More Eco Prints

Just in the nick of time, as my working outdoors season comes to an end, I’m finally making some real progress in the eco-printing process.  These are all cotton, as is most of what I’ve printed.

This is one of my most recent batches and one for which I used a newly devised system for tracking the various steps taken.  So, No. 27 was first soaked in a tannin of bracken water overnight and dried on the clothesline.The reason I chose to do this step is to try to adjust for my hard water with an alkaline solution.

Next, this  was simmered in an aluminum sulfate and soda ash mordant for an hour.  I let it cool and soaked it in the pot overnight. Line dried; rinsed, then soaked in a soymilk mordant overnight and hung to  dry.  Finally, I dipped it in soymilk and let dry again.

The leaves soaked overnight in rusty iron water and flowers were frozen. After I laid it out and positioned the leaves and flowers, I sprayed the whole thing with vinegar water. This is how it looks after a good rinse with clear, cold water and a wash with a mild, no phosphate dish detergent in the washing machine.

Unfortunately I didn’t record what I processed it in or how, but I know I simmered it (I think in a mixture of rusty and bracken waters) for at least 2 hours and also microwaved it and let it set for 2 or 3 days before unwrapping (see below).

The outdoor studio is broken down and almost all is put away until next year.  I’m tuckered out from going up and down the stairs a zillion times lugging all the stuff (and so is Bill, thank you very much!).  I’m still getting it resettled upstairs for the long winter but it’s almost done – whew!

Linking up again – Nina Marie’s Off The Wall Friday.