Another trial of eco print 又一植物物印染

A trial on other sort of plant print on a chilly day.

Last Saturday was really a winter day here in Hong Kong. Awaken at 7am. Hubby said it's freezing outside and told me to stay in bed for Sat off. I said I was going to the park to pick some maple leaves for eco print. If I went late the leaves would be swept away. I must be an early bird. Wrapped myself and heading to the park in a cold but clear morning. I walked just 20 minutes from home to the park next to the financial centre.

The twin Bond Centre buildings look like steel giants.

The Hong Kong Park is of lushes in the high risese of commercial buildings.

Fishes in the pond.

An early bird can catch worms !

A Camellia garden in the front of the Tea Set Gallery.

I was intended to pick up some fallen maple leaves. Coincidentally found some fallen Camellia petals. I picked a lot to try the purple print.

Got quite a lot of maple leaves. Headed home immediately and done the test.

This is the comparison. Left one I laid the maple leaves and some Camellia petals. Middle one is after steamed in a thermo pot (kept warm for 24 hours). The right one is the outcome. Come out was not what I expected. I hope to get more bright and shape outlines. This is the first trial, hope to share and get others' advices.

A close up comparison.

If I can get the dark prints of maple leaves would be good. Though I put a wire net in the pot steamed together, still not dark. No idea. Will dig more info.

This piece was wrapped with a rust iron and got this result. So everytime come with different effect.

Maple leaves are not quite sharp.

I've done three pieces on chiffon. Though the prints are not bright, they still look soft. Have no plan what to do with the fabrics yet.

Anyway I got the idea of what plants will come with purple prints.

My sister bought me a bundle of pink roses and forget-me-not on our wedding anniversary. They're so pretty.

After a week, I hang dried it. The color is still so bright. Loving it.

Wool felt picture bag for PandaGirl 送給熱愛熊貓的友人

My friend Christine S. is a panda fanatic. Her home is a museum of panda - all sorts of panda related stuff you can find. I intended to make her a 3D wool felt panda. Did try to make the head but no good and gave up. Thought a 3D panda she can get anywhere (actually I'm not good in needle felt !!). I finally made a wool felt picture with the panda then sewed on a bag, it's more functional. She didn't know I've done this yet. The bag's on the way flying from Hong Kong to Australia.

Steps of making it:

1. First I made the pre-felt and cut the head, body and limbs

2. Laid the wool picture with mountain, trees, flowers, then put the pre-felt panda on it

3. After fully felted, I stitched knots on the flowers to make it a different look on wool felt

4. I used the fabric scraps to make a bag

5. Finally finished the bag with sewing machine

This is a reversible bag .

Turn it over, one side of it's look.


The other side of the it with inner pocket.
The front side of the bag with the panda holding a carrot. I call it a naive panda.

The back side I put on a my own made ceramic bird. Thought I should have done something on the back as well. This looks too plain.

Christine can use this bag to carry lunch to office, pack snacks to Tai Chi session, to the Rainforest, to the Monkey Mountain picnic, to the Big Pineapple to buy ginger candies......

or, carry books to the library......

I love making gifts for good friends. In the process I'd think how we spent times together and how would my friend like my thoughts behind. Making this bag I recalled our memories when my family visited Christine to the places we enjoyed so much. Well, time flies it's a matter of 19 years ago when we last visited Brisbane. See the above picture of mosaic I recently put on some macadamia nuts my daughter picked in Christine's yard. The mosaic is a drainage cover in my patio. I enhanced it with sorts of stones, nuts and broken ceramics I picked outside. This forms a "memory cover" !

Christine, just hope you love this bag.

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My Christmas sale 聖誕特賣

CC of my ceramic studio was so kind to have invited and offered us the free spaces in her studio for a afternoon Christmas sale of local artisans' DIYs. I've never thought of selling my wool stuff in open sale. It's a good time to showcase my wool works. Not meant to sell all what I have done but just a few of each. Before taking the stuff to the studio I took a pic of those going to sell.

沒想過要公開售賣我的羊毛制作, 陶瓷室的 CC慷慨的免費讓我們本地手作人在她的工作室聖誕特賣, 這是難得的機會展示我的製作. 我沒有廣邀朋友, 祗想試試其他人對羊毛氈工藝製作的反應, 我的好友Amy 很幫忙的和我”撐場”。

這一次是很好的經驗, 在三小時的展賣, 售出12件作品, Nuno felt圍巾特別受歡迎。這個嗎．．．　在香港乃是新製作！　 With this handy & sharp champagne gift-box, I carried all the stuff to the studio. I didn't inform my friends for the sale as I didn't want them to do the courteous buy. This was to test water to see how other people like the wool items.After a Vitnamese lunch with my good friend Amy, she went with me to the studio for this simple set up.

There're other artisans' handmade leather works, jewlery, accessories of fabrics, enamel, silver, soaps, crocketed dolls... Fun to interact and great to have sold 12 pieces in 3 hours. Most are nuno felt scarves, handbag and 3D vessels. So I know what are good sales.

Thank you and giveaways announced 謝謝問候及小禮物得主 .......

It's a week. My eye's getting better though seeing distance is a bit blurred. Hope to have 100% recovery soon. Special thanks for those who left words on my blog. I promised to pick up a winner who can get my wool felt covered book. This wool felt covered book goes to one of the following bloggers who left comments :
1. Laura

2. Heather Woollove

3. laurie

4. Barb and Dell

5. Ellen

6. Susanne

7. Sandee

8. Clasheen

9. MaryL

10. andrea

11. Deborah

The Random.Org generated no. is ........

