Journal of Stories & Tutorials - Book One

Book One - Eco Printing

Journal of STORIES & TutorialS

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Journal of STORIES & Tutorials 4 NSN Magazine’s Autumnal Experiments 18 A Notebook Adorned With Montpellier Maple Leaves (Acer Monspessulanum) 28 A Winning Combination: Sewing Meets Eco Print 29 Tiziana’s Notebook Cover 34 Rita’s Document Holder 38 A Notebook Full of Botanical Alchemy Will Keep You Company 78 Craft Project: Eco Printing on Paper

by Wolleboom 92 Vintage Fabrics & Natural Printing 104 Natural Impressions on Textile

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NSN Magazine’s Autumnal Experiments NSN Magazine’s founding members share a passion for nature in its various forms. From leaves and flowers to fruit, each of us has our own favourites. This shared passion found an outlet several years ago in the form of eco print, a technique for printing plant material onto cloth.

Since then, we have taken courses, met artists, collected a rich and varied amount of materials, and dedicated articles to various experiments. But until now, it hasn’t been put to the test.

Then, a few months ago, encouraged by our garden in the Abruzzo mountains and by meeting two true quilting aficionados, Rita and Tiziana, we decided to have a go.

It began almost as a joke, when we sent Rita and Tiziana some unusable swatches of fabric printed during a course run by Michela (AKA Rossa di Robbia). We didn’t want to throw them away, even though the experiments went terribly wrong. Rita and Tiziana had discovered eco print by chance and were curious to experiment and see if they could use them for their beloved patchwork and quilting.

This in turn led to them wanting to reuse old textiles such as scraps of cotton, linen, and hemp, old unusable linen towels, and big napkins whose matching tablecloth was no longer in use.

Combining printing and quilting seemed like a nice solution, as well as an opportunity to test what we had learned.

At the earliest opportunity, we got what we needed to mordant the chosen textiles - potassium alum and Soda Solvay.

From the garden, an allotment-orchard hybrid, we chose leaves from the walnut tree and different rose varieties. From the surrounding area, we collected leaves from the oak tree, chestnut tree, and Montpellier maple tree (Acer monspessulanum), a 4

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species that grows in all Mediterranean countries.

We then spent a morning arranging the leaves on the cloth to create little bundles. We rolled these up and tied them firmly around logs which could fit in our big saucepan complete with second-hand lid that must have come from an aluminium pot.

We put a few old iron objects into the saucepan. When you’re one of those people who likes to keep things with a history behind them, hanging onto them in case – who knows - you need them one day, you can easily find these in your home.

Without knowing what would happen, we added a number of walnut hulls.

After heating and leaving to boil for a good hour, we removed from the heat and let it cool until the next day.

The next day, we removed the fabric from the dye bath. Even though we couldn’t wait to see the result, we left it to rest for the next two days.

The textiles hanging to dry in the garden are the results of this experiment.

You can see there is a ‘foreign object’ in the cloth, even when dried and folded: a strip of jute that we added to the saucepan so we could see what effect the dye bath would have on garden sacking material.

The results are uneven but very interesting. A pair of scissors, embroidery thread, and needle could transform the cloth into something completely unique, whether big or small.

By NSN Team

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A Notebook Adorned With Montpellier Maple Leaves (Acer Monspessulanum)

The NSN Magazine team like using notebooks made from recycled paper: we find the dark pages alluring.

We decide to use one for a DIY project. We tend to use a new page of our notebook to jot down ideas of things to make, interesting patterns, or perhaps some useful information from an interesting book (and we never forget to note down specific details about the book or website).

golden imprints and the cloth’s soft bright tinge.

Notebooks might be mass-produced, but sometimes you don’t need much to turn even a factory-made item into something unique.

We completed the piece by spreading liquid glue over the back with a paintbrush, and carefully placing the panel in the right position.

We decide to use one of our eco print experiments to personalise it.

By Tiziana and Rita, aka Faber.lab, and NSN Team

The final touch was the work of Rita and Tiziana. They turned the fabric into a panel of the right size, chose perfectly coordinated embroidery threads, and quilted around the outlines of the leaves. They divided the work equally between them, exercising considerable restraint.

