Fun Day - Eco Printing

 My lovely neighbour Karin who is a bit of a craft Goddess invited me down to her mid century modern house the other day for some sensational crafty work and lunch. 

This is the view from her studio, which she had built over the lockdown. It's a wonderful space and so colourful. She even has an enormous shocking pink Smeg fridge. 

Over the last year she has dabbled in many new crafts and invited me to have a go at eco printing, after I admired some of her earlier efforts.

Eco printing, what's that? I hear you ask. Well let me tell you all about it's wonders. It is a direct contact method of printing flowers, leaves and even tea leaves onto cloth. It's very organic and a tiny bit magical because it is impossible to tell what colours will emerge from the process. Using mordants, (don't you just love that word?), moisture, heat and ph modifiers, in this case vinegar, the shapes and colours are imparted onto your choice of material. 

I started with a blank silk scarf that had been soaked in a vinegar preparation over night. Laid flat I added my leaves, flower heads and buds in a most attractive artistic way, even if I say so myself. Added just a sprinkling of Darjeeling leaves alone the bottom edges, covered it with some cotton cloth, then rolled it up, bound it in string, then popped it into a huge steamer, for a couple of hours. Leaving plenty of time for a leisurely lunch and huge gossip, perfect!

This is my silk scarf drying in the sun. I left it for a few days then gave it a gentle wash and pressed it whilst still a little damp. I'm super pleased with it and the added bonus is that the cotton cloth it was rolled up with also has the most wonderful shapes on it. I'm thinking I might create some napkins to gift to a friend. 

Creative days are just the best and Karin was very generous with her time and expertise. A joyful day.