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Design Magic: What is a DesignPack?

Wednesday, August 4th, 2010

The questions I’ve heard most frequently since we published Design Magic are “What is a DesignPack?” and “How do I use the DesignPack with my Design Magic book?”

The DesignPack is a convenience item that we put together for readers and teachers. It contains pre-cut and pre-printed templates that allow you to jump right into the design process without taking the time to make templates. Each DesignPack contains:

  • 6 pre-cut 4″ squares of black paper,
  • 6 pre-printed Design Pages, and
  • 6 pre-printed freezer paper stencil templates.

The DesignPack came to life after I taught my first test class for Design Magic. While we made it though the process just fine, it was clear that we spent a lot of time making templates that could have been better used making the actual designs. Personally, I’m a lot more excited about making designs than making templates – I like to see results now! And I figured that a lot of you think the same way, and therefore, we have a DesignPack.

To answer the question about how to use a DesignPack with the Design Magic book, let’s do a quick review of what Design Magic is all about. The best way to do this is a high level overview. I’ll point out how the DesignPack contents are used along the way.

Design Magic – the Short Course

Design Magic is a simple process for creating a design, turning it into a pair of stencils, and then transferring the design to fabric with paintstiks. All of the lovely details are in the book, of course, but here is the high-level overview.

1 – Start with a square

All designs start as a simple square. I prefer to use black paper because it’s easy to see the contrast between the black paper and a white background. If you don’t have black paper, choose the darkest color you can find.

All of the designs in the Design Magic book (and our pre-cut mylar stencils) start with a 4″ square. The DesignPack contains 6 pre-cut 4″ squares. You can, of course, work with squares of a different size if that works better for your project.

2 – Cut shapes from the square

Cut one or more shapes from the square – and save all the little cut-outs. The only real rule here is that the shapes have to start and end on an edge of the square. (You can’t cut a hole out of the middle.) This example has a lot of shapes cut from the square, but some of my favorite designs are done with a single shape.

3 – Make a Design Page

The next step in the process involves arranging the shapes that you cut from the square onto a Design Page. While it’s certainly possible to make your own Design Page templates (the instructions are in the book), it’s really convenient to just grab a page from the DesignPack and start getting everything arranged.

I love making Design Pages. This is where I can first see the positive and negative images that I cut from my squares and how they interact. If a Design Page is put together properly, the white shapes on one side will be the mirror image of the black shapes on the other side.

4 – Create a repeating pattern

With a Design Page in hand, you can actually test a design on paper rather than making stencils and testing the design on fabric. All you need access to is a copy machine (or one of those lovely printers that makes copies). If you make 5 copies of your design page and cut out all the squares, you can do a cut-and-paste exercise and make a repeating pattern from your design.

5 – Review design and make changes (if needed)

Once you have created a repeating pattern from the Design Page, you can review the design and make changes if you wish. There is an entire section of the book dedicated to the review process along with tips on small changes that can transform an “ok” design into a really great design.

6 – Transfer the design to freezer paper

The next step is to transfer the shape from your Design Page to freezer paper. You can either make your own freezer paper templates or use the pre-printed templates from the DesignPack.

One note about freezer paper – it shrinks! It took me a while to figure this out, but freezer paper really does shrink when pressed with a warm iron. (And since we press our freezer paper stencils to fabric before painting, it’s important to pay attention!) So whether you make your own freezer paper stencil templates or use the templates from the Design Pack, please read the information in the Design Magic book about pre-shrinking the freezer paper. It can save you a few headaches before you get further into the process.

7 – Cut equal and opposite stencils

With your design copied on one stencil template, you are ready to cut a pair of equal and opposite stencils. Using the process detailed in the book, it’s really fast and accurate. It’s more than I can explain in a short paragraph, but the result is that you cut away the main shape in one stencil, and cut away the background in the other stencil. The pair of stencils should look just like the design page.

That’s it! You’re ready to paint!