And so, we created a composition of Montpellier maple leaves on a piece of cloth cut from a vintage roll of cotton which we mordanted with potassium alum and Soda Solvay. The roll of cotton was the type that bedsheets used to be made out of, and these can still be found in vintage fairs and markets.

We rolled the cloth around a log and tied it firmly with a piece of reused string. We then put it in our trusty big saucepan, without adding anything else (such as iron, walnut hulls, or oak galls).

The maple leaves alone were responsible for the 18

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A Winning Combination: Sewing Meets Eco Print Here we present two tutorials for projects which combine different techniques and passions. Both are related to textiles. Tiziana and Rita are skilled patchworkers, while Michela (Rossa di Robbia) is an ecoprint expert. They have never met. I was chatting to Tiziana and Rita about ecoprint, telling them about the wonder Michela and I feel every time we experiment with printing flowers and leaves on textiles, and any time I have a chance to record my new experiments. This goes even for ‘almost failures’, when the effect isn’t quite as I’d hoped, when all that remains is traces of prints or even just dye. One thing leads to another, and we start talking about offcuts of all sizes. Small, big, minuscule; it’s enough to spark Tiziana and Rita’s excitement. I can’t resist it. As soon as I can, I go to rummage through the remnants, offcuts, and scraps that I’ve carefully folded and put away. Together they make quite a pile and I drop them off with my sewing-mad friends as soon as possible. Bringing together two distinct spheres is a challenge of sorts.

After a few days, my two needleworker friends tell me excitedly they have something to show me. Hey presto!

They bring out a series of photos showing what they’ve made so far. It’s quite remarkable. The document holder and notebook cover are particularly impressive, featuring harmonious combinations and creative fantasy stitching. These give an elegant finish to an old piece of cotton which had kept only a hint of colour. The covered notebook is one of those old-fashioned exercise books reminiscent of the type used in Italian schools in the 50s, with a black cover and red edges. It was recently reissued by publisher Kellerman (www.kellermanneditore.it/ kellermann/index.php/collane/i-quaderni/221-quadernodi).

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Tiziana’s Notebook Cover The document holder was made using the Japanese ‘chiku-chiku’ technique. The technique consists of juxtaposing and overlapping small fabric scraps with raw edges.

It is harmoniously composed over a lightly padded backing slightly bigger than the finished work. Attach the scraps to the backing with running stitches, using thread in one or more colours that contrast with the background.

The stitches can run in one direction or in alternating directions.

Once quilting is complete, arrange the inside compartments according to the size and number you want. Put the inside compartments, lining, and quilted cover facing the wrong way on top of each other. Sew the strap along the entire edge. This will be used to close the document holder.

Sew around the edges, leaving just a small opening which will allow you to turn it inside out.

To complete the project, close the opening with some small stitches, press, and fold, squashing the central fold down well.

Measure the exact point to attach the button. The document holder is complete.

You can also make a wallet using the same method. At least one of the inside pockets should be finished with a zip.

By Tiziana, aka Faber.lab, and NSN Team 29

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Rita’s Document Holder This project was carried out using a combination of appliqué and embroidery.

Cut a square of your chosen fabric (light or dark, depending on availability or personal choice) the same size as the notebook you want to cover. Add at least 1cm to the long sides, and 7cm to the short sides for the flaps that you’ll slip the notebook cover into.

With a pencil, sketch the outline of the shape you want to create with appliqué and embroidery.

Cut the appliqué shapes in a contrasting fabric. In our case, we wanted different sized ovals.

Baste the shapes onto the marked design.

Now use a straight stitch to secure the different shapes.

Complete the work by sewing running stitches in different colours around the edges, both inside and outside the appliqué. Continue the running stitches to link the different outlines together, according to your design.

Cut a piece of fabric for the lining the same size as the embroidered piece. Sew together, right sides together, leaving a small opening to turn through.

Finish by closing the opening with small stitches, folding the flaps, and fastening with a blind stitch.

The notebook is complete.

