Printing from the Garden
Create Stunning, One-of-a-Kind Prints with Flowers and Leaves
-
- Pre-Order
-
- Expected Mar 3, 2026
-
- $21.99
-
- Pre-Order
-
- $21.99
Publisher Description
Create gorgeous floral prints on fabric and paper using the natural pigments of common garden plants, flowers, and leaves with this stunning guide to the art of botanical contact printing.
A first-of-its-kind visual guide and instructional handbook, Printing from the Garden showcases the stunning results one can achieve by using 30 common leaves and flowers to print on cloth and paper, capturing their unique forms and colors. No experience required: teacher and textile artist Alison Kelly provides step-by-step, photographed instructions for bundle dyeing, mirror printing, and printing on clothing. She offers many examples to illustrate the beautiful results that are possible. Anyone can create vibrant botanical artworks using nature’s design wonders: Eucalyptus Rose of Sharon Daylily Coreopsis Queen Anne's lace And many more
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Kelly, a textile artist and founder of the Brooklyn-based design studio Flora Obscura, debuts with a dazzling guide to botanical contact printing, or using plants and flowers to print designs onto fabrics and paper. Describing the practice as a "delicate dance between chemistry, botany and art," she encourages crafters to first experiment with fabric scraps or recycled paper before investing in nicer materials. She spotlights botanicals that can be used for printing, explaining that anemones impart strong prints, as do eucalyptus, hibiscus, and hollyhocks. The material on which the design will be printed, be it fabric or paper, must first be soaked in a solution of metallic salts, a process known as mordanting, so the fibers will accept the pigmentation. For printing on fabric, she outlines such techniques as bundle dying, which involves layering leaves and flowers onto fabric, rolling it around a dowel, and then steaming it. Turning to paper printing, Kelly demonstrates techniques like steaming vegetation onto paper with a damp cloth blanket. Highlighting a plethora of striking plants and a variety of printing methods, this is a comprehensive manual for creating visually stunning designs. It's a valuable resource for anyone seeking a natural approach to art and fashion.
