 Are
you a weaver with shaft envy? Have 4 shafts and want 8 or
more? Not a weaver? Envy no more; you can add depth of
texture, color and design with fabric paint.
Surface-designed painted
warp
Click the picture to see
a larger picture.
The scarf above was woven on a
Atlantic Moonglow silk/rayon painted warp and
weft of dark teal 8/2 tencel. Although, there are a lot of
ways I could have surface-designed this scarf, I chose the
easiest as my goal was to enhance the depth of texture and
color; I was not striving for complete coverage as I wanted
the structure and painted warp to be dominant.
In order to surface design properly,
you first need a surface design board on which to work. The
pad helps the fabric to accept the paint. My board is
approximately 17" X 25" and layered with plywood, wool
carpet padding and topped with plain muslin stretched,
stapled and taped to the back. A temporary surface design
board can be made with insulation foam, quilt batting,
muslin and packing tape. Use an additional piece of fabric
over your surface design board as you will use this again.
List of materials for this process:
- Flexible printing plate
- Foam core, wooden blocks or
corrugated cardboard
- AND/OR Speedy Stamp or EZ Cut
Stamp Kit (includes cutting tools)
- Speedy Stamp Blocks
- Resist forms like berry baskets,
large screen wire. Look around and you will see textured
items in a whole new light.
- Soft rubber brayer
- Versatex printing ink (I used
black as it will work on almost anything.)
- Extender
- Lumiere fabric paint in a metallic
if desired
- Freezer paper, plastic spoons
Prepare the fabric you plan to surface
design by washing or wet-finishing suitable for the fabric and
finish. I recommend
Professional Textile Detergent (gift
with purchase through September 30, 2008). Do not use fabric
softener or dryer sheets prior to surface-designing. You may do
so afterwards if you like.
Freezer paper works well as a place to mix fabric paint for
applying to a brayer. Take out a little extender and place
on the freezer paper. Add some printing ink and mix with a
spoon. No specific amounts are required; use mostly
extender with a little paint. You will get the feel for it
after working with it. The extender will keep the fabric
supple; additionally, on light colored fabrics will lighten
the color, i.e., lots of extender and dab of paint will give
a pastel on white. Roll just a little bit on the side of
the paper with the brayer until you have an even coat on the
brayer and apply to stamp. Place your scarf or piece to be
surface-designed on the design board and stamp. Finely
detailed commercial stamps will work but not as well as one
you carve. Hand-carve your initials or logo for a
one-of-a-kind look. If you'd rather not carve or want to
try something additional, you can use flexible printing
plate, cut into different shapes, peel off the back and
adhere to a base like foam core, wooden block or corrugated
cardboard to create your own stamp.
I generally surface-design one side of
a scarf with Versatex/stamps and go back over it with
highlights of copper using a clean brayer and resist forms.
Stir and pour out a little Lumiere onto clean freezer
paper. Place your resist(s) over the item to be
surface-designed and roll the brayer directly over it.
(Before you do this, take a deep breath and hold it. <g>)
Allow one side of your fabric to dry
24 hours and then surface-design the other side. Dry for
another 24 hours and heat wet with a dry iron. Cover with a
pressing cloth and set your iron on high and press for 30
seconds on every piece of the fabric. Some toss it in the
dryer but I have more confidence with the iron. After that,
it is set and can be washed, fabric softener added, etc.
There are many other options you can
use with fabric paint such as stencils, silk-screening,
transfers or mono-prints, etc., but this method is easy and
effective with any fabric and especially handwovens.
It takes a little courage the first
time you print onto handwoven fabric but is quite addictive
after the first time as the depth of texture and color is
further enhanced. If you're a little nervous, try it on
commercial fabric first - and I think you will want to keep
the commercial fabric for a quilting project. <g>
Source of supplies:
Some local art supplies have stamp
kits, additional blocks and printing plates. However, I was
unable to find Versatex or Lumiere locally and purchased it
from Dharma Trading Co., San Rafael, CA.
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