As you can see, the process of making your own personal designs is not exactly rocket science. It’s more a matter of sitting down and doing it. The Design Magic book gives you a recipe and the DesignPack puts you in the fast lane for making great designs. DesignPacks are great for anyone who wants to make their own designs – and a huge time-saver for teachers. I know I’ll never teach another class without them!

Show us your Design Magic

Have you been experimenting with Design Magic? If you have, please send pictures! I would love to see what you are doing. You can always send e-mail using our Contact Page. If you send photos, please let us know if it is OK to share your photos on the blog or in one of our newsletters.

Happy designing,

~ Shelly

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Free Project: Shelly’s Magic Mats

Friday, July 30th, 2010

Here’s a great little project for our DesignMagic stencils – or one of your own designs! My Magic Mats pattern is the simplest way to make a placemat that I can think of. All you need is two pieces of fabric, some interfacing, one paintstik, one brush, and one pair of DesignMagic stencils. It’s easy!

Fair warning – this is a long post with a lot of pictures. If you want the short version, visit the Learning Center on our site and download the instructions as a PDF. The instructions are posted here.

Here are photos of three finished Magic Mats.  As you can see, you’ll need one piece of fabric to be painted and one that will serve as the borders and backing. Let’s get started!

Material List (for one Magic Mat)

  • 1 (9″ x 17″) rectangle focus fabric (to be painted)
  • 1(18″ x 17″) rectangle of border/backing fabric
  • 3/4 yard medium weight fusible interfacing, such as Pellon ShirtTailor
  • 1 set DesignMagic stencils
  • 1 or more Shiva® Paintstiks
  • 1 stencil brush (more if you use more than one color of paint)
  • Grip-n-Grip no-slip mat [Bear Thread Designs]
  • 404 spray adhesive [Spray and Fix / JT Trading]
  • Removable chalk pencil

Step 1 – Fuse interfacing to fabric

Cut two rectangles of fusible interfacing slightly smaller than the fabric rectangles. (I cut mine about 1/8″ smaller so I don’t get fusible stuff on my ironing board cover.) Fuse the interfacing to the wrong side of the fabric rectangles using the manufacturer’s instructions.

The interfacing adds body to the fabric and eliminates the need for batting. The placemat stays thin, but it’s not wimpy. I used Pellon’s ShirtTailor interfacing, which is a nice medium weight product.

Step 2 – Prepare fabric and stencils for painting

Mark the horizontal and vertical center lines on the focus fabric with a removable chalk pencil.

Place your stencils right side up on your work surface. Clearly mark one as Stencil-A and the other as Stencil-B with a permanent marker.

If you are using pre-cut mylar DesignMagic stencils, place the stencils wrong side up on a piece of newspaper and spray the back side of each stencil with 404 adhesive spray. (I prefer to do this outside or in the garage so I don’t stink up my work area.) I like to call 404 spray “post-it notes in a can.” Once the stencils are sprayed, they stay where you put them and don’t move around as you are painting.

If you are using your own designs cut from freezer paper, do not spray them with 404. Use the information in the Design Magic book for alignment tips and adhere the stencils to your fabric by pressing with a warm iron.

Step 3 – Paint DesignMagic images on focus fabric

Place your focus fabric right side up on a Grip-n-Grip mat (if you have one.) The mat will keep your fabric from moving around while you paint.

Remove the film from the end of your paintstik, rub the paint on a piece of freezer paper, and load the paint onto a stencil brush. For more information on stenciling, visit the Learning Center and download the document on Stenciling.

To paint the first image, position Stencil-A so that two alignment guides are even with the registration marks on the fabric. Paint the fist images using paintstik color and a stencil brush.

Lift the stencil from the fabric. Place the stencil on scrap fabric and gently wipe away any excess paint before using the stencil again. (I don’t usually worry about wiping my stencils unless it’s very messy or if I’m using several colors and don’t want to muddy them up when I paint the next image.)

