Despite being gifted a terrible cold by my lovely assistant (who, luckily, did not feel as bad as I did), I made some eco printed scarves this week. We've had gorgeous, unseasonably warm weather and some leaves are still printing nicely.

Silver maple is always amazing; black walnut (photos to follow) and yellow birch are still looking good. I also grabbed some red sand cherry leaves. In the early parts of the summer they yield a teal/blue color with occasional splashes of pink. I didn't expect much of them because they were quite dry. The blue is grey-er than teal, but there are more blotches of pink.

I've steamed, dried and steam-ironed the pieces, but I am going to let them sit as long as possible before washing. Here's why: If I wash a piece soon after it's printed a lot of color comes out in the wash water. I haven't noticed discernible changes in the visual color of the print, but, after three weeks of aging (after steaming, drying and steaming with an iron) a lot less color leaches into the wash water. So, more must be sticking to the cloth, and that's a good thing.

I am getting ready to send almost 50 pieces to ARTISTRY at the Guildford Art Center in Guildford, Connecticut. This is my 3rd year participating. My work is also in the Art Center Shop throughout the year.

Silver maple and flat-topped aster, detail.