Fabric printing course part 2

More about the fun course I went on last month. I really enjoy the camaraderie of courses, artists always seem to be so friendly and it's fun to share ideas, methods and books with like minded people. Here are some of the lovely people from the week.

 First, my friend Annie showing work from previous years.

Annie, Ricki and Louise.

A fashion show!

Here's the first fabric I printed to make a tablecloth, we were using Selectasine inks and binder.

This is for another tablecloth....

Pieces for cushions maybe....

A tea towel with my modern trees design....

All the fabrics needed ironing on the back with a very hot iron to 'cure' the ink.

 Here's a cushion cover in use.

Bits and Bobs

Recently at the Curwen I had the chance to visit next door to view some of Mark Hearld's original prints; what fun!

 As well as showing us Mark's work, Jenny was explaining how the separations are done for a lithograph. That day Carrie Ackroyd was working with Michael Papworth on her latest prints. I love her work and met her at Art in Action 2 years ago, she kindly said I could take a photo.

Meanwhile, demolition is nearly complete at the conference centre.

My Open studio weekends were interesting as usual, I had similiar visitor numbers to last year. Tiring but good fun!

All clean, tidy and ready for visitors.

I was very flattered when a woman thought I had printed these lovely vintage curtains.... a recent purchase, a design called Maquis by Lucienne Day. In the winter, when I imagine I may have more time, I will unpick them, wash and remake with  interlining and lining. 

Fabric printing course part 1

Recently I went on a great screen printing on fabric course at Cottenham Village College with a friend Annie, who had been to this before. The tutor was Ricki Outis, who was a super teacher, sharing ideas and techniques with great enthusiasm.

 Fellow 'students' were mainly experienced screen printers and it was good to see everyone's work during the week. I'd done a little block printing on fabric but no screen printing, only on paper. Obviously it's very similiar; it was interesting to transfer ideas onto fabric. I hoped to print a curtain for my studio door, using a design I'd tried out on paper. I'd had my plant designs put onto thermofax screens and used paper stencils for the landscape shapes.

Work in progress...I'd spent the evening before working out my 'plan' with masking tape, it was supposed to make it easier!!

It was tricky working with the size; it was a vintage cotton sheet, one of a pair I found in it's original wrapping, a relic from my family childhood home long ago - good recycling!

The finished item; spot the 'deliberate' mistake when I'd changed colours, washed my screen and then forgot to put a new stencil underneath! I thought of various ideas to disguise it but now I'm rather fond of my yellow rectangle and will sign my name on the panel when I find my permanent marker pen which has done a disappearing act since I used it the other day.

My lovely young builder Matt put up the curtain rail this morning. I'd made the curtain up the other day, with interlining and lining (a reminder of the time when I made soft furnishings for clients) and put the heading tape on today when I knew the length. I'm really pleased with the end result; I like the border down the sides and bottom edge..

A complete one-off: quite exciting!