To paint the second image, position Stencil-B next to the fist painted image. Rotate the stencil until th eimages on the stencil match up with the painted image from the previous step. Use the alignment guides and the registration marks to make sure the stencil is in the right place. Paint the image, lift the stencil, and clean the stencil if necessary.

Continue painting images, alternating between Stencil-A and Stencil-B until you have painted 8 DesignMagic images on the focus fabric.

Step 4 – Allow paint to dry and heat set paint

Allow the paint to dry for 24 hours and then heat set the paint to make it permanent. To heat set, place the painted fabric on an ironing board, right side up. Cover the painted fabric with a piece of muslin or scrap fabric. Preheat a dray iron to the appropriate temperature for the fabric. Press each section of the fabric for 10-15 seconds.

I usually heat set paint by placing the fabric paint-side down on parchment paper and pressing from the back. But in this case, I’ve already fused interfacing to the back, and I think it’s better to press from the top with a pressing cloth.

Step 5 – Assemble Magic Mat

Use a 1/2″ seam allowance for all seams on this project.

Align the long edge of the painted fabric with one 17″ edge of the border fabric, right sides together. Pin as needed and stitch the full length of the seam with a 1/2″ seam allowance. I don’t have a good 1/2″ seam guide, so I actually marked the 1/2″ line on the back side of my painted fabric.

Open the fabric and check to see that there the seam allowance covers the unpainted portion of the fabric. You can always make an extra wide seam allowance if you have unpainted portions of the focus fabric showing at the seam. Press the seam allowance toward the border fabric.

Fold the remaining 17″ edge of the border/backing fabric 1/2″ to the back side a press. After pressing, open the fold for the next step.

Align the second long edge of the painted fabric with the remaining 17″ edge of the border/backing fabric, right sides together. The fabric should form a tube. Pin as needed and mark the seam allowance 3″ from each side. (See red arrow in photo above.)

Stitch a short 3″ seam from each end, leaving the middle of the seam open. You will turn the Magic Mats through this opening later.

Here’s what your Magic Mat should look like so far. The two pieces should form a tube, and there should be an opening in one of the seam.

With the tube wrong side out, flatten the tube so one of the long seams is 1.75″ from the folded edge. Do NOT press the tube flat while it is wrong side out – we’ll press it flat after turning it right side out.

Pin the ends of the tube together and stitch a seam along each end using a 1/2″ seam allowance. Peek inside the mat to make sure unpainted portions of the focus fabric do not show at the side seams. Trim the side seams to 1/4″ if desired.

Gently turn the Magic Mat through the opening in the seam. Use an awl to pus the corners out for nice square corners.

Flatten the placemat and give it a good pressing.

After the mat is pressed flat, top-stitch along the edge of the focus fabric to secure the layers together and to close the opening in the mat. I also top-stitched along the grid lines in the painted fabric. The stitching gives the illusion that the fabric is pieced, but is far less work.

Enjoy your Magic Mats!

Magic Mats really are easy to make, and they are a fantastic way to play with DesignMagic images. They are big enough to show off the repeating designs, and small enough that they can be done quickly. It takes me about 25 minutes to paint one of the panels and less than an hour to assemble a mat. Now that’s what I call magic!

Make Magic Mats for your own home – or make gifts for your friends and family. If you prefer runners to placemats, simply make a longer version of this project. It’s easy!

Download a free copy of the Magic Mats pattern

Visit the Learning Center on our website to download a free, printer-friendly version of the Magic Mats pattern. The pattern is posted on the Design Magic Resources page. You are welcome to make copies for your friends.

Learn more about Design Magic

If you like making Magic Mats, you’ll love Design Magic for Paintstiks on Fabric. Learn to make your own designs, turn them into stencils, and transfer the images to fabric. With Design Magic, you really can design your own fabric!

