Purple Silk Shawl Botanically Printed with Leaves Indian Eri Peace Silk- Prince of the Forest:

Description

Prince of the Forest is an exquisite regal purple naturally dyed eri (peace) silk shawl with hand-knotted fringes which I have printed using local leaves and flowers. I selected leaves which would give a good variety of colour against the plum background – golden macleaya cordata, olive green forest pansy, elegant silver grey false acacia, slate grey smoke bush and many others.

Measurements: 140cm x 200cm

Eri silk is made without harming the silk worms which produce the fine and soft threads from which this has been woven. It is buttery soft and light yet surprisingly warm, perfect for summer evenings. It can be styled in so many ways or draped over a bed or even hung on a wall.

My Process:
Natural dyeing requires very careful preparation of the fabric, to remove anything leftover from the manufacturing process, and to then treat it so that the dye colour will be long lasting. I use some powdered dye extracts as well as dyes from my own dye garden and surrounding plants. I regularly forage for leaves on my walks and from my own garden plants which I’ve selected for their printing properties. My mental map of my local area is formed around the trees and plants I have come to know and love, whether in car park, on a roundabout, deep in the forest, or outside the local scout hut! Fabric and leaves together are steamed for one to two hours to extract the pigments from the leaves and flowers leaving their beautifully detailed shapes and veining immortalised in the fabric.

Naturally dyed fabrics will fade when exposed to strong sunlight so to keep the colours bright, it is best to store your scarf somewhere away from direct light.

The colours are also best preserved by using a natural soap for washing, certainly don’t use anything that involves chemical ‘brighteners’.

Hand wash or gentle machine wash, then iron whilst still damp for best results.