Another nature inspired fibre creation 又一大自然之纖維創作

 

 To prepare next fun play with friends for the natural printing, I need to pick some leaves today while doing biking in NT West.  Nam Sang Wai is the  area I can get variety of eucalyptus especially the ones with buds.

今天去南生圍踩單車因為那裡有大片的桉樹種植，近日風雨吹落滿地樹枒，正好為我下周與友做植物印染材料。騎行山貝河，迎風吹拂，經過魚塘，遙望北區與深圳高樓發展，兩岸不同景致。回程一束桉樹葉帶回家外，路上也撿拾一株虎尾蘭，那正好是我要在村子一青磚屋前為新作之植物印染衣物拍照用的「衣架」。虎尾蘭又可在我園子再生長。

  

The rustic scenery attracts bird-watches, cyclists and city-dwellers.

The glistening fish ponds with tall reeds are such picturesque for photographers.

 

 Nam Sang Wai is crisscrossed by the Kam Tin River and Shan Pui River.

The sandbar at the intersection of the rivers is good for migratory birds.

In the further we can see the Hong Kong high rises.

 

Next to it is the well developed zone Shenzhen, China.

  

 It's a leisure ride along the scenic tree-lined path with River Red Gum trees.

  

Found some wind blown eucalyptus with buds.  

 

 What a good find on biking !

 

 Not only eucalyptus I got, also the tiger orchid found on the cycling path.

 

My outing today was for biking and shooting.  Before heading home with "good finds", I used the tiger orchid as hanger for the shots of my just finished natural printed reversible vest.

Found the abandoned old house on the way.  Just like the rustic brick walls go well with my  wearable art.

Detailed prints and making of the reversible vest and the nuno felt scarf followed on my next blog.

  

Back home I immediately tried the leaves on wool blend.

 

Almost two hours boiling unbundled with anticipation.  It works.

Mogi appreciates it as well. 

Nature inspired creation 大自然之創作

 

I always said my creations are inspired by nature.  Yes this piece just done after my first  2018 hiking.

  好友們知我創作源自大自然的戶外活動，單車騎行及遠足有志同道合者更是樂趣，元旦日單車環香港島展開2018年的遊山玩水，隨之周五的第一個遠足走上梧桐寨，在山溪瀑布間見蔟蔟野生馬藍，告知友人此乃藍靛染的藍草，年前法國大師Michel Garcia在港示範 (這當日網誌) ，我幸得一株馬藍苗在家種植至今。行畢大帽山，回家馬上再作這植物印及加點羊毛做了此輕巧圍巾。等著圍巾主人啊⋯⋯

  

Friends know me well that biking and hiking are my favourite sports.  With two wheels and legs in our nature I get inspired for my fibre creations.  On the New Year day I joined a  biking team for island ride winding up the twist road with traffic.  we started in the Central Pier along the harbor to the east then to the beach in south.  Almost a day riding with the team was fantastic and challenging.

 

 

 

We stopped in Stanley for lunch and spent an hour in the area.  In the far end of the picture is where my studio located.  This is the place I know well.

 

The Stanley market is a must for foreign visitors.  We have a colorful day there.

  

The first Friday of 2018 our hiking team started the trail Ng Tung Chai (梧桐寨) from Taipo up to the mountain Tai Mo Shan.

  

 The trail starts a long, steep and narrow sylvan path uphill. Tough yet not too hard for our energetic team.

  

The trail is rough with steps up to the mountain and we passing through a few waterfalls and streams.

 

Along our way I found some strobilantes (馬藍).  I told my friends that's the plant for indigo and the leaves print well too. This kind of indigo plant is typical in Hong Kong particularly in that part of our region.  A few years ago when Michel Garcia was in Hong Kong for the workshop demo (last post) I was lucky to join and got the plant growing in my yard now.

We walked up in the mid of Tai Mo Shan for a panaromic view of Taipo villages and ended with a nice view of the waterfalls in the start of 2018.

My creation in the new year was printing with strobilantes then felting for a piece of scarf. I put a few leaves of strobilantes and eucalyptus for shades of red and purple.  For some like-minded friends I've shown them how to make the purple prints from frozen strobilantes.  Any one who likes to know I am happy send you the PDF file.

I wanted to make a bit textures so merino woo; and raw fleece are added on both ends.

 

A chiffon scarf is made.

 My 2018 creation just started and many more to come........

Eco-printed multi-styled vest-wrap 植物印染背心

Two years ago a local designer SeeManHoo asked me to do a series of natural printed yardages for her fashion exhibition.  Here's that post   All those fabrics are cotton and linen with only basic mordant of soy milk. I also done a yardage of linen for my own.  It's been long kept in stash and just now I grasped to do a simple but multi-styled vest-wrap.  The linen with mirror prints of eucalyptus, rose leaves and casaurina was cut into two halves, I sewed together with the other ends upside down.  With other silk panels of printing swatches I sewed for the lining.  A piece of double-sided "primary" wearable is done. Sounds Mogi loves the silk side more ! 

What I'm going to do with it.........
兩年前應一位本港設計師何詩敏邀請製作棉麻布印染做時裝展覽, 這是該輯網誌, 自己也做了一片, 現在才與絲料印染實驗片縫合成一款多樣穿著衣物.

I hand stitched the button holes on both sides and fixed buttons as well on both shoulder ends.

Here it is......

The reversible vest,  left is linen surface and the right is printed silk

The side looks

  

Well, to loose the buttons simply a wrap of two-sided.

To fix the buttons freely on the other side, it's another style of wrap.

Just fold then another wrap.

This is a simple natural printed garment I sewed together with those

swatches. The linen with prints is only with soy milk mordant.  I made own soy milk with blender then soaked fabric overnight for the first time.  Another two soaking times in between a few hours. 

For the prints on silk with advance mordants learnt from brilliant Irit Dulman that I'm not going into details.

I have pdf instant download tutorial for natural botanical imprints available on my ETSY shop.  The tutorials cover mordants of soy milk, iron and alum on cotton, linen, wool and silk as well paper prints making.  Interested parties may find here the shop item link.

With the start of year 2018 Mogi and I wish you, my friend, blogger, follower a healthy and creative year !