By Rita, aka Faber.lab, and NSN Team

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“A Notebook Full of Botanical Alchemy Will Keep You Company”.

How to make a notebook full of memories and dreams, where you can write down evocative words and phrases.

As the NSN team learns more about those occupying the space between art and craft, we have a keen eye for those who work closely with nature - which is in need of our attention, care, knowledge, and curiosity. This is how we came across Marisa Tacchi. Ever helpful and collaborative, and with the ambition of sharing the skills, methods, and uses of what she creates, Marisa guides us through the world of paper printing. Not content with ‘normal’ paper, she chooses different types of paper to achieve a result that is both original and customised.

The notebook that takes form in the following series of photographs is a tiny work of art; a short summary of the entire printing process. From collecting the leaves to arranging them on the sheets. From original combinations of the different leaves and papers, to binding and adding the handwritten phrase on the last page: “Le parole regalate han nel cuore pensieri di carta che si appiccicano per sempre alla mente” – the hearts of gifted words are bestowed with paper thoughts which stick in the mind forever.

Technique for eco printing on paper, colour touch up with plant watercolours, and hand stitching with reused cotton (bundle ties) Materials used: 1 sheet A3 50% cotton watercolour paper, 1 sheet A4 texture white card (100 gsm), 2 pages of an old musical score, 2 pages of an old book, 4 sheets of A4 copier paper, pieces of parchment paper or reusable cotton cloth cut to size for separating each layer, electric steamer with rectangular baskets the same size as the paper, 4 little wooden boards or ceramic tiles of the same size, weights or stones, and metal clamps or grips.

Photo 1-2 Preparation of the folded A4 paper (normal paper, watercolour paper, reused card, old music scores, and pages from books).

Photo 3 The plant materials used. Rhus coriaria, Rhus typhina, Prunus cerasifera, Cotinus coggygria, Tamarix pentandra, Lagerstroemia indica, Vitis vinifera, Acer campestre, Cercis siliquastrum, Albizia julibrissin, Tagetes patula, Osteospermum, and Bidens tripartita.

Photo 4-8 Substances used for mordanting: potassium alum, iron oxide, copper sulphate, vinegar, and sodium carbonate (soda ash).

• Mordant A preparation: 1 litre of water with 2 tablespoons of potassium alum and a tablespoon of sodium carbonate.

• Mordant B preparation: 1 litre of water with a cup of vinegar

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and half a teaspoon of iron oxide (or iron sulphate). • Mordant C preparation: 1 litre of water with two tablespoons of copper sulphate.

Photo 9 Soak the paper in the mordant of your choice.

For card, leave for half an hour, for thinner paper soak for a few minutes.

Photo 10 Put a ceramic tile or a wooden slat the same size of the paper at the bottom of the steamer basket.

Photo 11, 12, 14 Place the plant material in between the folded paper, then separate from the next layer with the parchment paper or cotton cloth. Continue with the layers.

Photo 13 For alternative results, you can even use ‘neutral’ materials, for example a reusable mesh gauze produces a grill effect.

Photo 24 Assemble your notebook using the heaviest paper as the cover and the thinner sheets inside.

Photo 25 With a thick needle, puncture 6 holes in the centre of each page at regular intervals.

Photo 26-28 Begin sewing with a hemp or cotton cord.

Leave a length as long as the notebook at the beginning.

Leave a length twice as long at the end. Thread the ends through to the outside of the book and knot. You could add some wooden or ceramic beads to the end of the cord.

Photo 29-32 Your notebook is ready and waiting for you to add your words, thoughts, and poetry among its cheerful leaves and delicate flowers!

By Artist Marisa Tacchi - FB: @alchimiebotaniche

Photos 15-17 Once the layers are complete, recover them with a second tile and weights or stones.

Alternatively, you can use some strong metal grips to trap the paper between the tiles.

Photo 18 Set the steamer on to cook for two hours.

Wait for it to cool a bit before opening, separating the paper layers from the plant material. Leave to dry.

Photo 19 Dry iron the dry paper and place under a heavy book.

Photo 20-22 Series of ironed pages.

