July meeting - Working with sheers

At the next meeting on 21 July I will be demonstrating a few techniques using sheer fabrics. Here is one of my samples.

Some techniques will combine layers of sheers with stitching and others (as above) will make use of heat tools. If you wish to try these techniques you will need to bring:

Background fabrics, such as felt, velvet or another fabric to provide a reasonably firm base. This could be something 'ugly' that can 'improved' using layers of sheers.

Sheer fabrics. I'll mainly be using nylon organzas, but you may wish to bring other fine fabrics, including laminated images like those Leah was demonstrating at the last meeting.

Either sewing machine or hand stitching equipment and suitable threads.

If you have one, a hot air tool and/or soldering iron, plus a heatproof surface. A metal ruler may also be useful. Don't worry if you don't have these as you will still be able to try the techniques if you wish.

If you plan to use heat tools, be aware that these will melt synthetic fabrics, such as nylon, polyester and acrylic, but have less effect on natural fibres, such as cotton, silk or viscose. So it's best to use the latter for stitching, but the fabrics can be from either group.

Alternatively, you can bring your own work to do.

As usual, please let Leah know if you are coming to the meeting and don't forget something for lunch!

Paper lamination - Report from Sunday's meeting

Leah demonstrated paper lamination at last Sunday's meeting. This is an image transfer technique using matt gel medium to glue paper to fabric. After drying, surplus paper is removed by soaking the fabric in water and rubbing the paper away.

Different effects are possible. If gel medium is applied across the whole surface, then most of the image will transfer (depending on the evenness of the medium application and how much you distress the image when removing the paper). Here is some work in progress.

Alternatively, apply gel medium to only some areas, which means that all the paper will be removed where there was no medium. Leah used a silk screen to apply the medium (if you try this, remember to clean the medium off the screen straight away as it can ruin your screen if allowed to dry). For the following piece she used a screen with stripes masked out.

Here is Leah demonstrating paper removal. 

This is what it looked like when dry and you can see the effect of broken images on the paper.

An interesting technique. Thanks Leah for introducing us to it.

Next month I'll be demonstrating some uses for sheer fabrics. Look out for further details and a requirements list which will be posted here in the next week.

Examples from recent meetings

Here are a few examples of fabric from recent meetings.

Printing from April's meeting. These are some of Helen's pieces before rinsing.

Discharging from April's meeting. This is Leah's and started out as a piece of breakdown printing.

Disperse dyeing from May's meeting. This is Leah's too.

If other members would like to see their work on this blog, please could they either send me some photos or bring the work along to a meeting.

June meeting - Paper lamination

At our next meeting on Sunday 16 June, Leah will be running a workshop on paper lamination. This is a method of transferring images or text to a sheer fabric. She will also show how to use paper lamination to make stencils.

Here is an example in which Leah has used paper lamination to transfer images.

If you want to do the workshop you will need to bring -

Sheer fabric – polyester voile is a good place to start - it can take lots of scrubbing and is ideal for making paper lamination stencils. You can use any sheer (except nylon) - you can use white or coloured depending on what you're trying to achieve. 

Matte medium - both Liquitex and Golden Matte Medium are suitable. Leah will bring some, but if you've got some of your own you might want to bring it along. 

Papers and imagery - you can use sheets of newspaper or sheets of cheap printer paper to make simple stencils. However you'll also need to collect some images to transfer. Paper lamination is a very inexact process so think in terms of colour and texture rather than sharp images. Newspaper is the easiest paper to work with so collect interesting images or just work with sections of text. Collect plenty and tear them out rather than cut. You can also use laser printed / copied images if you want to work with one of your own photographs or with something you've found in a book / magazine. Glossy paper from magazines won't work. Nor will stuff printed onto photo paper. Most inkjet printers use ink which will bleed into the matte medium so are unsuitable. 

