Back to My Studio! Hurray!

I have just returned from an over a month long most fabulous car journey. And yet, it feels so great to be back HOME and  get down to work! 

With a minor break for the Winter Holidays, of course!

As much as I am overwhelmed with the current plans for my studio work, I’d like to turn to the nearest past and share some of my fresh experience, as posting on the way was hardly feasible, and I don’t wonna miss this one.

And not to forget, this is a DIARY, in no way a THESIS; the main idea here is to register facts from the Natural Dyeing practice my being just a humble apprentice in the ancient art of dyeing with the Nature. Although some of my findings might as well be  valuable for the fellow apprentices!

      Up in Lithuania with my dear friend Ina we had a dyeing session for which we used mostly local plants from the area with a small exception of  a few euca leaves from the sauna broom. For fabric, we took silk, cotton and cotton jersey.

The method  of the fabric pretreatment we used, is a part of the dyeing technique I developed for my batik works quite a few summers ago; which could very well add to the subject matter of an enthralling demonstration!

All was simmered for about 2 hours in the dye bath with the same plants we used for printing. The next day the bundles were unrolled first thing in the morning.

Gratifying is the fact that Celandine and Strawberry combination yielded a really bright, multi color print. And in comparison to the  effect we got from the euca leaves, the Celandine gave more complex and deep color. 

 

So far, Celandine (Chelidonium majus) holds its honorary position in my Preferences List of the local plants for yielding bright complex colors; although being a subject to further testing for wash-fastness.

 

Shown is the piece of  silk :

 

 

 

SecretsJealouslyGuarded, or the Jersey Dress Dyeing Session

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Hi, Guys!

Reading about the History of Textiles and learning about the role of professional Guilds in the Medeval society I came across with this notion:

jealously guarded dye recipes

and I just liked the words combination!

Anyway, I have given some thinking as to why I enjoy so much sharing my findings and results with like-minded persons? As to some reason for me it is the second amusement after the art making process itself. Why so?

Maybe, these findings and stuff coming free much like the Inspiration comes, and hence what is freely given should be shared the same way?

Have not yet come up with any firm idea as for that so far…

In the meanwhile I have some nice pics of the process and some determination to share my experience, if there is anybody wondering how I got that dress dyed!

The Jersey Dress

The Jersey Dress

and the process it turned out the way it is

First of all, the plant material I used for this dyeing session

Dry Cotinus Leaves

Catalpa Leaves

Strawberry Leaves

 

The dry Cotinus leaves I gathered in the past November and kept all this time in a plastic bag, in a few bags actually. They seem to be doing well in plastic, so no need to bother and press them within a book, time and space saving!

The Catalpa leaves I gathered close to my house and pressed them in the magazine for a week or so before using. These definitely should be pressed flat and dried a bit before utilizing, much better colour yielding that way!

My mom’s strawberry leaves taken fresh from the plants.

Here it should be noted that everything was soaked in water the night before the dyeing session.

Plant Material

Some other plants/flowers were added the same day.

There are some Fern leaves ans Walnut leaves in the bucket and some Flowers.

Would you, please, excuse the lack of the flowers’ definition! 

I am sure the flowers are recognizable;

I’d only note that the orange ones are not much of an effect in terms of color and printing.

The Oak Barrel

This is my Tannins Source, the oak barrel where I keep the water for some of my projects.

I did not use the tannin water for this project though.

Just wanted to show off  my barrel!

The Start

READY, SET, GO!

The Start

Feeling as usually the Uncertainty of the Starting Point!

As our dear colleague Pat Vivod has recently noted at her FB page ,

I can stare at things a LONG time before I take the plunge.

Thanks, Pat, it’s good to know I am not an exception in this regard!

The Materials

A Note on the Process:

The Jersey Dress is 100% cotton and it’s been pretreated with Soy flower mixed with water about a month before the dyeing session.

The soaked plant material I spread out over a cloth to get rid of the extra moisture before further utilization.

 

The Leaves Drying

I spent about 10 eggs for this project!

Laying out the Leaves

The plant material was subsequently dipped into the egg yolk and placed on the fabric.

I have to admit that after first 5 eggs I quit separating yolks, and was utilizing the whole egg!

Laying out the Leaves

Laying out the Leaves

This was one time consuming process, I’m telling you!

Laying out the Leaves

Laying out the Leaves

After all it was rolled over a copper pipe, simmered in the buckwheat shells dye bath at the temp 80C for about 1,5 hours.

Please, don’t ask why the buckwheat shells! I just happened to have a bag full of those and decided to give it a try…

Left outdoors for another 10-12 days.

And this is the result you may see:

The Jersey Dress

The Jersey Dress

The Jersey Dress

The Jersey Dress

The Jersey Dress

The Jersey Dress!

 

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Ревностно хранимые секреты красильщиков! – Или одно трикотажное платье в работе.

 

Всем доброго времени! Читая об истории Текстиля и роли профессиональных гильдий в средневековом обществе, я обнаружила следующее определение: «ревностно охраняемые рецепты крашения» – интересно.

Задумалась, отчего же мне так нравится делиться своими находками? Поняла,  со Средневековьем меня ничто не связывает.

 

Теперь о трикотажном платье.

 

На фото представлен весь процесс, в результате которого у меня получился такой дизайн поверхности.

 

Платье из х/б трикотажа;

Растительный материал: листья скумпии, катальпы, клубники;

 

Листья скумпии были засушены в прошлом ноябре, хранились в полиэтиленовом пакете; листья катальпы я собрала недалеко от дома за неделю до крашения и держала в книге; листья клубники – прямо с маминой грядки.

Весь растительный материал был замочен накануне вечером, кроме цветов. Отмечу, что от оранжевых цветов (текома) в результате толку было мало.

 

В ведре листья папоротника и грецкого ореха.

 

Надеюсь, все растения узнаваемы, и можно простить отсутствие лат. названий!

 

Дубовая бочка – мой источник насыщенной танинами воды!

 

Итак, все подготовлено, и можно начинать. Платье предварительно, за месяц, было обработано разведенной в воде соевой мукой. Замоченный растительный материал разложен на тряпке, чтобы удалить избыток воды, прежде чем окунать в яичный желток и раскладывать по поверхности платья. На все ушло 10 яиц, после первых 5-ти я отказалась отделять желтки и использовала все яйцо.

 

Весь процесс раскладывания листьев и складывания платья оказался очень длительным!

 

В конце концов, окончательная версия была накручена на упор в виде медной трубки и после этого тушилась в ванне из гречневой шелухи при t=80C около 1,5 ч. и в дальнейшем была выдержана 10-12 дней на воздухе.

 

Получившийся результат вы можете видеть!