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Posted in "How To" Information, Design Magic, Free Project Tutorial, Paintstik Projects | 1 Comment »

Stencil with Modeling Paste ~ Playing with Stencils 10

Monday, February 22nd, 2010
Susan Stein

modeling_paste_triartModeling paste is a fascinating art material that can be used on fabric. It can be applied quite heavily, yet it remains flexible when it dries. You can stitch through (dry) modeling paste without damaging needles or your sewing machine — it’s a very interesting tool for adding dimensional texture to your fiber art.

Supplies:

~ Maple stencils [Cedar Canyon Textiles]
~ Flexible Modeling Paste by Liquitex®, Tri-Art® or similar [art or hobby store]
~ Palette knife
~ White fabric, 10” by 12”
~ Dye-na-Flow™ paint by Jacquard
~ Sponge brushes
~ 8” by 10” stretched canvas [art or hobby store]
~ Adhesive spray such as 404 [Spray and Fix]
~ Copper foil [art or hobby store]
~ FabriTac™ glue, masking tape

Step 1

Spray adhesive onto the back of the stencil and let dry.  Press the stencil onto the fabric.

Step 2

modeling_paste_1

With a palette knife, smooth modeling paste into the openings of the stencil, making it thick and smooth.  Remove the stencil and let the fabric dry.

Step 3

modeling_paste_2

With two or three colors of paint, brush over the dry modeling paste and background fabric.  Spray with water if you want more blending-plenty of liquid, allowed to work on its own, will give you attractive and unexpected results.  Let dry.

Step 4

modeling_paste_3

Wrap the painted fabric around the stretched canvas folding in the corners neatly. Tape the fabric to the back of the canvas.

Step 5

Cut a piece of copper foil 38” long by 1 ½” wide.  (If your canvas is more than 3/4″ deep, cut a wider strip of foil.) Starting in the center on the bottom edge, wrap the copper around the edges of the stretched canvas, with ¼” showing on the front and ½” showing on the back, mitering the corners.  Glue the front edges down and tape the back edges in place.

modeling_paste_sample

You now have a lovely piece of framed art.

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Foam Tray Printing ~ Playing with Stencils 9

Monday, February 15th, 2010
by Susan Stein

tray_printing_smallHere’s a great use for the foam trays that regularly make their way into our kitchens. Use stencils to turn them into printing plates. With a few colors of thick liquid paint, you can make beautiful prints on fabric.

Supplies:

~ Stencils [Cedar Canyon Textiles]
~ Foam meat tray or to-go box with unmarked surface
~ Craft knife or scissors
~ Ballpoint pen
~ Fabric
~ Paint with body like Lumiere™ or Neopaque™ by Jacquard
~ Sponges or sponge brushes
~ Old terry towel, rubber carpet pad, or newspaper to provide a cushion for printing
~ Plastic cover for printing pad

Step 1

tray_printing_1

Cut off the edges of the foam tray so you have a flat surface.  Tape the stencil to the foam (or spray the back of the stencil with adhesive spray and adhere the stencil to the foam.  Outline the stencil openings with a ballpoint pen, making the lines about 1/8” deep into the foam.

Step 2

Place a printing pad on your work surface and cover it with plastic. Tape the fabric to the plastic covering your printing pad so you can pull the print easily without smearing it.  If you are working on newspaper instead of a printing pad, you can just tape the fabric to the paper.

Step 3

Sponge paint onto the foam, using as many colors as you like.  Work quickly so the paint stays wet and make sure the layer of paint is consistently thin so it doesn’t fill in the lines when you print.

Step 4

tray_printing_black

Turn the foam face down on the fabric and rub over the back with your hand until the paint transfers to the fabric.  Pull the foam off carefully and let the paint dry.  Heat set the painted fabric with an iron.

The first print will be light because the foam needs to be coated a couple of times before it will release the paint to the fabric.  Have several pieces of fabric ready to print and pick the best one for your project.

tray_printing_white

Here is the same print on white fabric.

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Add Flash with Foil ~ Playing with Stencils 8

Monday, January 25th, 2010
by Susan Stein

foil_LMDShiny foils are a wonderful way to add glitz to your fabric art project. Foils will adhere to fabric with a special adhesive or with fusible web. Please note the care instructions at the bottom of the post, as foils are not as durable as many other embellishments.