Other stuff - 

Print board with drop cloth 

Sheet of heavy plastic for scrubbing unused paper off (plastic coated table cloth will do) 

Ball headed pins to pin fabric down 

If you have one - Silk Screen + cheap 2 inch masking tape + squeegee.
Freezer paper + cutting board + craft knife to make masks for your silk screen (you could make something before the meeting but remember to think about negative space if you're going to make a stencil). 
Or thermofaxes if you have them.

Other ways of applying the matte medium - brushes, credit card, textured rollers etc. 

Couple of plastic pots / containers + plastic spoons 

Parchment paper 

Bucket

For examples of how paper lamination can be used have a look at

http://www.parallelstextiles.com/index.html

http://www.christinechester.com/gallery.html

Usual arrangements for lunch.

Disperse dyeing - report from Sunday's meeting

Sandra lead a wonderful day on disperse dyeing and printing and on acid dyeing. We started by looking at samples brought in by Julie and Glenda made using disperse dyes to paint papers. The effects ranged from crisp and precise to organic and textured. Sandra explained how disperse dyes work and we spent the morning happily painting papers. 

Here is the dye painting table.

And here are some more painted papers.

A quick trip to the car park produced some lovely leaves to print with! Here are some of the results.

The way that these dyes works is that the painted papers will be placed onto fabric and ironed to transfer the design. Come back next month to see more of the results.

After lunch we used the disperse dyes to dye polyester and silk. Sandra also showed how to use acid dyes to colour silk and nylon. Sandra brought in a microwave steamer and a microwave that she keeps just for dyeing ... she definitely doesn’t recommend using the ones that you normally cook your veggies in!

There were lots of happy exclamations as we started rinsing out our bright, beautifully coloured fabrics. So a successful day. Thanks again to Sandra!

May meeting - Dyeing with disperse and acid dyes

The next meeting is on Sunday 19 May, when Sandra will be demonstrating how to use disperse dyes to paint and dye polyester. She will also bring some acid dyes for working on silk and nylon. 

 

Please let Leah know if you will be coming so that Sandra can bring the right quantities of dyes.

 

If you want to have a go please bring the following -

• Polyester, silk or nylon (I can supply small pieces of polyester if you don’t have any)
• Brushes or sponges for painting on the dye
• Non metallic cook in bag suitable for the microwave plus extras to take your work home in.
• Plastic cups and spoons for mixing dyes
• Gloves / apron

These methods need a microwave to fix the dyes. Because this will limit the amount of fabric each of us can dye we will be dividing the group into two with one half dyeing whilst the other half work on their own projects.

The meeting will start at 10am at the Memorial Hall in Croft (small hall) and will have a shared lunch as normal. We will also have a show and tell of the dyed and discharged pieces from the last meeting and any projects you’re currently working on.

Printing session Sunday 21 April

Ten people came along for a meeting where we were printing with thickened Procion dyes and discharge paste.

Thanks go to Leah for preparing all the colours and paste we were using. We had a delicious selection of colours to choose from: two reds, blues and yellows, plus black, brown and petrol green. Here they are:

I hadn't had much time to think about what I was going to do, so just threw a load of stuff in the car. In the end I made a couple of small print blocks inspired by Hundertwasser's paintings (the subject of a recent workshop). I used these to print, first with discharge paste on black and green cotton and black velvet, and then with thickened dye on white cotton.

The discharge paste was great fun and easy to use. I have used household bleach before, but we used Formosol mixed with with print paste, which was much easier to control. You use it just like thickened dye and can apply it with stamps or by screen printing, including with thermofax screens. After applying it to your fabric, you just have to wait for it to dry and then iron to activate. The design appears like magic and gets paler the more you iron it. Finally, you have to wash the fabric to get rid of the print paste and stop any further bleaching.

Here are my fabrics, after washing and ironing, plus my print blocks.

If any members have a photo of their fabric from the printing session that they don't mind sharing, please send me a copy I'll post it on the blog.

Details of the next meeting will appear shortly.