Tag: eco prints

05 Nov

Crimson Vine Leaves Eco Prints Silk and Wool

Amelia Hoskins / Plant dye processes / / 0 Comments

Catalpa Bignoniodes Tree - Crimson Vine type - Several experiments on Habotai silk and fine wool

Habotai (1):   Large leaves turn red and deeper red to black in October. By Nov 1 hardly any left on this tree. Also similar to Crimson Vine seen same month 2024 at Overbeck Gardens.  Tests to add more leaf prints to previously dyed habotai silk samples. Crimson vine dye bath gives pink silk in 2023, then oxidized to silver!  This year testing red leaves with eco printing, for better result of colour preservation.

Silk previously dyed in golds and with failed eco prints: to be augmented with more colour from red leaves, eucalyptus leaves, sprinkled Amaranthe and Black Knight Scabious.

Silk folded up from bottom and over top layout - for a mirrored print result.  Leaves area sponged with urine as experiment to retain red pigment. (previously dyed and eco printed silk has already been alum mordanted, which may help new prints)  Bundle prepared for steaming.

Secondary additional bundle steam with Red leaves Catalpa Bignoniodes on Hab (1) areas without strong colour.

Crimson leaves Catalpa Bignoniodes on Habotai (2)

Another two previously dyed gold silks with failed eco prints to be enhanced.  Red leaves with some eucalyptus and coreopsis.  Two pieces of habotai silk 8 sandwiched.

Crimson leaves experiment - (no added urine sponging).  Fresh red Sumac leaves dipped in a solution before placed with silk: Bucket solution: (water with used alum + dollop of rusty nail iron water + dollop of urine).  Hoped to give a stronger tone to Sumac leaves, due to previous prints being pale.

SECONDARY ADDITIONAL bundle steam with red Catalpa Biognoniodes leaves on Hab. (2)

Extra Sumac leaves dipped in mordant liquid [alum water + rusty nail iron water + 2 dst sp urine].  Coreopsis Gazebo Red laced between leaves.

ADDITIONAL LEAF AND COREOPSIS STEAMING - Pre-dyed gold silk Hab. (3) test

Another gold dyed sample with secondary purple-lilac leaf prints and grey Sumac leaf prints needs MORE enhanced colour...  One Catalpa crimson leaf and several Coreopsis Gazebo Red added.  Clingfilm laid and rollered over folded silk.  Bundle tied.  Steam 20 mins. [Note: Gazebo Red stated to produce sage green; but produced purple after alum + water mordant sprinkling, combined with tannins already in the previous dye colour.] 

Crimson Catalpa leaves - Experiment on Fine Wool scarf (1). Fine wool previously dyed in comfrey.  Red leaves and small petals from Coreopsis Roulette (result violet-black).

RESULT - Red leaves turn purple on silk and wool after washing out.   Acceptable - as in 2023 these leaves made silk a similar deep pink, then oxidized to silver.  At least they produced a print.   Some leaves partly faded lilac prints which gives an interesting 'ghostly' effect. (to be tried without background dye).  The iron and possibly the urine mordanting helped to give a stronger tone.  Coreopsis Roulette (dark violet spot) prints are darker than expected, as dried flower packet states 'Olive Green'.

If silk looks a bit dry when folding into bundle, leafs are used to dab liquid over.  This aids ghostly effects where dampness is unevenly spread.  When cling film is wrapped around folded silk, air is squeezed out with rolling pin either end of folded bundle.  Folding lengths to a 4inch-6inch flat bundle, enables wrapping around stick, or swiss-rolling into itself, secured with string/piping cord.

2nd Steam with extra oak leaves (dipped in soya wax resist) - No iron modifyer.  Oak leaves as resist didn't show any difference. Steaming will have melted out the wax.  Bundle was placed in jar of red water made from soaking the Catalpa leaves several days. The wool appeared to dye red, but on washing out after 24 hours, no colour.  Wool was slightly duller, needed to change the bright yellow from 1st steam.