Supplies:

~ Maple Stencils [Cedar Canyon Textiles]
~ Fabric
~ Foil for fabric [www.LauraMurrayDesigns.com]
~ Foil Transfer Adhesive [www.LauraMurrayDesigns.com]
~ Sponge or sponge brush
~ Spray adhesive like 404™ [Spray and Fix]
~ Iron, preferably one with Teflon™ coating
~ Ironing surface

Step 1

foil_1_adhesive

Spray adhesive on the back of the stencil, let dry, and press onto the fabric.  Fill in the openings in the stencil with foil transfer adhesive.  As with all liquid products, dab up and down when stenciling, so as not to push paint or adhesive under the edges of the stencil openings.  Let dry thoroughly (several hours).

Step 2

foil_2_iron

Place the prepared fabric on the ironing surface and lay a sheet of foil- color side up- over the adhesive design.  Using the side edge of the iron, burnish over the foil sheet three or four times.  Let the fabric cool a bit and then peel off the foil sheet.  If there are some areas of adhesive not foiled, take a second color and repeat the burnishing process.  It works well to use foil sheets that are beat up and have only thin layers of foil left on them so that the image has nuance and more colors can be used.

foil_3_results

Here are a two fabrics with foil applied.

Care Instructions

Care for the foiled fabric by hand washing.  Do not dry clean.  Always use parchment paper or a Teflon press sheet when ironing over the foil.

Foil with Fusible Web

Another way stencils can be used with foil is to use them to cut out shapes from Wonder Under.  Trace a design on the paper side of the fusible web using the stencil, cut out the motif, iron it to fabric, remove the paper, and foil the adhesive as described above.

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Gelatin Printing with Stencils ~ Playing with Stencils 7

Monday, January 18th, 2010
by Susan Stein

knox_gelatine_01

Gelatin printing is an fun and process that allows you to make interesting, more organic images from stencils, found objects, and paint. The images produced are not as clean and crisp as images created from other techniques – but that’s the point! For a delightful day of image making, make yourself a gelatin printing pad and have a great time with your paints.

Supplies:

~ Various stencils [Cedar Canyon Textiles]
~ One box Knox® unflavored gelatin
~ 8” square cake pan or similar
~ Textile paints with body like Lumiere™ or Neopaque™ [Jacquard]
~ Retarder or open acrylic medium for paint (allows longer working time)
~ Sponges or sponge brushes
~ Fabric
~ Spray bottle of water
~ Soft paper towels
~ Knife or palette knife

Step 1

gelatin_print_1

Make a gelatin printing pad by pouring one cup of cold water into an 8” square pan.  Pour the contents of all four envelopes from the Knox gelatin box into the pan and stir to partially dissolve.  Add one cup of very hot water to the pan and stir to completely dissolve the gelatin.  Refrigerate the pan until the gelatin is set.

If your pan has low sides, you can work without removing the gelatin but if your pan has high sides, run a knife along the edges of the gelatin to introduce air underneath and dump the gelatin onto a plastic covered table.  If your pan has a pattern on the bottom, turn the gelatin over to expose the smooth side.

Step 2

gelatin_print_2

Mix a small amount of paint with retarder, which will keep the paint viable longer.  With a sponge or sponge brush, cover the gelatin with a layer of paint.  If using a brush, be careful not to drag it over the gelatin, causing the gelatin to break up sooner.

Step 3

gelatin_print_3

It is possible to get three prints from each set up of paint:
Place the stencil over the painted gelatin and drop a piece of fabric on top.  Rub gently with your hands to transfer the paint to the fabric and carefully lift the fabric off the stencil and gelatin.  Place to the side to dry.

Lift the stencil off the gelatin.  Since it will have paint on the back, it can be used to make a negative print.  Carefully drop it down on a piece of fabric and rub the paint onto the fabric with your hands or a brayer.  Remove the stencil and allow the fabric to dry.

