Sun Printing Fabrics

That little side trip to Vermont whetted my appetite for fabric painting, so I squeezed a day of play into my busy retirement schedule. As is my habit, I gathered my supplies and tools needed to work on some prototypes for a larger piece I have in progress. And then I proceeded to set up for sun printing. I do that all the time..decide I am working in one technique and then change midstream and start another. This probably drives others (read: husband and offspring) a bit crazy, but it seems to work for me. I am running one process through my head, all the while getting another process set up.

Well, it turns out I picked an A-1 day for sun printing! The tools are basic and the process is easy and fast. I used PFD (prepared for dyeing) fabric, a couple of Setacolor Soleil Paints I had, some wide bristle and sponge brushes, a spray bottle, a piece of foamcore covered and sealed with plastic wrap, some painters tape and a handful of coarse salt.

Then all I needed were objects and materials to print. I collected some leaves, grasses, weeds, some plastic doilies that had been my Grandmother Robertson’s, some buttons, coins and chain.

After cutting my fabric to the size that would fit on the foamcore, I ironed it and taped it in a few strategic spots onto the board so that brushing paint on it  wouldn’t be tedious.

I sprayed my fabric to the extremely technical point of “very wet” and then started brushing paint on. If you don’t have Setacolor Soleil Paints, you can use Setacolor Transparent Paints watered down in a 1:1 ratio. 

If it is really sunny and hot, you need to do these steps fairly fast because your paint will dry quickly. This did happen to me several times and I just gave my fabric a spray of water and I got another effect doing so.

Once you have your paint on, then you pick your items to print, lay them on top of the painted fabric and press them into the fabric. This is also when you can toss the coarse salt over the fabric for added effect.

Then you wait for the paint to dry, which on a beautiful sunny day, doesn’t take any time at all.

Once your painted fabric is dry, remove the objects and materials you used to print, remove the tape and then using a hot dry iron, press your fabric. It’s now heat set, pressed and ready for use! Fun, fun!

Today at Blossom Bake and Create blogger Lynda has a great post with links to even more information about preserving botanicals for use in printing. It is an excellent post and I am anxious more now than ever to get collecting some grasses and leaves to preserve for future surface design sessions.

I am linking to The Needle and Thread Network.

Bargello Hearts and Complementary Coloring, a Client’s Quilt

It was only as I chopped the green onions that I recognized the pattern.

I looked behind me to the plate of thinly sliced cucumber and wedges of tomato.

I remembered filling my shopping basket with brussel sprouts, asparagus spears, firm sweet peppers, strawberries, leeks, a mouth watering canary melon.

It was the perfect example of art imitating life. Or life imitating art? 

When I teach my color theory classes, or give my hour long presentation on the same topic, part of the program emphasizes looking to Mother Nature for color guidance. An interesting twist on this topic, here I was, innately recreating the colors I had been quilting with, only this time they were on my plate.

During the recent Greater Moncton Quilt Guild retreat, one of our members was working on this luscious bargello top.

I admired it from afar and remember thinking how much fun it would be to quilt.

Yesterday as I handed this beautiful quilt back to its maker, I laughingly told Marie my thoughts that weekend. And how excited I was when I saw the top she asked me to quilt for her!

As I sat and munched my veggies and fruit last evening, I reflected on how your mind make these connections and how I was so obviously influenced by the colors of Marie’s top. Perhaps I just wasn’t ready to let the piece go and this was my way of re-creating those wonderful complementary and gradient colors. Whatever the reason, the quilt is rich and gorgeous, the food was delicious and I am so happy to have had both to enjoy.

Jelly roll blue wrapped in ribbons

This is a quilt I recently finished quilting for a fellow member of our local quilt guild. The top was made as a jelly roll project with extra borders added to make it larger. She asked for meandering, which I did, but I stitched a second row of meandering to echo the first and create a ribbon effect. I think that second row of stitching adds just a bit more oomph and gives her lovely quilt a more complete look.

Blues are always a favorite color choice and I feel a blue quilt has such a comforting, calming effect. It is interesting to note that in New Brunswick, more blue paint is sold than over any other color. A bit of influence from our expansive oceans and wide, open skies? I think so..

Covering journals

I like my journals covered, and it turns out there was a simple way to achieve that without taking a huge chunk of time. These days it takes a while for the lightbulb to pop on inside my head and I would like to think it is simply because I am so busy that the obvious just isn’t obvious. But, really I believe that little voice of reason and sensible solutions has been silenced and left me to figure this stuff out on my own.

While working on something else and pondering how I could make some covers, I glanced at a stack of discharged and batiked fabric on my shelf and suddenly was struck by the idea that perhaps the fabric in itself was enough.

Turns out I was right.

The small journal is covered in a piece of black cotton discharged with bleach which I squirted out of a repurposed mustard bottle. The other was covered with fabric made with a black cotton base on which I freehanded leaves with soy wax and then painted with multiple colors of opaque fabric paint. Once dried I removed the wax to reveal the black outline. This requires a fair amount of elbow grease as the wax is well covered in paint. This results in a fabric with a fair amount of weight which is exactly what I wanted - a fabric with the substance of a suede or leather. I also used some red had dyed fabric for the inner pockets.

Done and done!

Stories in Stitches Revisited

My sister took these photos of the St Paul’s Show so I could share them here. What a magnificent setting for these pieces of art.

To read and see more, check out Susan Purney Mark’s blog as well as this interview on CBC. And there is more on Cathy Miller’s blog!!

The show was a resounding success with 1300 people passing through the doors to view the displays! Quilts, hooked rugs, needlepoint, cross stitch - they included all forms of needlework. Plus you got to see the beauty that is St Paul’s, a heritage property in the heart of downtown Charlottetown.

Enjoy!

 

The show was a resounding success with 1300 people passing through the doors to view the displays! Quilts, hooked rugs, needlepoint, cross stitch - they included all forms of needlework. Plus you got to see the beauty that is St Paul’s, a heritage property in the heart of downtown Charlottetown.

Enjoy!