More Work on My Leaves....

I spent some time over the holiday stitching my leaves... it's a slow go and I have to remind myself it's OK to slow down and enjoy the process!

The leaves were picked, pressed onto cotton with thickened dyed, colored with more dye and Inktense pencils and now ready to be stitched! 

I decided to back the leaves with organza. I thought this would allow the leaves to have little stability when I adhere them to the organza background. 

I pinned the leaves to both the front and backside of the organza

Stitch... Stitch... Stitch! 

Weekend Walk = Leaf Printing

While taking an early morning walk with a friend we came upon an unknown weed with massive leaves! I couldn't believe it - they were as large as tropical plants! 

If you recognize the plant please let me know. 

I should have put my hand next to a leaf to give you perspective of it's size! Maybe you can tell by how dwarfed the clothespins look! 

Using thickened dyes I painted the underside of the leaf. The veins of the leaf are large and distinctive so I was hoping for some strong definition in the print. 

Next I placed the leaf on the fabric dye-side down. Using a Brayer I rolled the topside of the leaf to ensure the print would be clear. 

The print is fairly clear and the definition of the veins is good. 

I repeated the process until the fabric was filled up!  

You can see the texture more clearly here. It reminds me of reptile skin!  

Here are today's results. The last piece is an experiment in textures. I finished up the thickened dye by applying multiple layers of dye across the fabric surface. Once it's washed out I hope it still looks like the texture of grasses.