The Eco Prints Are Out!

These are the results of various bundles that have been lying around drying out slowly.  These are a mixture of plant samples from rose leaves on the right of the collage to eucalyptus cinarea on the right.  The purple is from red cabbage - some of the bundles came into contact with another which just contained red cabbage and absorbed some of the dye.  I'm loving the central print which is a mix of very semi successful eucalypt (black prints) with a blue to purple cabbage patch!  Looking at it in the frame of pictures it looks almost like the ghost of an abstract landscape.

The circular prints are in fact from shibori style wrapping around pecan nuts (unshelled) and simmered in plain water. The fabric is old cotton sheeting.  When wet these looked pale and insipid.  Only once left to dry in the bundle did the colour concentrate and develop.  They have not been rinsed.

The purple-ish prints at the top of the collage are not cabbage, but rose petals wrapped in cotton around a glass and steamed (in fact all prints above are steamed).  The little brown stamp you can see is from a printed image on the glass itself!

To see more detail click on the image.

Current Inspiration
India Flint
Windthread
Jude Hill
Blue Eyed Girl

Editor's note: Also hugely inspired by Soewn Earth - do check out her latest on tea bags and eucalypts.

Red Cabbage

Progression: Reused and unloved cotton scraps wrapped with eucalyptus cinarea (scuse spelling) and other random gum leaves.  Mordanted with bougainvillea flower soak which didn't dye well.  Old cotton hankie rolled up with slices or red cabbage.. no mordant other than previous laundering.  Cotton scrap with whole leaf of red cabbage, mordanted with soy milk.  All mordanted with a quick dip into vinegar bath to moisten the fibres.  Steamed for 1 hour.

Observation: The cotton hankie has taken the dye from the chopped cabbage amazingly well and has turned a deep blue.  Note the colour difference with the purple wrapped cotton bundle.  Same head of cabbage, different initial mordant.  Other bundles which were touching the cotton hankie (the blue bundle) have picked up purple tinges.  Waiting to unwrap.. patience is hard!

Our Creative Spaces - a wealth of inspiration

The After?

There is no before because I didn't take photos of before. I forgot. I didn't think about it. I was busy cleaning out all the moths and the c^@) they kindly left behind. Larder moths are not good. Neither are flour bugs. Nyeh! Yeugh!

They have been banished. Washed up. There is a new moth trap. All of the boxes are recycled Aussie Farmers Direct big and small boxes and box-lids. Strong, working like drawers, keeping things contained. Almost co-ordinated!

The floor is clear. Almost. All bags have been organised. All cloth bags are together ready for the next trip. Oversize carriers have been folded and stored in the white boxy bag. Paper bags are flat and stored in another paper bag... you can't see it from here. I am enjoying looking at my pantry. Is it now good feng shui? It makes me feel good. That's good enough for me.

Of Books and Rabbits

Progression:  Stitched linen, recycled from skirts and trousers.  Felt and silk threads, fluffy bunny bottom.  Handmade paper (Paperchase London) folded, stitched, bound with ribbon.  Glued to cover.  Still to work on the closure or closures, thinking buttons. May add felt 'endpapers'.  Beads to go onto thread tails.



Ghostly shadows of Eucalyptus

Progression:  Rolled and wrapped, eucalyptus leaves, variety unknown, simmered, dried, unwrapped.  A ghost of a pinkish print, the dye dries in concentrated colour where it was tied with string. edges and folds soak up the colour, yellowy tints in shadowy silhouettes. 



Bougainvillea EcoPrinting

Progression: Parcel of cotton and petals. Frozen. Rolled with a rolling pin. Left out to dry. Opened. Prints. Fuzzy up close. Good takeup of colour. Next time try with soy mordant.

Eucalyptus EcoPrinting

 

 

Progression: Bundles of cloth out of the dyepot. Unbinding. Fabulous aromas. Eucalyptus bound in cotton and wool. Pre-modanted with soy. Not a great result. Even the wool is disappointing. It should pick up plant dyes like a sponge in water. Slight evidence of printing in the last picture, lower left!