The last few years have stirred my interest in natural dyes again. Once, long ago I played with the craft but with lots of flowers in my garden now and a bit of reading, I decided to once again see what I could do with these processes.

A friend got me interested in an eco- dye method which produces beautiful results but it does not always produce the clear image of the flowers and leaves being used. I wanted to try and find a way to more closely represent the botany. Instagram and the internet provided me with Tatagazomi or Hapazomi.

I am a real beginner at this craft but am sharing because it has been so much fun and anyone can do it. The teacher in me says children would love the experience of both hammering and producing colour.

The AI overview is as good as any:

Hapa zome, also known as leaf dye or tataki-zome, is a Japanese art form that involves transferring the natural pigments of plants onto fabric or paper by pounding them with a hammer or mallet. This creates vibrant imprints and patterns using the colors and shapes of the plants. It’s a fun and accessible craft, suitable for all ages and skill levels, and a great way to connect with nature through art.

 I will add that the hammering is very theraputic for excess stress and it might even add strength to the arm and shoulder muscles. It certainly helps me get to know my plants, their distinctive fragrances and colours better.

In order to keep the designs and prints that are made more permanent, there are a few more steps to the process, along with many variations of those steps. Most plants produce pigments that are transient or fugitive when washed or exposed to bright light for long periods. They wash out. However not all plants produce fugitive dye. Many also produce a more permanent dye. In order to help fix the pigments on to the surface with which you are working, a mordant needs to be applied prior to the printing process. The mordant renders the fabric or paper more able to absorb and hang on to the pigments. Even with a mordant some pigments may not adhere well to the material used. (If working with children the whole mordant process could be skipped as they will be thrilled with their results anyway.)

This is where discovery begins – learning which leaves and flowers will yield a permanent dye and what colour pigments will be produced. There is lots of information on the internet but I urge the discovery method as it is so much fun. Have test strips of fabric ready to try hammering different leaves and flowers. Wash to see the final result and whether the pigments remain. Not all pigments are the same once washed or exposed to light and you will be in for some surprises.

Watercolour paper, cotton, hemp, wool and silk work best for Tatagizome. These are cellulose fabrics. I chose to use cotton, a lightweight 100% cotton voile and also a lightweight 100% cotton mull, close to a muslin for my scarves. I also wanted to experiment with natural dyes so I dyed some of my fabric before hammering.

Step by Step:

• Choose fabric and cut to size. Old cotton sheets work well to start. I chose to make mostly scarves once I felt confident but I have also made one table cloth.
• Scour the fabric. This simply means wash thoroughly to remove all finishing products and excess detergents. I washed in the washing machine with just a drop or two of detergent. Rinse thouroughly.
• Mordant the fabric. There are several ways to do this and many products to do it with. I started by using copper and iron mordant solutions that I made but the easiest to start is Alum. Potassium Aluminum Sulphate or Alum is a powder available on line and in some stores. It is mixed at 15% of the weight of the fabric and enough water to cover. Use rubber gloves and dissolve the powder in a small amount of water before diluting with enough water to cover the fabric being mordanted. Then add the fabric. Heat to about 190C and maintain the heat for an hour. I then let it sit overnight. * make sure to use protective gloves when using any mordant and be careful not to inhale alum dust. More on Copper and Iron mordants another time.
• Rinse thoroughly and dry if not using immediately.
• The fabric is now ready to use if not dyeing with a background colour first.
• I dyed some of my pre-cut scarves at this stage before hammering.
• Lay the fabric on a strong smooth surface, (not the kitchen counter!) but a smooth piece of wood or acrylic.
• Place your chosen leaves and flowers on the fabric and cover either by folding the fabric on to itself or with an old piece of sheet or other discard fabric.
• Now hammer the plant material through the cover fabric with either a regular hammer or mallet until the plant liquid with pigment can be seen.
• Continue the process until satisfied with the result and allow the fabric to dry as long as possible
• The longer the fabric is left the better the absorption of the pigment will be. After a few days, gently wash the fabric on cold in the washing machine or by hand. When testing plant material, I wash immediately. It is easy to tell right away if the dye is transient.
• Don’t be disappointed if some prints wash out because you can always print again. Be ready for some delightful colour surprises.

Natural Dyes

Once again there are many options for obtaining different colours for your fabrics. Mordanted fabric could be simmered in a dye bath made of many different pigment yielding plants. I have used onion skins, yarrow, tansy, spinach, old saffron, avocado skins and pits so far. Simmer the plant material of choice in water for an hour or more and test the dye with a test strip of fabric. The more concentrated the liquid the deeper colour will be produced. It is that simple. It is not necessary to mordant again before hammering.

This image below shows incomplete scarves that have been dyed but do not have a complete hammering of plant material.

From left to right: avocado, spinach and saffron, undyed, yarrow, yarrow, onion skin third dip, onion skin second dip and onion skin first dip. The Tansy above has produced a bright yellow almost chartreuse colour but it is not photographed.

All these fabrics above are in various stages of printing. Those below are complete.

I hope this explanation is easily followed and is enough for those who have asked me about the process. I am not an expert but if you have questions I might be able to answer, go ahead and ask! There is also a lot of information on the internet.

Happy hammering or as my husband says after I come in complaining of a sore arm, “Hammered again?”