or "iron blanket". I've a post I made it previously.   Based on that accidental outcome I tried on the "iron carrier" for shades.  Here's the post of the effect.