The steaming is complete, but the alchemy is not over. Unbundling is the final act of patience — the magical moment when nature's hidden artwork is revealed across linen, silk, and cotton.
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⏳ The Rest (6-48 Hours): After steaming, the bundles are left untouched to cool and rest, allowing the initial bond to stabilize. The exact time depends on the season and the weather.
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♻️ The Return: Once unwrapped, the spent leaves and petals are carefully collected and composted, returning them to the earth.
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🌬️ The Dry (6-24 Hours): The printed cloth is hung to dry in the shade, away from direct sun, before its first gentle wash.
Here is the process for ensuring those botanical imprints remain vibrant, strong, and enduring.
The Crucial Rest: When to Open
Do not open a hot bundle. The fabric must cool completely in its tightly bound state.
Leave the bundle untouched for 6 to 48 hours after steaming, depending on the season and the weather. This resting period allows the botanical pigments to oxidise and permanently lock the tannin bonds into the natural fibres. Patience here guarantees a sharper, richer print.
The Release: How to Un-bundle
Severing the Ties. Gently snip the cotton string and begin to carefully unroll the damp textile from its core.
Treat the unwinding like opening a delicate gift. The fabric will slowly reveal its mirror-image prints, a direct reflection of the extreme tension and care applied during the rolling process.
Honoring the Earth: The Recycle Box
Returning to the Soil. As the textile unrolls, the spent leaves, petals, and stems are gently peeled away from the fabric.
These botanicals have given their colour and lifeblood to the garment. Every organic remnant goes straight into the compost or organic recycle box. True sustainable fashion leaves no waste — only nutrients returning to the earth for the next harvest.
Drying in the Shade
Drying in the Shade. The damp, unwashed fabric is hung completely flat on a line in a well-ventilated area.
Strictly Shade, Never Sun. The fabric always hangs in the shade. Harsh, direct UV sunlight will aggressively bleach and fade natural dyes while they're still vulnerable.
The Final Wait. The fabric air-dries in 6 to 24 hours, depending on the weather and the fibre, before its first gentle wash. In the dry season, cotton and silk take about 6 to 8 hours, and hemp and linen take a little longer. A cloth that was steamed with a dyed blanket takes longer still, around 20 to 24 hours.
Setting the Colour. The tannin takes time to be absorbed and the colour takes time to fix naturally. Where needed, we also iron the cloth to help set it.