Photo 23 If you wish, you can retouch and highlight areas with plant-based watercolours handmade from beetroot juice, water from cooking red cabbage, and turmeric dissolved in a little hot water. To achieve new shades, you can add some drops of vinegar, a pinch of iron sulphate or bicarbonate, or copper sulphate.

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Craft Project: Eco Printing on Paper by Wolleboom Since a very long time I’m addicted to dyeing animal fibres (wool, silk) with plants. This knowledge combined with felting, creating cloths and eco printing (or botanical-contact-natural printing) creates a world of possibilities, including the use of cellulose fibres (hemp, cotton, viscose…) and recycled fabric.

When I’m creating I totally forget the world around me.

Knowing the techniques, I let them go while working.

It’s all coming from my gut like a meditative flowing passion.

It is as if the colours speak. Working with leaves connects us with nature. Every time I go for a walk I can’t help but search for different weeds, flowers, forms and I love taking care of them by drying and cherishing for later experiments.

Eco print on paper has to do with binding leaves in a stack between tiles combined with rusted iron objects.

Looking for those objects, found on the street or between rubbish is a big part of the fun.

Giving workshops is sharing techniques and methods to others in a clear way, so participants can carry the knowledge and make it their own. But the moment we open the stack of papers after cooking or steaming, there is so much more. It’s heart-warming and satisfying to see the astonished look on the face of the participants. Learning to make art with useless objects is priceless and creates a Zen moment. Never can the results compete with chemical colours.

Printing on paper is a very enjoyable application of what I do, being much easier than printing on textiles.

There are much more leaves that give good pigmented results. Especially in Spring I use all kinds of out coming plants, leaves and weeds from the garden.

Look also for different patterns and coloured flowers

Process All botanicals can be used fresh or dried.

You need watercolour paper with different qualities, on which you can experiment.

When you fold it by half it’ll be much easier to make a booklet or postcard later.

The paper must be wet using a solution with water and alum/iron/soy/vinegar…

Take a flat wetted tile and lay down the leaves in a nice composition on the back and front side using rusted iron objects between them.

Make a stack of paper and bind it very strongly together with a second tile.

Many more techniques of printing on textiles are applicable, like using an iron or colour blanket.

Take the leaves out, using running water when they stick together.

Dry and press them in a pile of newspapers.

With the results, we make a postcard or a booklet.

The leaves inside can remind you of a fine moment or conversation on a walk with friends. So the leaves can make a statement or memory.

By Wolleboom - www.wolleboom.weebly.com

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Vintage Fabrics & Natural Printing Salvaging Fabrics so That They Can Be Reused, in Direct Opposition to Throw Away Society A passion for fabric and natural printing: the alchemy of these two together can bring unexpected results.

If this passion for fabric manifests itself in the salvaging of fabrics that have been abandoned for decades on the shelves of a thrift store, then the result will certainly be unique.

Behind this is an incurable illness; between buying something old or something new, I will always prefer to buy something old. Is this because of my curiosity?

Concern for the future? A sadness in seeing treasures disappear? Because I loathe the thought of the past being tossed onto a heap? It is most likely a combination of all these things that brings me to browse the chaotic shelves of thrift stores and vintage markets stalls, emerging with fabric finds and the satisfaction of being the one to ‘save it’.

Among these treasures, you can find entire packages of ‘cloths’ or ‘rags’ which were found stashed in the back of grandmothers’ old wardrobes, discarded in the fifties for the more practical disposable sanitary towels.

These were first promoted with difficulty in Germany and the United States (by Hartmann and Johnson & Johnson respectively up to the end of the 1800s); the sanitary towel really began to catch on in the 1920s thanks to the British brand Kotex , erasing uncomfortable and antiquated washable ‘nappies’ in just thirty years. It is from the salvage 92

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of some of these rags - rectangles of woven fabric, made from either linen or cotton and characterised by their frayed edges, that accompanied the somewhat difficult life of women up until at least the first half of the last century - that this story is born.

