My first pieces for our exhibition are the results of a walk through the gardens and estate of Newark Park collecting leaves. I used the leaves to ecodye silk noil and raw silk fabrics, then pieced them into long thin hangings, representing my walk. My first attempts at Eco dyeing with the leaves were disappointing, but the addition of iron water has helped revealed leaf forms that were not visible, creating beautiful layers of leaves; reminding me of the leaves lying on the paths as I walked.
I'm now starting to develop a larger piece using more of these fabrics. The leaves of autumn conjure up images of a comforting blanket for me, helping protect the earth from the harshness of winter, so a comforting quilt form, which brings warm comfort when we're cold, seems to be the best way to illustrate this thought.
