Nellie"s Needles

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Enhancing Pounded Images

The natural pigments of leaves and flowers pounded into fabric are quite stable IF that fabric has been treated to retain dyes. However, this project of pounding leaves in the Smoky Mountains was spontaneous and the only fabric I had was pre-washed muslin.
Last evening I enhanced the piece by sketching around the leaves with a fine point permanent marking pen. Then I used oil stick pastels to lightly color the leaves.
Before these additions I had heat-set the natural and paint pigments with a hot iron. Afterwards the ink and pastels were heat set.

This is the piece with the oil stick rubbings of big leaves that will be used in the side panel of my leaf quilt.
Here it is with the leaves enhanced.
Again, I lightly sketched around each leaf and lightly colored in the leaf shapes with the metalic gold oil stick pastel ... then heat-set the added pigments. Now I'm auditioning which half will work best in the leaf quilt.

I would hesitate to use pounded botanicals in a project that requires washing even if they they were applied to treated fabric. Although, enhancing the natural pigments as I've done with inks and pastels definitely makes them more permanent. If anyone has washed a project with pounded leaves or flowers please leave a comment to let me and my readers know the result.

note: photos will enlarge if clicked

8 comments:

Vicki W said...

Those are super cool!

Unknown said...

Nellie, thank you! You answered all my questions. this is stunning. I went out looking for colorful leaves and found only a handfull left. and of those only one really had its shape still. Fall is past its peak here and its now very wet. But I am still hoping to try this before winter!

Nellie's Needles said...

Karen, those leaves are most likely too dry for pounding. However, if the veins are prominent they'd make good rubbings.

jude said...

i have always thought about doing this.....maybe now is a good time.

Anonymous said...

Very interesting! Just wondering where you find fabric prepared for dyeing?

Nellie's Needles said...

Fabric Prepared For Dyeing is labeled FPD. Our JoAnns carries it as well as the quilt fabric store in my community. I'm sure it can be ordered online as well.

Karoda said...

My second thought was I bet pounding can work off some tension :) But I'm digging the way you enhanced the colours.

Rabbit Hill Creations said...

How beautiful...the colors are amazing.