Crimson Catalpa leaves - Experiment on Fine Wool scarf (2)

Eco print steaming 1hr 30mins.  More leaves were positioned on scarf, close together, than previous scarf 1. Amaranthe was included in spaces between leaves, but no result seen apart from more blurred purple.

MODIFYING the eco printed wool, to change the darkness of the dull aubergine prints.  PINK by painting on lemon juice and GREEN by painting on bicarbonate of soda.

09 Sep

Scarlet Lilies blue echo print

Amelia Hoskins / Plant dye processes / / 0 Comments

Ahimsa silk - previously bundle dyed with bright pinks and lilacs of clematis and bougainvilea, produced only a weak colour result, so a new arrangement of flowers was done, but including Hesperantha Coccinea Major (scarlet lilies) and Coreopsis.

Hesperantha Coccinea Major, Heliotrope, Coreopsis, Cotinus leaf (Smoke Bush) and Dahlia.  Flowers laid on one half of silk length only, allowing for folding over during steam.  Two sided result provides two side shapes for a garment.

Scarlet lilies make violet blue!

Of the various petals for second attempt, Hesperantha and Heliotrope are successful; giving a good violet blue, adding firm flower shapes to the previously weak prints.  Indoor light after steaming.

More importantly this was steamed only for 20-30 mins.  Other petals; dahlia and bougainvillea made no print.

Mirrored Pattern - Ahimsa Silk

Flowers arranged on only half of length, to produce mirrored pattern of imprints.  One half folded over, then clingfilm wrapped, before tying to stick for steaming.  Wrapped fairly tight, but not strenuously, pushing fabric flat around before wrapping with string or cord. Initially use rubber bands to hold in place, prior to string wrapping.

Background silk shows previous steaming with pink and lilac petals, as blurs, which were oversteamed.  Cotinus leaves work well, but paler than Hesperantha lilies.  Some Heliotrope also turned blue-violet.    Silks with failed steaming can always be oversteamed again with better performing flowers.

Ready for a garment

Dried length folded - Hesperantha lilies, Scarlet to Blue prints.

Will be used in a kimono front; one piece each of mirrored prints each side.

More design details can be added by hand overpainted, dependant on other fabric prints inspiration used in the garment.

MORE  HESPERANTHA  STEAM  PRINTS on pre dyed silks

With a number of previously gold dyed silks; some steam prints over were weak and so the next step is to OVERPRINT to create more interesting designs.  Strength of Hesperantha pigment allows for a purple print on existing dyed silk which is influenced by tannin.  Clamps used to see if they make the prints firmer, by excluding some steam. Flower prints were good, regardless.  Small purple flowers are salvia prints and along with other print marks are from a previous steam.

04 Sep

Bougainvillea Test Bundle

Amelia Hoskins / Plant dye processes / / 0 Comments

Test bundle steam: bougainvillea petals, antirrhinums, linaria marjoram, dahlia leaves

Interesting result with orange from bougainvillea.  Navy from crimson antirrhinums.  Folded carefully into strip then wrapped around stick and steamed on trivet.  Closed pan.  Clingfilm barrier helps highlight single petals, without over bleeding.  Possibly 1hr steamed (no note made); probably too long, causing dulling and blurring, especially brown of majoram.

Steamed result

Cerise bougainvillea created 'day-glo' orange.  Dahlia leaves create pale green.  Marjoram dried flowers only brown. Antirrhinums violet until modified to navy.  Result was too yellow, so soaked peice in bowl with previously used weakened rusty nail water (iron) and raspberry juice to dull off; just enough.

Bougainvillea orange can probably be modified brighter in another test.  Antirrhinums very promising navy; grow more!  [tests for 2025]

This silk result is still bright, or brighter, and more promising than originally thought. It matches very well to a piece of privet dyed silk [for dress design]

Images copyright Amelia Jane Hoskins Please email for use permission.