A DESIGNED LIFE
LEAF FABRIC
In this era of exploitation, where we humans are immensely destructing our ecosystem, without understanding the enormity of it.
By creating continuous devastation of our natural resources, we have reached a point where it is our grave responsibility to save our planet, our ecosystem and our environment. Just a small change in our lifestyle can drive to a profound difference.
So, what are we waiting for …??
Let’s start thinking and practicing sustainability in our day to day life.
So, here I came across with an idea to make our lifestyle little sustainable.
Here, I designed a fabric made up of all biodegradable substances.
So, after using the material, you can laze down it in your garden, and it will decompose quickly in a short period.
Material used in the construction of the fabric is:
1. Few manure peepal leaves- Gather the fallen leaves of peepal tree(Ficus religiosa)
2. A bucket of water- for processing of leaves
3. Hemp fabric- which is a superior fabric that holds its shape and is incredibly strong. This fabric is highly sustainable. Hemp, lie Lenin becomes softer with the use. It is porous and hence water absorbent. Hemp is a breathable fabric that can keep us warm in winter and cool in summer. A unique advantage of this fibre is that it effectively blocks UV rays, which is a significant cause of cancer. Hemp absorbs dyes well, and has naturally high lustre.
When it comes to decomposing, the fibre is completely biodegradable.
4.Cotton threads- It is a type of filament made from spun cotton. It is generally durable, and does not stretch or break easily. This type of thread is used in a variety of crafting projects and clothing construction
As a natural product, cotton is entirely biodegradable, which means that it breaks down when put into a composting pile or bin.
Procedure for fabric construction:
Starts with the leaf, Creating the Peepal leaf mesh or skeleton is a time-consuming process and requires a lot of patience.
Carefully chosen green leaves from the Peepal tree and immerse the leaves in a bucket of water and leave it for 15–20 days. Make sure that the leaves do not damage due to decay, and the whiteness of the leaf mesh remains intact.
Scrub very cautiously with a soft toothbrush to remove the green chlorophyll film, remove from water and wash the leaves gently. Only the skeleton of the leaves should remain.
The leaves are then dried carefully mainly under sunlight which gives sufficient strength to this delicate skeleton. This helps the leaf to retain its form and hold the oil paints. The resulting mesh leaf is a beautiful, unique skeletal structure which can be used for various artistic purposes.
There are absolutely no chemicals used in this whole process. When properly preserved, these leaves can last for generations.
Trim the leaves in whatever shape you want( circle, square, rectangle. oval or any irregular shapes)
connecting the leaves with the help of hemp fabric (cut the straps of hemp fabric of about 1–2inch and add piping on the edge of the leaves)
Stitch the leaves all together with the cotton thread to form a piece of cloth.
We can add natural dyes of different colors for the material.
We can use this piece of fabric to make various things like curtains, table-cover, cushion covers, table mats, shelf mats etc.
Sustainability is not just about adopting the latest energy-efficient technology or turning to renewable resource of power. Sustainability is the responsibility of every individual every day. It is about changing your lifestyle and mindset to reduce energy and water consumption, therefore helping to control emissions, climate change, pollution level and many other changes that are taking place in our environment.
We owe much to the environment, so our primary responsibility must be to preserve the situation in the best possible manner. If we cannot improve at least, we have no right to deteriorate it.
A step towards sustainability today can make this planet a better place to live for the upcoming generations.
The perfect way to predict the future is to create it, and the creation starts from us. We all should find a creative way to live our life sustainably.
