In many ways, Fall is THE season for ecoprinting because this is when most leaves have the highest concentration of tannins and deciduous trees are just dropping their leaves asking you to print with them.
It filled my heart to see so many pieces from the Fall (and almost everything from Summer) find new homes through the holiday markets. Markets are always the best place to see pieces in person, touch the fabrics, and try them on. If you weren’t able to make it, I’ve uploaded all my current stock to the webshop so you can shop directly online from the comfort of your home - weartinctoria.com/shop
The stars of the show for ecoprinting include:
Quercus (Oak/Carvalho): The most important tree species in Portugal with almost a dozen native varieties and countless more introduced. Despite them not all being deciduous plants, Oak leaves are some of my favorite to work with. Thanks to their promiscuous nature of cross-pollinating, the genetic diversity is endless... just as the prints!
Acer (Maple/Bordo): There are both native and introduced varieties of Acer in Portugal and all of them print beautifully. Near the studio, I can find Acer Pseudaplatanus (native) and Acer Negundo (introduced) in great abundance.
Aesculus (Horse Chestnut/Castanheiro das Indias): This is the first year I feature Horse Chestnut leaves in my work since there aren't too many Aesculus trees around me. Once the leaves fall they are usually too dry to work well, giving an extra challenge. It is only by climbing onto the roof of the car that I was able to harvest leaves for these amazing prints.
Salix (Willow/Salgueiro): A giant family with tons of different varieties growing around me. From the brick-red prints of the weeping willow to the darker almost-black prints of the Salix repens that line the ribeira , it's a favorite.
Liquidambar: Often confused for maples, liquidambar is an iconic Fall tree because of the ways its leaves turn bright red. This year I was extremely lucky to find enormous piles of liquidambar prunings by the trash, giving me an endless supply for these leaves to be heavily featured.
Ailanthus altissima (Tree of Heaven): Originally introduced in Portugal from Asia as a palm-tree-like species that was hardier to colder temperatures, only to later find out that it's extremely invasive spreading through the root, spreading seeds easily, and making the soil inhospitable to native species.
Alnus (Alder/Amieiro): Water-loving native that was planted all along the ribeira by my house last summer. The leaves make beautiful prints, but it's the cones that are my favorite part to use.
Juglans (Walnut/Nogueira): There is 1 Walnut tree that is in walking distance from my house, but it lives inside a private garden so I am always too shy to take leaves. As I was walking with Frodo one morning I noticed a giant pile of walnut prunings by the trash and took full advantage! This important food-producing tree is actually an introduced species in Portugal and can be found much more easily in the North. Normally I have to go to Sintra to forage walnut leaves!
For color:
Araucaria: An Australian tree that is endemic to the Northfolk island and now widely planted in Portuguese garden and parks. This impressive tree can grow up to 50 or 70 meters! For those with one in their yard, this means periodic pruning. After a lot, a lot of boiling you finally uncover the purpleish-terracottaish colors that are my personal favorites.
Punica granatum (Pomegranate/Romã): Introduced from India and Iran originally, the pomegranate tree is extremely common in gardens, parks, and even the grocery store! In dyeing what you need is the skin of the fruit, so you can get yourself a snack from the farmer's market or collect ornamental fruits for less effort.
Juglans nigra (Black walnut/Nogueira preta): One of the most important sources of color historically because of it's impressive permanence. The black walnut dye comes from the flesh surrounding the seed. These lovely browns even fix to fabric without the use of any mordant thanks to the tannin juglone.
I like to keep the designs simple in the Fall without complicating too much. This is the season with the biggest abundance of fallen leaves so I like to highlight them.
Behind the scenes to making the pieces above:
Foraging walks, serendipitous prunings by the trash, rainy days, tie-dyeing and immersion baths, bundles, herbariums, and tests all come together to show you the secret colors of the Fall plants and give a new life to garments.
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