Sunday, June 21, 2009

Today was much more laid-back than yesterday but I think it took a lot more concentration because people were actually working with fabrics they had printed. As a few of them can tell you, it takes some concentration -- and sometimes, the courage to cut into the cloth. Ouch!
Happily, Quilters Studio is fabric-shopping heaven and was just on the other side of the classroom. As you can imagine, this was a godsend for those people who didn't happen to bring just the perfect fabric to go with their newly printed cloth. I have to admit that even I was tempted! Mari found fabrics to audition with her gelatin-printed piece from the other day. Working with their own printed fabrics led to some interesting results. Susan found herself using colors she never uses -- but they worked with the fabric she had printed. And several people took the first-time leap to slicing, dicing, and reconstituting one piece of cloth into a much more interesting piece than they had started with. Instead of putting a border around the house she had printed, Jan cut it up and now has this in process. Fun! It really takes guts to cut a gorgeous piece of fabric you have printed yourself. I admit that I am just as hesitant about doing this as many other people are. But look what happened when Maren took the rotary cutter to her fabric. We'll see what happens on Sunday, which is the last day of the class.

5 comments:

Eva said...

Ya, there is no "undo" for analogue work... Great results again!

Fibra Artysta said...

*sigh* I am soooooooooooo hoping I can get into your class when you come to Michigan - just looks like so much fun!!! :)

Deb said...

I have a short question. I've got your book and I've tried the gelatin printing. Does it have to be done with paint or can it be down with thickened dye? Also if I use these techniques, I'm assuming that soaking the fabric in soda ash water first, letting it dry and then printing on it might be the way, or put the soda ash into the dye paste as I work? You've certainly got me inspired to go try some!

Rayna said...

Deb, gelatin does not work well with thickened dye; the gelatin absorbs the color and you don't get much. Paint (which does not need soda ash soaked fabric) works great on gelatin and if you roll it on sparingly, it is pretty transparent.

e-mail me with other questions.

Vivien Zepf said...

Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous! Lucky ladies in your class.

soup weather in June and a little more

DISCLAIMER: Blogger is giving me grief tonight, which you will see by the varying sizes of the type. Ye p, soup weather and it's ...