Experiment with discharge printing

Another experiment from today, printing with discharge on to some cotton I had bought. This worked well until there was some mishap. It was all fine when it came out of the heat press, so I can only imagine the discolouration happened whilst washing it afterwards. You can just about see where there are some lighter patches which seem to be part of the design. So I don't know what happened there. Perhaps it can be covered up with some sort of embroidery or something.

Ferns and Faces

I finally got the fern and faces print done. I printed a few, on calico and on fabric I had dyed different tones of grey. It is hard to tell the different fabrics on these photos but never mind. I like the simplicity of the one colour image. I will work into them a bit with embroidery at a later date I think.

I left the faces out of another print, with the idea being to embroider the faces in later on. This will take quite a while but i think it will prove to be pretty interesting.

Embroidered Ladies.

I also printed this relatively simple design, with the idea of using embroidery over the top. I have started this but I am unsure of how to carry on with it at present. I am greatly enjoying the embroidery, and think I will pursue this further in more work. Each girl is slightly unfinished, which I also quite like. I am wary of creating an image that looks as if it's looking to be perfect, if that makes any sense. I have photocopied the piece to try and draw onto that and maybe work something out. I may well print some more, with the idea of doing some different work on top of those at a later date. There may be an opportunity to use some text also, but as that is something I am unfamiliar with, I am slightly anxious of doing it.

Repeatedly Grumpy

After a five hour printing session, this is what I had achieved. It took 18 prints and worked out pretty well I think.

Grumpy Girls

This is, once again, printed on calico. The think that when I blasted the screen after exposing it I didn't quite blast it enough on one section. I hid this by fully embroidering the inner section, which has the added bonus of giving a different texture (though this is more noticeable through touching it and less so when just looking). I really like the way the image as a whole is quite decorative and created a striking pattern. I'm not sure if it's just me, but it also somehow has quite a communist aesthetic? I also enjoy the grumpy faces a lot.

Calico Circle

The same print again, this time on a medium/fine calico. The neutral tone allows for a different colour for the thread outlining the trees. It clashes with the tone of the inner pattern, but I think it works. The rippling in the fabric that the quilting creates gives each girl a slightly different expression.

Quilted cotton.

At last I had some time today to take some pictures of what I have been working on for a while now. This piece is printed on cotton that I dyed a light grey. I then backed it with a piece of fleece and quilted it. The initial idea with this (and subsequent pieces) was to create an item that provided some form of comfort, perhaps a cushion cover even? I am trying to think of what to do, though, and how best such an item would be exhibited. For now I am leaving it as it is, and I am just going to try and get as much printed as possible while I have access to the college facilities.

screen prints

some lazy posting means that and a late night means these next few posts are a bit hurried. so i will just post some images up, as i have been doing quite a bit of work in the last few weeks, i just haven't found the time to put anything up. this was also made a bit more difficult with mum and dad's ruby wedding anniversary, which meant some careful gift making was in order. so there haven't been quite enough hours in the day...

quilted screen print

I also took some time to try quilting this print sample. My idea is for a quilted cushion cover perhaps, following themes of comfort and notions of home. I'm hoping to dye the fabric I print on, perhaps to a light warm-toned grey. I think quilting around the trees helps balance out the image and offers area of simple print with detailed stitching, and areas of detailed print with less stitching. I also chose (not that you can see in the images) a very pale green thread to do my quilting with.

screen print on cotton

I also finally got a three layer print done recently that I have been working on steadily for a while (with little urgency!). But it's finally something I can experiment with. I went for some brighter colours just as a random trial really on some small samples. The last image is pretty poor as it was taken with rare sunlight streaming in.

screen print...finally

I have been struggling to get a screen print done and was having problems with the screen getting blocked. But I finally got it sorted this week and got a couple of good prints done. So I will try and get some more done over the next couple of weeks. The larger image doesn't show the fine detail so well, but the close up is better for that.

tests

I finally got round to putting a couple images on a screen. I have another image to sort tomorrow. The three will then fit together. These were just test prints on to paper, and there were some places that needed filling. I'm hoping it will print up well tomorrow, all going to plan.