Wednesday, November 3, 2010

the making of my eco wreath holiday ornaments


I've had a ton of fun this past month block printing and sewing up a batch of these wreath-adorned "pillow" ornaments that are now available in my Etsy shop.

I followed in the footsteps of my mom's own merry ornament making back in the mid-70s using my stash of eco fabrics.

The process is labor-intensive, but well worth the outcome.


my choice of eco-friendly fabics

I start by washing my fabrics because the laundering process makes them softer -- the design aesthetic I'm going for! My designs incorporate these earth-friendly and sustainable-crop fabrics (pictured above left to right):
  • hemp/soy (deep olive)
  • organic linen (beige)
  • hemp/organic cotton (ivory)

me hand stamping individual "Boxwood with Berries" wreath prints on ivory hemp/organic cotton

I then roll a coating of non-toxic water based ink onto the block print and hand stamp wreaths, one by one, across yards of fabric. I allow ample time for the ink to dry and then heat set the ink before cutting.


My five eco wreath ornament ink + fabric combinations


circles of wreath fabric panels just waiting to be transformed into my "pillow" ornaments

Next, I cut out circles of block printed fabric as well as ivory hemp/organic cotton that will become the back panel of every ornament. Cutting the ivory fabric reminded me of cutting out buttermilk biscuits - fantastic!


raw kapok fibers

The final part involves sewing two panels of fabric together using two rows of top stitching and then stuffing each ornament with environmentally-friendly premium kapok fibers to give each their "pillow" shape. I chose kapok for it's super resilient qualities, the fact that it is grown without the use of chemicals or herbicides, and how it is sustainably harvested from the kapok tree. A loop of hemp twine completes the design and makes for easy hanging. Ornaments are sold individually and also in a set (5).

I hope you've enjoyed this peek into my artisan process. Cheers and happy holidays!


complete set of "Boxwood with Berries" wreath eco holiday ornaments

1 comment:

  1. Sch a beautiful process! Thank you for sharing. Gorgeous photographs.

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