The result is that entirely natural shapes, scents and colours are brought indoors and onto the table. It allows us to continuously surround ourselves with nature and the beauty of objects that were made by hand - both yesterday (woven by an unknown woman in the early 20th century) and today (Michela’s printing which turns flowers and leaves into magnificent ‘natural prints’)! As is my habit - in my capacity as editor for noserialnumber.com - I translate all this into words, that, accompanied by photos taken by our photographer Elia, gives me a sense of having contributed to saving a small piece of the past, understandably abandoned in haste for a disposable philosophy but one that, alas, has put, and continues to put, severe pressure on the world! The idea of salvaging and recycling makes the thought of the pollution caused by the undeniable progress in this area a little less painful, as we wait for solutions that will allow us to progress without causing destruction.

A story that would have been impossible without the collaboration of Michela, also known as Rosso di Robbia, friend and adventure companion (particularly when it comes to visiting small markets!), but above all an eco-printing expert, or, as we prefer to call her, an expert in natural fabric printing.

It is here that the alchemy is revealed: the fabric entrusted to Rosso di Robbia’s expertise, along with a selection of leaves found during my adventures across the Navelli Plateau, where I live - takes on a new role, thus beginning a second life as simple centrepieces with delightful prints of plants on them. They could just as easily become tablecloths, runners or curtains in a house inspired by nature...

By Rosso di Robbia (FB: @rossodirobbia) and NSN Team

The photo gallery shows some rags with darker prints (this is achieved by using iron supports onto which the fabric is wrapped and then cooked) and others with lighter prints (created by using wood supports).

For the darker prints we used leaves from the turkey oak, silver maple, field maple, rose bushes and chestnut trees, arranged in various combinations including experimenting with placing them on top of each other. For the lighter prints we used daisybushes and coreopsis flowers and Japanese maple and rose leaves.

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Natural Impressions on Textile Experimenting, Learning & Creating with Downy Oak, Helichrysum and Maple in a Madder Dye You learn a lot when you take a natural fabric printing course; you learn how to recognise and catalogue plants, you acquire the techniques used for printing, and learn how to select plant materials according to what results it should produce on the fabric. ‘Should’ rather than ‘would’ in this case because it really is difficult to predict the exact result of a specific plant (leaves, flowers, berries etc), and particularly of a specific combination of different plant materials, which in my case is down to a lack of experience (my inspiration is Michela Pasini from Rosso di Robbia Colori Naturali).

Route 22, from Vermont to French Quebec).

The ‘case’ that I am presenting to you now is the result of combining cotton gauze with a number of plant materials that I chose both because I was sure I would get a result from them (although not exactly sure what this would be!) and because they are plants that I love.

My friend Agnese is a godsend in these kinds of situations; I present her with my strip of cotton gauze with its plant impressions printed on it, along with an identical strip with just the base colour. I have a clear problem; how can I wear the fabric with my chosen plants printed on them in a way that prevents me from throwing away as little as possible?

We think about it for a moment and find the solution; a simple tunic that uses all the material (the base colour for the back and the prints on the front), taking off the necessary for the neckline and sewing it together in a way that does not damage the fabric. The Rosa, Michela and Agnese partnership has triumphed once again!

When I put them onto the fabric, roll it up on the support, secure it tightly and put it into the madder dye bath, I have no idea what to expect, but I am sure that the madder dye will make all the difference. On opening the bundle a true marvel is revealed in front of my eyes; the chosen materials have been perfectly printed onto the fabric in tones of grey and yellow, while the madder dye has created an amazing kind of alchemy the colour of Bordeaux or wine.

Of course, this isn’t the end of the story.

The yellow stretch of helichrysum flowers is one that is very visible on the almost mountainous hills of the Abruzzo where I live. Since I was a child I have loved the shape of downy oak leaves (or rather, the various forms of the many varieties of oak); when we had little to play with, but that little to play with included oak leaves and acorns, from which I fashioned entire dinner services and tea cups for my dolls house, which was made of broom. Maple is one of my favourite tree (exotic, as far as the places in my life go, but reminding me of a legendry trip along the New York State Road

By NSN Team

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NATURALLYpaper Words and photography by Carla Arnò The world of eco-printing is made up of experimenting and meeting people. It attracts all sorts of craftspersons and once you are over the first few tentative steps, you’ll be hooked and you’ll probably never leave it and that’s exactly what happened to Carla Arnò. In 2007, together with Cecilia Rinaldi, she set up Feltrocreativo - www.feltrocreativo.com - and their team became the reference point in Central Italy for people wanting to try out and learn to make felt and nunofelt www.facebook.com/ilcoloredellefogliedifeltrocreativo.

