The Big Reveal

I couldn't wait! Between the storms, high humidity and constant dampness, the restrained dried paper that had been made in the pour vat a few days ago and dried in the sun before it was put next to fans in the wet studio was STILL not completely dry.  So I decided to peek.  To my suprise, not only had the burlap coffee bag fibers and seams embossed the flax paper, the red, green and blue printing on the bag had transferred to the paper.

Handmade Overbeaten Flax Paper Embossed with Burlap (paper on pellon felt on left, burlap on right)

Handmade Overbeaten Flax Paper Embossed with Burlap (detail)

Overbeaten Flax Papers and Abaca Paper Final Drying on Felts

Overbeaten Flax Papers Awaiting Stitching and Dyeing

 

Overbeaten abaca and flax with burlap bag inclusions

At this point, I am hesitant and a bit skittish about taking the plunge and dyeing the paper.  Maybe I'll only work with one of the sheets and see what happens. Although one flax sheet has both embossing and printing, the other sheet of flax did not have the printed side of the burlap bag facing the wet sheet of paper while drying.  It has wonderful marks, but no color.  I'll start there.

Making Paper in a Pour Vat in the Garden

Early this morning, with cup of coffee in hand, I set up a papermaking station in the garden.  I made the pour vat a few years ago out of wood, pipe clamps and Carraige House Heat Shrinking Polypropylene Screening while creating a series of larger handmade paper pieces. 

This pour vat was lined with plastic and filled with overbeated flax fibers beaten in my Critter hollander beater..

 

Once the fibers were evenly dispersed in the water, I held my breath and prepared to pull.

With much concentration, and a bit of brute strength, the plastic was quickly removed.

Quickly, the vat was gently shaken as the water drained and the fibers settled on the pellon felt.

The pulp was allowed to drain for a few minutes before the deckle was removed.

The color variation in the pulp was created by pouring a second batch of older overbeated flax over the pulp before it drained. The older flax had been stored in my fridge since 2005.

The wet pulp and felt were carefully pulled off the mould and onto an old window screen before a piece of burlap Columbian coffee bag was placed over the pulp for texture. The metal grid was placed over the burlap.

The whole stack was flipped over and the window screen was removed.

Finally, wooden boards and concrete pavers were placed over the stack to restrain dry for the rest of the day.

I pulled three pieces of paper this morning, two overbeaten flax and one overbeaten abaca.  Hopefully they will be dry by tomorrow and ready for the next step - geletin sizing, piecing, sewing, indigo, walnut dye, etc.