No. 9, this book goes to MaryL. Thank you MaryL and all. Your words soothed my pains.

I'll not forget my Facebook friends who left words on my shared link. Thank you to


1. V Lam


2. A Wong


3. C Choi


4. J Li


5. J Leung


6. J Ng


7. I Leong


8. D Tang


9. C Smerdon


10. V Leung


11. E Yik





Your words healing me fast. I've made another wool felt covered book and the book will go to one of you.



This book also made of nuno felt technique and the silk texture is of onion dye.

The generated no. is 5. This book goes to J. Leung. Thank you Judy.

My works are not that prefect but I hope people would appreciate DIYs and the OOAKs. Wool is a versatile medium. Sheep are beautiful and lovely creatures. We hope the industry of wool will be going on with creativity and wool felt will become more popular.......

MaryL and Judy Leung please send me (terrieakwong@gmail.com) your mailing address. I'll post by registered mail to your doorstep. Once again BIG THANK YOU to YOU all my friends.

"Oh, you're watching me! Am I pretty?"

"Yes, you're wonderful!"

Today's our wedding anniversary. I promised hubby to prepare BBQ to celebrate with family. It's time to do shopping. See you until next.

Beauty through my impaired eye 我視障所見的色彩

Friendly reminder. This is a pretty wool felt flower but my post here mention you may feel uncomfortable.

Three days ago I'd an eye operation of Pterygium removal. A kind of membrane removal due to my long time sensitivity to ultraviolet. Planned to have a 30-min operation but finally took 1.5 hours. Though I was partially anaesthetized, I can hear and see the images of knife and feel every motion of thread stitch ! It's scary and nervous. Whenever I see something uneasy, such as injection or tooth polish, I've to close my eyes but doing this operation I'd opened wide my eye and know what's going on. My heart was pounding.

The 1.5 hours was like a year long on the threatre bed. Finally finished and my eye was covered with bandage for 24 hours.

I thought only one eye is impaired I can see clearly with the other. In fact it's uneasy in the first few hours as my hurt eye couldn't open wide, single sight was not clear, floor was uneven. Whenever I blink, I felt pain.

After 24 hours my bandage was removed but still a bit pain and not clear. I've nothing to do and don't want to waste time. Found doing something I love can kill pain. I started to make a wool felt book cover again. This is also a challenge for myself if I can make use of my weak eyes. I made it. (But I told my hubby I can't make dinner I've pain and can't see well ! Is it an excuse?) In fact something we like to do we can manage well, otherwise it's an excuse. I always think of Laurie who does amazing paintings.
This is the book cover I just made yesterday.

This is how to make it. I bought a writing pad, glued the hard covers on front and back, wrapped a foam sheet to make it thicker and softer. Nuno felt the wool cover and sewed it as the book cover and stitched on thenuno felt flower. That's it.

I made one book mentioned in my last post
I know this sort of book cover looks nice. I'm happy that I can make it after my operation.

I can even make this nuno felt scarf and already given to my pottery studio owner CC.

I've a belief if we've confidence in doing something we can make it. So on the 9th Dec is our wedding anniversary, I promoised hubby I can prepare the BBQ for the celebration with family in our renovated patio. (No excuse this time.)

Mogi said " it's not worth a single glance".
Oh, really? I hope to give it away to someone who loves it.

This is a 90-page, 18 x 25cm single line pad. Any one would like to take this away, please just leave your comments before 9th Dec. I'll generate the winner and mail to your doorstep. Finally I must thank for Rutenis who inspires me to make this book cover. Her line of books is amazing. Anyone would love to buy from her may contact her Eziukstis

Hand written vs digital notes 數碼年代的書信

The other day I was out while my girl called me from home. She said that the note book on my desk was pretty and unique. I said I made the cover and told her to take it if she like. She said she didn't use paper note pad. Well, I know nowadays people, particularly the younger ones mainly use digital gadgets.

我用羊毛加植物印染做了一個筆記簿的書皮, 女兒說很漂亮特別, 我說喜歡的隨便取去用, 她說她不用筆記簿, 用不著哩。 現今電子數碼年代, 他們也少用記事簿; 更惶論執筆寫信, 這小簿子留待愛寫文字的知音人好了。
I made the book cover with nuno felt and plant prints. I tried eucalyptus leaves and a few unknown types of leaves. Outcome is not that bright or bold. I sewed it on a book cover.

Embellished with a nuno felt tag. Thought this looks better.


The eucalyptus leaves effect is a bit clear, others not.
The touch is so soft. It's good for a personal use.In a digital era people find email is more efficient and direct. But I still have a few friends whom I communicate via letters. I also keep all my good friends' letters from the start. We treasure the hand written words. Some are using fountain pens. Oh, it implies we're old??!!

Very often I receive postcards from friends while they're travelling.

I've got many postcards. They're so beautiful and each has it's memory from friends. My sitting room used to have a big mirror but it got dirts from the other side. So I put the postcards over it. When I look at it, I know who sent me and how they enjoyed their holiday.

Oh, Mogi is too fat and slided down !

I appreciate handwritten letters. My father wrote me letters when I was young. He encouraged me and gave me advices through my life. I still keep his letters. Time flies, it's decades ago. Nice to re-read the letters over a cup of tea. My colleague Irene gave me the roses tea. Hummm.... fragrance of roses.

My friend Sue, from America made me a stitched pillow cover with the letter "T" - my initial. Good to enclose the special letters with it.

This wool felt coverd book who would find it useful? I hope it'll go to someone who appreciates hand writing.

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