Flora Printing

I've been doing a lot of flora printing lately.  Maybe it's a Spring thing, with new foliage appearing, new colour and life in the outdoors.  It's making me sit up and take notice of the beauty around us.  It's also easier to go and pick foliage, although fresh soft Spring growth isn't always the best for printing with.  You need robust leaves, not too twiggy, but not too delicate either.  I've also been pressing some sprigs to see how dried leaves work.

Here's one I prepared earlier.  It's a metre of fabric that I dyed using an ombré technique using cerulean blue dye. Then I started flora printing on it, doing the lighter shades first.  I'm aiming for the impression of looking up through leaves, but examining it now I think it needs more very light leaves in the middle and some even darker ones in front.

I've also been working on smaller pieces.  These are flora prints too, but whereas the piece above used flora to directly print on the fabric, these smaller pieces have been done on a gelli plate with a few different layers.

Experimentation always includes disappointment alongside satisfaction, and it often takes multiple tries to reach the satisfaction part.  I'm glad I kept going with my flora printing trials.  When I remember back to my first ones (some photos of them popped up in my photo feed the other day), I cringe.  So if you've tried something new recently, and been disappointed, give it another go.  Flora printing is now one of my favourite practices!

PS I'm posting on my iPad because I'm at the beach for the weekend, apologies for some of the wonky fonts...

Anchor Me

Sometimes the smallest things can be the most satisfying.

I'm in the process of making a particular quilt, it shall remain secret for now, that would suit a nautically themed backing.  I searched my stash to no avail, and I searched NZ fabric websites also to no avail, and so I ventured to Spoonflower.

Spoonflower, for those of you who have no idea what a flowering spoon is, is a fabric print-on-demand website.  You can design your own fabric and have it printed on numerous different substrates, or you can use another users' design if they have allowed that (they get a small commission).

Oh dear me.  Bowled over by the delicious mermaids, whales, and waves that I found, I decided to focus on something simple, like an anchor.

Then I thought, I can make me own, me hearties....

And so I did.  And I was very pleased.

Fun foam, a craft knife, and a hot glue gun.  The stamp is on the left, my practice stamps on a bit of paper in the middle and a test on some fabric on the right.  Now I'm waiting for some fabric stamp pads, mine being almost at the end of it's life, and I'll print up a length suitable for backing my quilt.

PS For those non-New Zealanders, the title of this blog post referes to an iconic NZ song by The Mutton Birds.  I've embedded it here for your education and enjoyment!

How I use plant prints in multiple ways in my art quilts.

I'm enjoying making videos of my art making processes.  They are home-made videos without a whole heap of post-production editing, they are not scripted, they contain bloopers, the camera moves occasionally, and the sound is not perfect.  But that also makes them fun and relatively quick to do.  Plus, we are all makers, so we enjoy seeing a bit of hand-made imperfection, don't we?!

This video features yours truly running through the way I take one flora or plant print that I like and then use it in several different ways in my textile art.  

Are you enjoying seeing my work processes?  Is there anything in particular you'd like to see me run through?

And, of course, if you'd like to see any of this in person, your guild could book me for a class!  I can put together personalised classes on any of the processes I use in my textile art, just email me here and we can discuss your club's needs.
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How to make plant prints on fabric

I've been doing some more flora printing - the term I use for making plant prints on fabric.

The last photo I shared (above) generated quite a bit of interest and a few questions, so I thought I'd make a little video to share my process.  Not that it's complicated, but sometimes it's nice to see how someone else does it to give you the confidence and motivation to try it yourself.



So, have a watch, tell me what you think and whether it's something you've had a go at.  In the video I show a book cover that I've made with the plant printed fabric.  You can find the tutorial on how to make the cover here.

Above is the finished book cover that I started in the video and below is another (sorry about the distracting fabric it's lying on) plus some cards I made with the same technique.

Enjoy!

Little Printed Purses

I've had a bit of a production line going over the last couple of days, sewing up all my monoprinted fabric into these sassy little zippered purses.  I think I'm in love with every single one!  They sit flat, which I like, because they can then slip into your handbag easily.  But I think the next bunch I do (yes - addicted) might have boxed corners, just for something different.  And maybe some smaller ones?

This batch all measure about 9 and 1/2 inches by 6 and 1/2 inches.  They are all lined with plain white fabric for a crisp, clean look.

The fronts and backs are different, but coordinated (it was lots of fun choosing which goes with what!) and they all have different coloured zippers.

The first question from my husband was, "What are you going to do with all of those?"  Doesn't he know that Christmas is only about eight weeks away?!  Of course I want to keep one for myself.  And then I think I might sell a few either on my Etsy or Felt shop or maybe at the Kerikeri Patchwork and Quilters Club exhibition in January.  Hmmmm, I might have to make some more so I can have a few in all those venues.  Darn, what a chore that'll be ;-)

Do you have a favourite?

Printing Fabric - I went a little overboard...

Yesterday I did a demonstration and then held a mini-workshop at my local quilting club.  It was on fabric stamping, monoprinting and screen printing.  It went really well and I had a few people totally enthralled the results when trying it out themselves.  Fun!

Then today I had the job of emptying out my suitcase and cleaning up and putting away.  Well I got everything shipshape and then I began sorting through my samples.  I found a couple that needed another layer or a stamp or two.  I thought to myself, "I'll just do a couple of prints....."

Two hours and several BBC Documentary podcasts later I finally stopped myself!  It is seriously addictive stuff, people, and I don't know whether to urge you to give it a try or warn you off ever starting.

Here are some of my favourites:

Background is a gelliplate mono print, albatross is screen printed.

The black shapes were screen-printed first and then the colours monoprinted on top. 

Monoprints, stamps and screen-prints.

A 'ghost' monoprint (a second, lighter print from the one paint spread), an albatross screen print and the rings were stamped.

I pre-cut most of these pieces of fabric 9" by 10" with the intention of turning them into little lined, zippered pouches (they're very cute, I'll show you some when I've sewn a few more up).

So if you think you are interested in fabric printing, just go find a youtube tutorial and jump in and have a go!  Of course, if you are in New Zealand, I could always come and run a workshop in your area - just email me!