DIY Style

Crafting (be it professionally or as a hobby) has become one of the biggest trends since the onset of the pandemic: we’ve been spending more time in; its elements of tactility and slowness soothe in a manic world; and have you seen the amount of crochet on the runways recently? Here, four Singapore artists – each with her own fashion-related discipline – share a project that lets one create something to add to the wardrobe at home.

- Gordon NG

DESIGNER SUPEI HO OF THE SLOW FASHION LABEL SU BY HAND

Her three-year-old brand, says this self-described “maker”, is meant to celebrate the virtues of things that have been created thoughtfully and with care – whether it’s a “simple design or something hard to mass-produce”. Her over-a-decade-long experience working with a host of global fashion brands is now being parlayed into creating understated garments with carefully sourced premium fabrics, then enlivened through artisanal techniques such as marbled prints and shibori dyeing.

WHAT YOU’LL TRY YOUR HAND AT

An eco-printing technique for silk pioneered by the visual artist India Flint and that imprints the pigments of plants onto fabric. It’s an organic and highly artisanal method that produces one-off prints “more suitable for a painter than a control freak”, says Ho.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

1. An old cotton T-shirt or a piece of silk fabric

2. Rolling pin

3. Plastic sheet (you can reuse one that you already have; simply cut to size)

4. Bleached twine

5. pH-neutral soap or gentle laundry detergent

6. Steamer (a normal pot or a bamboo dim sum steamer works)

7. Sugar-free soya milk

8. Eucalyptus leaves

9. Dried butterfly peas

10. Dried snow daisies

THE INSTRUCTIONS

1. Lightly hand-wash the cotton T-shirt or silk fabric. If using raw silk, hand-wash and rinse then skip to step 5.

2. While damp, immerse the garment/cloth into a pot of almost boiling water.

3. Add soap or laundry detergent then stir for 30 minutes over low heat.

4. Remove garment/cloth from the pot and rinse with water.