Monday, August 13, 2012

Mogi telling story 說說故事

 "What did Mum write on the book?" Mogi queried.
"Ah...... Mum's imagative and always day dreaming."
大自然是創作的靈感, 但地球上資源並非耗之不盡, 有些物料可加點心思, 使其物盡其用, 且聽 Mogi 說 Mum 的 "雲與海".....
 "She said this looks like me - fluffy and cheerful.  I'm in cloud nine!"
 "The beach near Mum's studio she always shows us something from there ."
 "The earthy inspired nuno felt texture of her scarf"
 
 "She made this textural effect with shells."
 "Cross over of wool and  the shells picked from the bay."
 "Inspired by Heather Woollove's  felted book covers, Mum got the ideas to make one."
 "It's done."
 
 "Just a piece slip-on."
 "Incorporated with a shell, Mum called this 'Cloud &Sea Wave'."


"Original notebook of plastic folder."
 "Only one page was used formerly our girl's but discarded".
 "A nice covered notebook to use again." 
 "Mum said 'waste not want not', nature is full of resources."
 "Found trees fell down and sawn after typhoon and trunks were going to dispose off."
 "Why not carrying it for the wool felt baby hat and booties display?
"Reborn of a tree in Mum's studio."

Thought for food.  Nature is full of resources and inspiration. Something may not be used anymore but can be recycled and treasured.  Waste not want not.
Linking with CreativePrincess
Linking with The DIY Dreamer
Linking with Debbiedoo's

Wednesday, August 8, 2012

Sneak peek for workshop 製作小窺

Invited by the Hong Kong Design Institute to run the nuno felt workshop in Sept, I've to experiment the fabrics and make these samples. 
 This workshop  is the first ever organised by the Institute. Wet wool felt is not quite popular in Hong Kong as most of the year is hot and humid but we do have a few cool and chilly months.  The nuno felt tecniques can be applied to make all-season wearable art.  A lightweight chiffon summer top is airy and a scarf with a little bit raw fleece is warm enough in the winter days.  My nuno felt workshop highlights are  textural surface, eco and using minimal tools.  A summer chiffon top is going to be taught.
日前我測試物料及製作了這兩件樣品,    為的是「香港知專設計學院」九月份開辦的「嶄新混絲戟絨工作坊」作準備   香港天氣潮濕悶熱但仍有幾個月清涼甚或寒冷的日子, 因此我以羊毛混絲製作了夏日輕爽雪紡上衣及秋冬合用的羊毛混絲被肩.  課程重點是著顯製成品的表面獨特質感 並以環保、 物盡其用及少工具的製作法完成。  
 This is made of crinkle chiffon, wool connected waistlines and rope. No sewing is required.
 Textural surface is what I wanted.  The brownish are my own dyed silk scraps with leaves.

 This scarf base is chiffon, also the brownish silk is own dyed.
With a little bit raw fleece of white and brown, this shawl is warm enough.

The eco print silk scraps and natural wool are matching the theme of "Eco". 
 My Ooak -   "one of a kind" piece.
  Nuno felt is new to Hong Kong, I hope this will bring out the creativity of the versatile medium of wool to make wearable art.
Linking with HappyHourProjects

Friday, August 3, 2012

Baa Baa Black Sheep.... 小黑呀 小黑....

