Instagram Bookbinding Challenge: September / Flora and Fauna
I've been participating in an online bookbinding community challenge, where each month bookmakers from around the world challenge themselves to create a book on a chosen theme for the month. The theme for September was Flora and Fauna, which led to some really interesting creations.
For my book, I used 2 techniques that I've been interested in: flower pounding and eco-printing (or botanical printing).
For the pages, I tried botanical printing on paper for the first time! I loosely followed this tutorial on YouTube. I used plants from my yard, including cotoneaster, oak, coleus, clematis, peony, raspberry, and others.
I was delighted and surprised with the variety of colours and textures that came through. I'll definitely be doing botanical printing again!
For the covers, I printed the fabric with flower pounding. Since I most often work with recycled materials, I chose a thrifted hemp shirt because I loved the texture and softness of the weave, and deconstructed it. I only used the sleeves for this project.
I gathered leaves and flowers from my garden and layered them between the sleeves, which I placed on top of a granite block. I wanted an abstract effect, so I placed them randomly. Then I pounded the fabric with a hammer until the colour from the plants came through.
I picked off as much of the plant remains as I could, and let the fabric dry.
Once dry, I gently rubbed off any remaining plant material with a table knife.
Hemp may not have been the best choice, as I did make several holes in the fabric with the pounding.
After heat setting, I made bookcloth the fusible way. You can see in the picture above how the colours changed with heat setting. I used the side of the fabric that did not make direct contact with the plants, as it had a softer look.
I'm very happy with how this little book turned out!
To see more Flora and Fauna themed books made for the Instagram challenge, check out the hashtag #areyoubookenough on instagram!
For my book, I used 2 techniques that I've been interested in: flower pounding and eco-printing (or botanical printing).
For the pages, I tried botanical printing on paper for the first time! I loosely followed this tutorial on YouTube. I used plants from my yard, including cotoneaster, oak, coleus, clematis, peony, raspberry, and others.
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| Layering the plants between the pages. |
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| Boiling the bundle between two boards. |
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| One page finished and drying. |
I was delighted and surprised with the variety of colours and textures that came through. I'll definitely be doing botanical printing again!
For the covers, I printed the fabric with flower pounding. Since I most often work with recycled materials, I chose a thrifted hemp shirt because I loved the texture and softness of the weave, and deconstructed it. I only used the sleeves for this project.
 |
| I layered leaves and flowers from my garden randomly between two pieces of fabric. |
I gathered leaves and flowers from my garden and layered them between the sleeves, which I placed on top of a granite block. I wanted an abstract effect, so I placed them randomly. Then I pounded the fabric with a hammer until the colour from the plants came through.
I picked off as much of the plant remains as I could, and let the fabric dry.
Once dry, I gently rubbed off any remaining plant material with a table knife.
Hemp may not have been the best choice, as I did make several holes in the fabric with the pounding.
 |
| Left--after heat setting. Right--before heat setting. |
After heat setting, I made bookcloth the fusible way. You can see in the picture above how the colours changed with heat setting. I used the side of the fabric that did not make direct contact with the plants, as it had a softer look.
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| Ready for sewing! |
I'm very happy with how this little book turned out!
To see more Flora and Fauna themed books made for the Instagram challenge, check out the hashtag #areyoubookenough on instagram!
I am so impressed! What a lovely little book. I've never been interested in the plant pounding technique myself but have been seeing lots of this eco printing of leaves on both cloth & paper lately, the results of which are changing my mind about wanting to try it. You're helping to push me over the edge!
ReplyDeleteThank you! I am definitely more into the eco printing as well, and will definitely be trying it again! Could make some beautiful quilting fabrics if you do it with fabric.
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