FIBER JUNKIES - JUNE MEETING - ECO DYEING

Our FJ's June meeting was chocked full of techniques. This post will concentrate on paper eco-dyeing.  It's NOT a tutorial....just an overview with lots of eye candy that may nudge you to google the subject to explore further. 

 We always begin our day with Coffee/Show and Tell.  Val has been cooking up a storm of eco-dyed paper.  Some are single pages, other are folded and will go into the books she creates.

Many of Val's papers had been previously rusted before the botanical printing....providing a intriguing complex finished pieces. Here's a glimpse of her rust treasures....

A very brief description on how it's done:  Individual pieces of paper are layered with plant material; eucalyptus leaves are used in this example.  A stack of about 7 are pressed between pieces of cedar shake shingles and clamped tightly in place. 

 They are placed in a turkey deep fryer basket....large screws are run through the holes to keep the bundles from floating to the surface during processing.

 The basket is carefully lowered into boiling vinegar/water and covered with a lid to simmer an hour.

 With protective gloves....the basket is removed from the hot water, bundles are removed, and left to cool.  Here Kate is taking her package apart....bliss as she smells the leaf!!

Some of the results.

So often I mention Val.....who generously shares her outdoor studio with us from spring to fall.  She's a gracious and giving hostess (with an equally wonderful husband to put up with all of us), who has more talent in her little finger than I have in my whole body!  Val just got a new puppy who we were all loving on!

Check in with me again for more Fiber Junkies adventures.