The gelatin will now have paint exposed in a negative pattern with a faint amount of paint in the positive area of the design.  Drop a piece of fabric down on the gelatin and rub over it with your hands.  Pull the fabric off the gelatin and let dry.

If there is any paint remaining on the gelatin, either leave it to add interest to the next paint set up, or spray lightly with water and wipe clean with a paper towel.  When your painting session is finished, return the gelatin to the refrigerator for another time.  When the gelatin starts to deteriorate, (sooner in hot weather) tear it apart and continue to print with the pieces.

Step 4

Heat set the painted fabric by ironing it for 3 minutes.

results_leaf_stencil

This photo shows the gelatin prints from the large Birch leaf stencil.

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Alcohol Ink on Copper ~ Playing with Stencils 6

Monday, January 11th, 2010
By Susan Stein

Some coloring agents are not meant to work on fabric, but that doesn’t mean that quilters can’t play with them! In today’s lesson we’ll be using Alcohol Inks, which are made specifically for non-porous surfaces. These inks are very different that the textile paints that we are more familiar with, so take some time to play with them. I’m sure you’ll find ways to integrate them into your personal art!

Supplies:

ai-shellpink~ Birch Leaves stencils [Cedar Canyon Textiles]
~ Thin copper sheeting [hobby or art store)]
~ Ball point pen or pointed stick
~ Alcohol ink, 3 colors [Adirondack]
~ Acrylic felt 9” by 12”
~ Tool for embossing metal (optional)
~ Goo Gone™ citrus cleaner
~ Q-tip
~ Spray fixative

Additional Supplies for Wall Hanging

~ Fabric (border, binding, backing)
~ Sewing machine
~ Thread
~ Batting

Step 1

alcohol_ink_1

Lay the copper piece on the felt and adhere the stencil to it with tape or spray adhesive.  Draw around the stencil with a ballpoint pen or pointed stick to indent the metal.

Step 2

alcohol_ink_3

Paint the copper (either side) by dripping alcohol ink onto the leaf motif.  The ink works differently from other paints, so play with the possibilities.  If some ink goes outside the lines, wipe it off with a Q-tip and Goo Gone.  Let dry.

Step 3

Heat the copper if you like brighter color by holding a heat gun over it until it changes color.  Spray the metal on both sides with fixative to seal the copper and prevent it from oxidizing.

Bonus – Create a small art quilt!

Art Quilt Step 1

Add borders to the copper piece, using a long stitch length and sharp needle.

Art Quilt Step 2

alcohol_ink_finished

Layer with batting and backing.  Quilt across the borders and copper around the leaf, which will raise the leaf slightly higher than the background.  Bind the edges.

Art Quilt Step 3

alcohol_ink_4

Use the embossing tool to make patterns on the background of the copper if you like.

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Elegant Copper Patina ~ Playing with Stencils 5

Monday, January 4th, 2010
By Susan Stein

Copper mesh may not be at the top of your quilting supply list, but it’s a great addition to your art quilt tool box. Yes, you really can stitch through copper mesh (and thin copper sheeting) without damaging your sewing machine or needle! In today’s lesson, we’ll create a patina on the copper mesh with Liver of Sulphur and then turn the embellished mesh into a small art quilt.

Supplies:

liver_of_sulphur~ Birch Leaves stencils[Cedar Canyon Textiles]
~ Liver of Sulphur [www.DickBlick.com]
~ Small spray bottle
~ Stamped copper wire mesh [hobby or art supply store]
~ Masking tape
~ Spray adhesive like 404™ [Spray and Fix]
~ Dust mask
~ Artist’s fixative like Krylon™ [hobby or art supply store]

Additional supplies for small wall hanging:

~ Double fold black bias tape, ¼” wide
~ Three fabrics to coordinates (one for binding)
~ Backing fabric
~ Sewing machine
~ Walking foot for sewing machine
~ Black thread
~ Thin batting
~ Copper leaf button (optional)

Step 1

Dilute the Liver of Sulphur according to the directions on the bottle.  Place it in a small spray bottle and label with masking tape.

