Pounded Leaves = Show Me The Color!

Just before the autumn leaves went from bright to brown I collected a handful for some "pounding"! I'm sure there is a technical term for this technique but I don't know what it is... to me it's transferring the color of a natural fiber onto another surface = pounding! 

I laid the leaves between 2 pieces of ice dyed fabric. At first I used a larger and heavier hammer but it quickly tired out my wrist. I switched to a smaller
lightweight hammer and was able to keep the pounding up! 

Here is the first peek of color - it's a little mellow. I had the leaves stored in the refrigerator for a few days before I had time for the project. I think storing the leaves may have dried them out a bit producing less color.  

I have a garden outside my studio that hadn't been cleaned up yet so I grabbed more plant material. Pounding the fresh leaves was a huge improvement. The colors leeched out quickly saving my wrist! 

Here is the final piece - yes - it's a "quiet" design but that's one of the things I enjoy about the natural world. When I look at the design it strikes me as peaceful. Remember this technique produces 2 pieces of fabric because the natural fibers are placed sandwich style between layers. That's double the fun with a twin fabric created!   

Have you tried this technique? What plant material have you used? 

Have fun creating your own piece!