Monday 6 August 2012

Fabric printing course part 1

Recently I went on a great screen printing on fabric course at Cottenham Village College with a friend Annie, who had been to this before. The tutor was Ricki Outis, who was a super teacher, sharing ideas and techniques with great enthusiasm.
 Fellow 'students' were mainly experienced screen printers and it was good to see everyone's work during the week. I'd done a little block printing on fabric but no screen printing, only on paper. Obviously it's very similiar; it was interesting to transfer ideas onto fabric. I hoped to print a curtain for my studio door, using a design I'd tried out on paper. I'd had my plant designs put onto thermofax screens and used paper stencils for the landscape shapes.


Work in progress...I'd spent the evening before working out my 'plan' with masking tape, it was supposed to make it easier!!


It was tricky working with the size; it was a vintage cotton sheet, one of a pair I found in it's original wrapping, a relic from my family childhood home long ago - good recycling!


The finished item; spot the 'deliberate' mistake when I'd changed colours, washed my screen and then forgot to put a new stencil underneath! I thought of various ideas to disguise it but now I'm rather fond of my yellow rectangle and will sign my name on the panel when I find my permanent marker pen which has done a disappearing act since I used it the other day.
My lovely young builder Matt put up the curtain rail this morning. I'd made the curtain up the other day, with interlining and lining (a reminder of the time when I made soft furnishings for clients) and put the heading tape on today when I knew the length. I'm really pleased with the end result; I like the border down the sides and bottom edge..




A complete one-off: quite exciting!

16 comments:

  1. That is really beautiful, I love the retro design.If I'd produced that I wouldn't be quite excited I'd be very excited!

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    1. Thanks Miriam, I am very excited, printing on fabrics brings together so many things I love doing, great fun!

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  2. I think that the rectangle is inspirational - definitely 'art curtain'!

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  3. It's stunning Anna... and I think the deliberate mistake makes it!

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    1. Thankyou Gina, on a quilt it's traditional to make a 'mistake', I'm carrying it through to fabric printing!

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  4. Beautiful! What a lovely curtain to have printed yourself.
    I must check to see when the course runs again.

    Celia

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    1. Thankyou Celia, I'm enjoying it and looking forward to it cutting down the draughts in my studio next winter. The course is next year but I'm sure there are others.

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  5. Beautiful curtain Anna, love the very 50's feel to it, very 'modern'.

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    1. Thankyou Jill, I love the retro feeling, back to my childhood!!
      PS.Great to see you at my OS!

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  6. Anna, the others have said it all! I have a similar pattern on some old china cups I bought in a flea market once but you've made this one your own. Great colours and I think the shading colours make it - remember it's never a mistake, it's a design opportunity! That curtain deserves pride of place. Going to do some more fabric printing maybe?

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    1. Thankyou Lesley, I like the sound of your cups! Yes, table set up in my studio and inks etc. arrived yesterday - exciting!

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  7. Well Anna, I was present when that "mistake" happened and you were remarkably restrained in your response to that yellow blip! Your work, as always, was very distinctive, with stunning colour choices. It was a marvellous week of printing: brains were buzzing and the excitement of working on such projects meant sleepless nights. The curtain looks gorgeous. Ricki Outis runs several day courses and she is an inspiring teacher.

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    1. Thanks for your comment Annie. Wasn't it fun!! Totally exhausting with all the ideas buzzing around and everyone with great energy. I hope to see your lovely designs being used around your house!

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  8. How very VERY exciting, I love your curtain, what fun to transfer the skills from one medium to another as well. It looks as though you've had a really enjoyable time there and come away with something beautiful to enjoy each day.

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    1. Thankyou Kat, yes, all these skills can be mixed and matched to make more fun for us all!! I am enjoying the curtain.

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