Updated 2/11/15: we are extending our commenting period until this Friday, February 13 to be eligible to win. And we are now awarding TWO copies of Julie’s book!
Several weeks ago we wrote a review of the wonderful new book by Julie B. Booth, and today it’s my turn with her Fabric Printing at Home Blog Tour, running from February 1 to the 14th.
During these two weeks there are 14 opportunities to win a copy of Fabric Printing at Home: Quick and Easy Fabric Design Using Fresh Produce and Found Objects…comment on this posting below to be entered into today’s drawing!
For my turn on the tour, I wanted to give you a bit of the flavor of the techniques you will learn from Julie…whether that is in person in a class (as I describe below), or by self-study through her book, which contains thorough instructions and illustrations to guide you.
While Julie rightfully has fans around the country, we are lucky to have her live near us in Virginia, so we were able to host her for the first of what we hope will be many workshops at Artistic Artifacts.
Usually I miss out on the fun of classes: too busy with administrative work, on the road vending at an event…some reason or another. Luckily this time I was able to make the opportunity to be a student in Julie’s new workshop, Fabric Printing at Home: A Kitchen Sampler. What a great way to spend 2 days! (We are repeating this class on April 18-19 — I personally can highly recommend you registering for it!)
Above, we are ready to GO! Julie is walking us through the plan for our first day, where we concentrated on printing fabrics.
For each printing technique Julie discussed, we first had a demonstration from her, and then time for us to practice and refine.
While we all couldn’t wait to get to carving up the vegetables (more on that below!), we began the class spending time hand-painting background fabrics. Julie’s book points out that while you can certainly use commercial solid-color fabric to print on, why not add a personal touch by painting your own?
One fun tip/technique we learned from her involved getting a second hand-painted background: you simply place an unpainted swatch of fabric atop a freshly painted fabric, then brayer the back of the top, unpainted fabric. It picks up the extra color, giving you a lighter version as well as some wonderful texture from the brayer.
Here are a few of my fabrics created on the first day of class:
Above, plastic wrap prints. Below, using a printing plate of recycled cardboard with hot glue squiggles.
Above, an aluminum baking pan used as a stencil and then a stamp. Below, recycled cardboard cut away plus corn on the cob. (I think this is my very favorite!)
As mentioned above, we all couldn’t wait to get to the veggies! Below, some of the vegetables I carved and used in class.
Above, my carved vegetables print. Below, my classmate Betty’s carved carrots print.
We all enjoyed our first day in class! Everyone was commenting on the fun of learning how to use so many creative — and inexpensive — materials and techniques for surface design.
The next day we all arrived in the morning to our dried and ready fabric stash. The second day of the workshop focused working with your printed fabrics to create your own design of a of a small art quilt or fabric sampler, embellishing our fabric designs with hand stitching. Right, Julie demonstrates hand-stitching.
Two of the reference texts Julie bought for class use were Patchwork Folk Art by Jane T. Bolton, and Mark Making by Tilleke Schwarz. Personally, I’m loving the embroidery resurgence we are seeing nowadays!
While I loved the fabrics I created, when it came down to stitching I decided to focus on my Starfish, in progress below.
I straight stitched with black embroidery floss to further define the starfish. My love of black and white printed fabrics is well known, and I love the contrast they give this. I am thinking that I might add an actual starfish to this … hmm, maybe?
As you can see from the results of this class, Fabric Printing at Home: Quick and Easy Fabric Design Using Fresh Produce and Found Objects is chock full of amazingly creative printing ideas that are easy to do, resulting in fun for all ages and levels of expertise. Visit Day 2 of Julie’s Fabric Printing at Home Blog Tour posting to view a several more photos of the beautiful fabrics that were created in our class!
To enter today’s drawing for a free copy of Julie’s book, please leave your response to the following question in the comments section below.
What is your favorite fabric paint? Reasons why?
Visit Susan Purney Mark’s blog tomorrow (Saturday, February 7) for the next turn in this fun blog tour!
Thank you, Julie!
What a wonderful post. I loved all the photosl
Oh my, the class looks like it would have been great fun! And Julie’s book is on my list to get, either by winning a copy or buying… thank you so much for your great post!
That class looked like a wonderful playground. Ah, such freedom to explore…
Love seeing all the combinations of printing – so cool!
Favourite fabric paint? Ilike one that does not change the hand of the fabric too much. So far I’ve had good experiences with setacolour and jacquard. Love the bling of lumiere but it does change the hand quite a bit. Thanks for the giveaway chance!
creamy Setacolor
My favorite paint is Claudine Hellmuth’s Studio because it takes the guess work out of mixing paints. I usually make mud if left on my own! I loved the cardboard and corn cob.
It looks as though you’re all having a great time!!
I like setacolor – it has a great hand and it’s readily available here in the UK
Seta Color is difficult for a reseller to find in the US , not sure why. Artistic Artifacts has several teachers who enjoy using it. My favorite paint is Stewart Gill (which we have on sale right now). Great range of products and types.
I’ve never painted fabric, closest I’ve come is making rainbows with sharpies and rubbing alcohol. Really want to try, but even though y’all are in The same state I am, I’m probably 6-8 hours away
Jean we are sorry you are so far away- we try to put a lot of information and tutorials on our Blog – so that you don’t feel so far a way
Jean, you are one of our two winners for Julie’s wonderful Fabric Printing at home book! Please email us at [email protected] to give us your full name and mailing address so we can send it along! Congratulations and thanks for visiting the Artistic Artifacts blog, and commenting!
