I haven’t a wool jumper that is suitable. I have been doing more shibori samples with different leaves and dipping some in iron mordant. As an alternative you mention that you can cook the bundles in plain water. Is there anything added to help extract the dye from the leaves. Will these samples be enough to complete this part of the course. Thanks Debbie
Hi Debbie, that sounds wonderful. You can always do as much or as little of each section as you like, just follow your interests and have fun playing. You don’t need to add anything to the water. There are misconceptions around adding vinegar or alum or other things, but it really isn’t necessary. It’s what is inside the bundles that matters, and because wool absorbs colour so easily, just leaves or leaves dipped in iron is enough. The samples I showed in the last lesson were all cooked in plain water with no additives.
You will get the best results with 100% wool, but you can also use wool blends. This will work best if the fabric is mostly wool and if it is blended with natural fibres. But I have gotten good results from wool jackets that are even 20 or 30 percent acrylic.
I tried the Method you showed with two pieces of tile and a wool tank top. It came out so nice! I am growing a pot of Euc in my home so I used fresh leaves. Now I’m Going to try a long wool Shawl. I hope I get the accordion fold right. It’s a long piece. Thanks!
Hello Louise, I have made two bundles with thrifted wool (cashmere) jumpers, one with dark green eucalyptus leaves and one with silvery ones. The jumper with the silvery eucalyptus leaves gave very clear bright orange prints, but somehow it smells very strongly now. It’s a somehow sweet and sickly smell, I can definitely not wear the jumper like this. I have let the colour sink in for a few days and have now given it a handwash with some wool detergent but it’s still the same. Have you every encountered this? And if yes, do you have an idea how to get the smell out of the garment? Thanks, Alice
Hi Alice. That’s really strange. Usually gum leaves will give an earthy scent to the fabric, so it sounds like you are getting quite a different scent. Perhaps it is to do with the particular jumper you used? I would try hanging it outside in the shade for a few days and then re-washing it with some eucaluptus oil in the water. The scent from eco-printing usually fades quite quickly after washing and drying so I do suspect that the garment itself might be the culprit.
10 Comments
with the jumper that was dyed when you washed it did you use just water rinse or a detergent wash?
I just did a water rinse. When it needs washing after wear, it can washed with a very mild wool detergent.
I haven’t a wool jumper that is suitable.
I have been doing more shibori samples with different leaves and dipping some in iron mordant. As an alternative you mention that you can cook the bundles in plain water.
Is there anything added to help extract the dye from the leaves.
Will these samples be enough to complete this part of the course.
Thanks
Debbie
Hi Debbie, that sounds wonderful. You can always do as much or as little of each section as you like, just follow your interests and have fun playing. You don’t need to add anything to the water. There are misconceptions around adding vinegar or alum or other things, but it really isn’t necessary. It’s what is inside the bundles that matters, and because wool absorbs colour so easily, just leaves or leaves dipped in iron is enough. The samples I showed in the last lesson were all cooked in plain water with no additives.
Hello! Should the pullover be 100% wool?
You will get the best results with 100% wool, but you can also use wool blends. This will work best if the fabric is mostly wool and if it is blended with natural fibres. But I have gotten good results from wool jackets that are even 20 or 30 percent acrylic.
I tried the Method you showed with two pieces of tile and a wool tank top. It came out so nice! I am growing a pot of Euc in my home so I used fresh leaves. Now I’m
Going to try a long wool
Shawl. I hope I get the accordion fold right. It’s a long piece. Thanks!
I’m so glad to hear that you have gotten some good results! Let me know how the shawl comes out.
Hello Louise, I have made two bundles with thrifted wool (cashmere) jumpers, one with dark green eucalyptus leaves and one with silvery ones. The jumper with the silvery eucalyptus leaves gave very clear bright orange prints, but somehow it smells very strongly now. It’s a somehow sweet and sickly smell, I can definitely not wear the jumper like this. I have let the colour sink in for a few days and have now given it a handwash with some wool detergent but it’s still the same. Have you every encountered this? And if yes, do you have an idea how to get the smell out of the garment? Thanks, Alice
Hi Alice. That’s really strange. Usually gum leaves will give an earthy scent to the fabric, so it sounds like you are getting quite a different scent. Perhaps it is to do with the particular jumper you used? I would try hanging it outside in the shade for a few days and then re-washing it with some eucaluptus oil in the water. The scent from eco-printing usually fades quite quickly after washing and drying so I do suspect that the garment itself might be the culprit.