Step 2

liver_of_sulpher

Tape the copper mesh to a plastic surface.  Work in a ventilated area or outside.

Step 3

Spray the back of the stencil with adhesive and let dry.  Press the stencil onto the copper mesh.  Mask off any areas with tape that you don’t want to use. (In the photo above, the mesh appears to be on top of the stencil, but it’s not. It’s just that the stencil is very translucent.)

Step 4

Wearing a dust mask, spray the openings in the stencil with Liver of Sulphur.  Let dry and then wash the copper with soapy water and dry, being careful of the cut edges.  Spray the copper with artist’s fixative on both sides to protect the copper from further color changes over time.

Bonus! — Create a small wall hanging from your stenciled copper mesh.

copper_mesh_sample

Wall Hanging Step 1

Cut the copper mesh with an old rotary cutter to the desired size.  Encase the edges of the mesh with double fold bias tape, mitering the corners and leaving a tail of bias tape.  Sew along the inside edge of the bias tape all the way around the copper piece.  Use a “sharp” sewing needle (it will not be damaged) and a longer stitch length.

Wall Hanging Step 2

Layer a background fabric, batting, and backing fabric.  Pin or use fusible batting with steam to hold the layers together.   Add a smaller accent fabric to the background, sewing 1/8” from the edge of the accent fabric through all the layers.

Wall Hanging Step 3

Lay the bound copper piece on the accent fabric, extending the tail of bias tape to the edge of the background fabric.  Topstitch the outer edge of the bias tape all around the copper piece and on both edges of the tail.

Wall Hanging Step 4

Bind the edges of the wall hanging and hand sew a copper leaf or other embellishments on.  Sew two small rings on the back for hanging.

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Discharge with Stencils ~ Playing with Stencils 4

Monday, December 14th, 2009
Susan Stein

Many of the techniques and tools we use every day allow us to add color or pattern to fabric. For a change of pace, let’s look at a couple of ways to remove color from fabric using discharge agents. In today’s lesson, we’ll use dishwasher gel and discharge paste along with our stencils to add patterns to our fabric while removing color.

Supplies:
~Leaves stencils [Cedar Canyon Textiles]
~Cotton, silk, or rayon fabrics in dark colors (see special considerations)
~Dishwasher gel with chlorine as the active ingredient
~Bleach Stop™ neutralizer powder [www.DharmaTrading.com]
~Discharge paste by Jacquard [www.DharmaTrading.com]
~Sponge brush (see special considerations)
~Spray adhesive like 404™ [Spray and Fix]

Special Considerations for Working with Discharge Techniques

  • Work outside or with good ventilation.
  • Avoid this technique if you have respiratory problems.
  • Always do test swatches before beginning a large project- sometimes results are surprising, even on plain black fabric.
  • Do not use a natural bristle brush or sea sponge with chlorine-based discharge agents.
  • Do not use chlorine-based discharge agents on silk.

Discharge with Dishwasher Gel

The first technique uses dishwasher gel to remove color from the fabric. Purchase a dishwasher gel that contains chlorine bleach. (It should be clearly stated on the label.) And be sure to test the gel on a piece of fabric to see that it will, indeed, remove color from your fabric. (If the gel has been sitting on the shelf too long, the bleach may not be strong enough.)

Step 1

Prepare a neutralizing solution using a recipe of a solution of one teaspoon of Bleach Stop to one quart of water. Place the solution in a container near your sink.

Step 2

Place a piece of fabric (use only cotton or rayon for any chlorine discharge) on a plastic covered table.

Step 3

Spray the back of the stencil with adhesive and let dry.  Press the stencil onto the fabric.

Step 4

1_oak_cascade

With the sponge brush, fill the openings in the stencil with dishwasher gel.  The bleaching action will begin right away so work quickly. Remove the stencil and watch to see when the desired amount of color removal is reached.