Haven’t done much fabric painting, have been working mostly with fabric dyes. Have used Jacquard with good results. But this looks like so much fun, that I can see myself diving into fabric painting in a big way!
I haven’t experienced enough different ones to have a favorite…I’m a newbie! Haven’t met one that i don’t like! Thanks!
I am experimenting with different paints and Golden products. It has been fun.
that looks like it was such a fun class!
I took this class, too, and loved it. I highly recommend printing with corn cobs, carrots and big radishes.
Well, it’s hard to pick a favorite and my experience is limited, but I would have to vote for Lumiere because of the bling factor. Shiney!
Carolyn and Marcia- I would recommend trying Silk Acrylic Glazes if you like bling- there are great paints. They are not as heavy as the metallic lumieres or Stewart Gills – I have even used them on a gelli plate straight out of the jar! lots of mica, shine and great colors.
What a fun class! I like Lumiere paints but recently I’ve been playing with the Stewart Gill paints and they may be my new favorites. Haven’t washed them yet so we shall see!
My recent fave paint is Lumiere metallic paint. I love using it on with my new Gelli plate. Great ideas for using veggie stamps on the plate!
I am partial to ProChem in the absence of Stuart Gill in the squeeze bottle.
I like thickened Procion dye because it never makes the fabric stiff. Thanks fo the great blog post. I love your starfish!
I have not worked with thicken dye, even though I dye a lot. I really do want to try using it with our Wooden printing blocks! think it would be great!
Haven’t met a fabric paint I didn’t like. 🙂 Thanks for the chance to win. I really like the fabrics you printed!!
My favourite kind of fabric paint will be the paint I first try when I get to the fabric store and talk to the clerk there. I will try a type that needs to be heat set with an iron and I plan to carve out a vegetable into a primitive motif which I want to print on top of a first layer of printed texture from a vegetable of some sort. I’ve never done anything like this at all. I am a complete newbie. But am very excited and have plans for fabric design. This blog hop has opened my creative self to new possibilities for self expression. Norma
Norma, Welcome- Julie’s book is perfect for newbies and experienced ones alike. I will recommend that if you are painting on fabric DO purchase a fabric paint. And buy the best that you can afford. Don’t mix regular craft paint with textile medium – the results are not as good as a textile paint that is already formulated. The next step is just to have fun!
My favorie paint is DynaFlo. I love how it feels after it drys. I’m liking the use of veggies for instant stamps and the corn just puts everything over the top.
This looks like so much fun! I want to play, too!
I love Seta Color although I have to buy it on line…it is so pigmented! And, I am loving this hop…it is so much fun seeing how everyone is using all Julies techniques from this book!
Dotti, you are one of our two winners for Julie’s wonderful Fabric Printing at home book! Please email us at [email protected] to give us your full name and mailing address so we can send it along! Congratulations and thanks for visiting the Artistic Artifacts blog, and commenting!
I love Jaquard Dye-Na-Flo paints especially when I want deep, bright colors with minimal change in the hand of the fabric. I also love to play with Liquitex Pearlescent medium… it’s fun to mix with any other paints to add shimmer…
I really wish I lived near enough to take the next class. Quite a commute from Nebraska, though. You printed some really fun fabrics. I think my faves are the carrot and the corn!
Boy, I sure wish I lived nearby. Fabulous pieces created but I really love your star with the black and white borders. Fabulous.
Fun is not shoveling snow.
What fun techniques! I really like ProChem but I would like to try Claudine Hellmuth’s Studio.
Love the idea of using vegetables to print. The only fabric paint I’ve tried is Dylon.
I love to use produce to print with before it has to be thrown out! A great way to keep the fridge clean 🙂 (textilerecycler at yahoo dot com)
From you description of the class you took, as well as some of the techniques that are in Julie’s book, sounds like I should have a copy of that one in my library. Okay, now it’s time to grab my veggies!!!
Setacolor!
I am just barely getting into fabric dyeing and painting so at this point I don’t have a favorite paint. Thanks for the chance to win this wonderful book!
I’m a huge fan of Lumiere metallic fabric paints, I’m a sucker for anything metallic!
I like set a color as love sun printing.
The only fabric paints I’ve ever used is Versatex. I used them when stenciling fabrics and they worked well. Haven’t done much printing but want to try more of this out. So glad to come across this blog hop and all of the contributors. I’m inspired!
Such inspiration! I just want to go play!
I like using SetaColor paints, great info!
Any acrylic paint works for me, but I like the shininess of metallic Lumiere paint and Seta colors always work well. Thanks for the give away
I’m using Seta paints and Jacquard paints but have not done enough with either to say which is my favourite. I guess I NEED this book!
I don’t really have a favourite. I actually haven’t done any printing since college, this blog tour has made me want to try it again. I love the innovative ideas I’ve seen.
Anything with some metallic in it.
I’m super inspired to look in my kitchen for new, fun supplies! Thank you for hosting this giveaway!
So much fun to be had!!
What a great blog hop! I am enjoying each and everyone’s ideas. Would love to win this book. Thanks for the giveaway!
I forgot to answer the question! My favorite fabric paint, hands down, is Dynoflow paint. It keeps a soft hand for fabric and the colors are vibrant. Other than that I would use the more difficult to manage cold water immersion dyes such as what you could buy from Dharma Trading.
Thanks for the giveaway!