" Baa, baa, black sheep,
Have you any wool?
Yes sir, yes sir,
Three bags full ........" 
This lullaby I used to sing with my girl by the bedside.  She loves it.   .
These are just shorn wool from Bordeleria sheep in Dominio Vale do Mondego where I learnt the wool felt in June.  The sheep herd are the best to make the sheep cheese.  Their wool are also best for felting.
Instructor Nicola Brown was opening the fleece for our choice to make a rug. 
Before doing the rug I felted a flat sheet for eco print but not very bold with the local chestnut and oak leaves.  Only patches of light brown.
When I back from the trip I tried again with some eucalyptus leaves.
After steamed the bundle for 45-min.
Two different sorts of euc leaves are seen.  Red are of eucalyptus cinerea. 
I call this " Dating sheep  in the poppies field".
Compare before and after.
Fluffy look of the dark sheep
Have also done again another piece with onion shell.
Wool gets fast color with onion shell. Firm and bright.
Experimentation of two pieces.  What to do with them?
Mogi finds it comfortable.  "It's my territory".
Having a sweet dream......
"Huummm... I'm sweet.. "
My good memory of the great workshop in Faia Dominio Vale do Mondego!
This is the rug I made with half the sheep fleece.  Since I can't handle the whole big piece I just used the lower part of the body. It's wonderful to know the skills of making a rug with raw fleece.  In this way only shorn fleece are used.  That means a sheep's life can provide a few more pieces of rug fleece.  Far more friendly just to kill a sheep to get only one skin.
My classmate Heather's rug is gorgeous.  She's mighty.  See how she made it Part 1, Part 2.

 Thanks for stopping by.

Friday, July 27, 2012

Bugs triggered me 技癢難耐

This nuno felt dress I made right after my workshop with Vilte Kazlauskaite last year.  I was quite pleased with this light and elegant first experiment .  My girl demonstrated it well, right?
去年在Vilte Kazlauskaite 的工作坊學習回來後, 馬上做了這件nuno felt雪紡裙子.
 I endeavour to have a change of this white dress which may be a risk to spoil it.  Fingers crossed but to move up, error and trial is the process of learning new skills.  I told myselt if this one turned out to be nasty, I can make another new one. 
雖然白色很清雅飄逸, 也想為裙子來一次顏色改變, 有可能會弄巧反拙. 可會嗎? 嘗試才有進步, 如何開始?  

Days before Hong Kong was devastated by the strong typhoon and many trees fell down.  On my way to the office my coach passed by the train station, I noted there were eucalyptus trees fell down.  It's a pity to see the scene. 
日前颱風襲港, 夜半十號風球高懸, 樹木東歪西倒, 在我上班途中經過中大火車站一帶的桉樹也連根拔起, 有點不忍.  那一刻使我馬上決定下班後去檢拾新鮮的樹葉做我的植物環保印染.

Such big trees took some years to grow but destroyed in a night. Sigh. A thought  hit me, why not pick some leaves for eco print. 
Immediately after work I went to the train station and got a bag full of two different kinds of fresh eucalyptus leaves.  In Hong Kong we're not allowed to pluck the euc. leaves.  Indeed they're too tall to reach by hand.  All those I picked on the road are "treasures" for me. 
如獲至寶滿滿的一袋兩品種的桉樹葉, 回到家裡立即把那純白 nuno felt 裙子進行實驗. 結果如何?  且看 .........

So, started the nuno felt dress for my experiment with the euc. leaves. Intended to have the  two different leaves types on the top and lower part.  Soaked the whole dress in diluted vinegar water.  Wrapped it and boiled for 45-min.
After 24 hours in a thermo pot, time to unbundle. Anxious to see how it will be......
The top is bold and bright with string marks.
But the lower part with this sort of leaves is not that obvious.
This is steps of making
Indeed I turned over the dress, the leaves were put inside (sandwich) so prints on both front and back. I rolled it up and tied it, boiled for 45-min and stayed in the thermo pot overnight. Unbundled it after 24 hours.

The front look

Back look with strings at the top.
Before and after.

Close up


Close look - nuno felt flowers, sheen of white mulberry silk.
Full look.
Before and after.  Daughter and Mother.
This is fine but my expectation is with deep brown or deep purple prints of leaves. May be if I bundled it with an iron rod or with iron in the pot, I can get it.  Anyway, worth for a trial,  I still have some leaves to test.
Could anyone tell me how do you think this outcome.
Thanks for stopping by.
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