A few years later, because experimenting is addictive, Carla Arnò took part in an eco-printing workshop run by Irit Dulman - www. facebook.com/IritDulmanTextile - at Magliano in Tuscany, in 2012.

A meeting like this can be life-changing and it was for Carla. Her fascination with the technique led to her following other routes and to experimenting with other materials, as she tells us in this article and the photos that accompany it. *** Can you become addicted to a technique learnt during a workshop? It happened to me with eco-printing, during a course held by Irit Dulman. I was fascinated and I began to experiment and try things out for myself, with variable degrees of failure and success. In the end I was well and truly hooked and just could not stop.

Today, together with Cecilia, after a lot of practice and experience, as well as felting workshops, I run workshops for eco-printing on various kinds of fabric and paper. Recently, we ran a course in Rome during which nature was particularly generous. For in point 113

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of fact, the real leading star in eco-printing is nature itself (as well as the surprise element as you can never be quite sure of the results when there are so many variables!

We gathered leaves in my neighbourhood as near to where I live there is a park and lots of green spaces. Since being taken over by this passion, I’m always looking up, towards the trees, continually looking for leaves. Sometimes I know it’s a tinctorial plant but one I haven’t met yet, other times I like to experiment with something I’ve never tried before. Often, even when I’m leading and especially in new areas, my eyes are attracted by the green and I keep stopping over and over again to look closely at a leaf that seems interesting. Nowadays I look at any twig or plant with completely different eyes and I really appreciate the smallest of things. I have come to realise that even in the city, you start to look at nature with more interest and this constant observation makes you start to know and recognise trees, bushes, weeds and flowers.

This is the effect of a passion for eco-printing: the first step is to obtain the material you need and the only way to do this is to look out for it, to gather it and to experiment.

What does the technique consist of? It is really an alternative way of printing: the leaves are arranged in direct contact with the paper then put between sheets of metal. The parcel you have made is tied up tightly and cooked. During this phase the leaves release their pigment. At the end of this process the imprint of the vegetable material has been printed onto the paper in an incredible pallet of colours. This is the power of tinctorial plants!

The choice of paper is of fundamental importance and is chosen according to what you want to create. In general the first criterion is the choice of paper in terms of thickness and weight. The most useful for this technique is watercolour paper, made from 100% cotton as it has an even absorbency and is very stable. Apart from these technical aspects, the choice of paper is a case for individual taste. I generally use a paper with a weight of 200 or 300 gm.

There is nothing to stop you using any other type of paper, even for example, baking paper. Yes, even baking paper can be printed 114

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on: I love using it and I use it to create envelopes to package my work in.

The whole process also requires an initial stage of mordanting (soaking the papers and leaves in a vinegar bath or in ferrous acetate or allum), and a second stage of drying the paper on paper towelling to then proceed to arranging the vegetation on the sheets of paper chosen.

The process of choosing and arranging the material is the really creative part; real works of art can be made, enriched with the scent released by the leaves. Flowers, roots, bark and sometimes even spices. The beauty of this technique consists in being able to layer lots of leaves over each other, spacing them out and thus obtaining in one boiling process, a multitude of cards of different shapes and colours.

With nature as an accomplice, the possibilities of using our masterpieces are infinite and our individual creative fantasy is the only limit: cards of every kind, greeting cards, invitations to parties, weddings, writing paper, postcards, bookmarks, travel journals, dedications and many more innovative ideas. Naturally, when a person takes part in a course, they must take into consideration that they run the great risk of becoming addicted!

By Artist Carla Arnò FB: @ilcoloredellefogliedifeltrocreativo

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November 2018 NSN Independent Publication Downloadable £5