Eco-printing supplies

There are only a few basic supplies that you will need for this course, beyond your leaves, mordants and fabrics.

• A dedicated dyepot (stainless steel or aluminium are both fine. Try to get quite a large pot if possible. Second hand stores can be a great place to buy these)
• Tongs for handling hot bundles (Again, these can be bought secondhand, or you can just use a few long sticks!)
• Ceramic tiles or wooden blocks (not plywood). We’ll be pressing some of our bundles between these. At a stretch, you could also use flat rocks or garden pavers, strong ceramic plates/saucers, or tin cans hammered flat.
• String or strips of fabric for tying bundles
• Old scrap fabric for wrapping around bundles (natural fibres if possible)
• Plastic gloves
• Clamps or metal clips to hold the tiles/wood blocks together (but string will also work ok)
• Lightly rusted steel cans (To rust your own, roughen up a few steel cans with sandpaper, then soak them in vinegar for a few hours. Sprinkle the cans with salt, then leave them outdoors for a week or two. Re-submerge in the vinegar from time to time.)

If possible, set up a place to cook bundles outside on a fire or portable hotplate, to avoid breathing in the fumes. Otherwise open windows and turn on your kitchen exhaust fan. And don’t do eco-printing at the same time as cooking food.