Step 5

Immediately wash the fabric in warm, soapy water to remove the gel and then soak for 15 minutes in the neutralizing solution to stop the bleaching action.  Rinse and dry.

2_finished_oak

In this example, you can see a dramatic change in the color where the gel was applied.

4_finished_maple

This photo shows the back side of a batik fabric after it was discharged using the Maple stencil. Sometimes the back is more subtle and harmonious with the color of the fabric.

Discharge with Discharge Paste

Discharge paste is an amonia-based product. It is safe for discharging all types of fabric, including silk and synthetics. Discharge paste is manufactured by Jacquard Products. Note that you will not need a neutralizing solution for working with discharge paste.

Step 1

Place a piece of fabric on a plastic covered table.

Step 2

Spray the back of the stencil with adhesive and let dry.  Press the stencil onto the fabric.

Step 3

5_silk_dischargepaste

Using a foam brush, fill in the openings in the stencil with discharge paste.

7_batik_dischargepaste

You won’t see any change in the fabric at this point, just a wet look, as shown on the batik fabric in the photo above.  Let the paste dry.

Step 4

After the fabric is dry, take the fabric to the ironing board and set the iron for the fabric you are using.  Using steam, iron over the discharged areas, keeping the iron moving to avoid making impressions of the steam holes.  Continue ironing until all areas have changed color.

Step 5

Wash the fabric in soapy water to remove any odor.

8_finished_batik

Batiks work very well for this process, as they retain a faint version of the waxed-in pattern while the background color changes drastically.

6_finished_birch

Silk noile will have a very textured look, due to the nubby surface which doesn’t absorb as much paste.

Extra Credit

Use the same fabric with different discharge agents and compare the results. Discharge paste and bleach-based products will often create a different result. You may also see a difference in the results using two different bleach-based products!

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Posted in "How To" Information, Guest Artist, Stencils | 3 Comments »

Needle Felting with Stencils ~ Playing with Stencils 3

Monday, December 7th, 2009
By Susan Stein

While we usually think of stencils as tools to use with paint, they are very useful any time you want to create a specific shape, regardless of your materials. In today’s lesson, we look at how to use stencils with needle felting. Whether you work by hand or machine, stencils make it easy to create beautiful shapes with your fibers.

Supplies:

~ Ginkgo Leaves Stencils [Cedar Canyon Textiles]
~ Wool roving
~ Hand-held needle felting tool [Colonial Needle Company or Clover]
~ Thick foam pad
~ Needle felting machine or sewing machine attachment (optional)
~ Masking tape
~ Firm piece of black felt- 9” by 12”- or other background fabric

Step 1 – Attach stencil to background fabric

Tape the stencil onto the black felt and place on the foam pad.

Step 2 – Create an outline by hand

1_create_outline

Using a single felting needle, punch wisps of wool into the background around the edges of the openings in the stencil. (I remove one of the needles from my punching tool to do this.)

Note to felting machine owners: Do the outlining step by hand — the stencils are tougher than they look — and you’ll break needles if you get too close to the stencil.

Step 3 – Fill in the open areas with roving

2_fill_in_openings

Once the outlines are complete, remove the stencil and fill in the leaf with more roving, either by using the hand-held needle felting tool with several needles in it or by using the needle felting machine or attachment.

Colonial Needle Company makes a felting tool that holds up to 6 needles, and Clover has a spring-loaded tool with multiple needles.

For those who wish to work with machine felting, Bernina makes a needle felting attachment that fits a number of their machines. There are also a number of dedicated felting machines on the market, such as the Baby Lock Embellisher and the the HuskyStar from Viking Husqvarna.

Step 4 – Punch from the back

After the leaf is filled in, turn the felt over and punch from the back to bring some of the black background through to the front. This also helps to lock the fibers into the background.

3_felted_ginkgo_leaf

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Posted in "How To" Information, Guest Artist, Stencils | 4 Comments »

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