I thought I would give you an idea of the process I use for creating these scarves, as well as my botanical note cards.
Here are some of the silk scarves I have laid out, placing the leaves on the bottom layer, then adding another scarf on top, then rolling tightly around a wood dowel. Then I tie very tightly using artificial sinew.
Here is my steamer pan, with a rack to hold the bundles above the steaming water. In this case, I had leaves in the water to add tannin to the steam, which helps to create a stronger image on the silk.
I cover and steam for about 90 minutes, then leave to cool. The hard part is waiting! But it's worth the wait, when I unwrap the bundles, removing the leaves and seeing the beautiful images.
For the past few months I have been gathering leaves and storing them for the winter. Some can be dried and stored in containers, but some are more delicate and require freezing to keep them pliable and prevent them from curling up.
Recently, a good friend sent me several parcels of leaves that I don't have in my area, and one that needed to be frozen is Cranebill Geranium, a beautiful, ruffled leave. So as soon as I received them, I spread them out carefully on an old towel to dry slightly... they were damp when they arrived in a plastic bag:
Aren't they lovely? Next, I carefully stacked several at a time, then slid them gently into freezer bags with a sheet of paper dividing the layers:
I labelled them with the date, and off they went to rest in the freezer of a fridge I have in the garage, ready for me to use them. I will defrost them slightly, use some, then return the bag to the freezer until they are all used up. I hope to get some of these for the yard next spring, so I can just pick them as needed.
Much as I love printing with all these lovely leaves, I'm also working on some Christmas Tree ornaments which will be on sale in the gallery probably later this month. I hadn't planned to make these again this year, but had a request from someone who bought several last year. So here's what I have so far:
As you can see, I'm not very traditional in my fabric choices. There are 2 with Christmas fabrics, but I like making these in bright cheery colors. I hope to get one more done to have an even dozen, so I'm doing one a day. I sold all 12 last year, so with luck I'll repeat that this year.
Finally, we are experiencing a lovely rain today... something we haven't had much of this year, so I'm loving it. Happy Autumn!
