Day #14: Fabric Printing at Home Blog Tour

Happy Valentine's Day! It's the last "official" day of the Fabric Printing at Home Blog Tour. I've thoroughly enjoyed myself...thanks for all your great comments, discussions and ideas! Today, we're heading over to Jackie Lam's blog. Jackie is also a member of The Printed Fabric Bee. Every month, I'm so impressed by the artistry of her fabrics which often contain beautifully hand-drawn elements. Recently, I found out that she is also the mother of 3 and now 4 young boys! I hear that they had a hand in her blog post today.

I have been a mixed media artist for 10 years and a graphic artist for almost 20 years. My non-traditional cloth and mixed media creations incorporate hand dyed, recycled & vintage fabrics. I love drawing & painting, hand & machine stitching, Thermofax screen printing, and whatever else sparks my imagination.

The fundamentals from which I create my pieces are a studio art degree from Michigan State University and a graphic design degree from Lansing Community College. For the last several years I’ve been busy combining my art world with a growing family which provides me with a wealth of inspiration for my work. You can see more of my creations and adventures at my website www.studiolams.com. 

Be sure to stop by Jackie's blog today and leave a comment for a chance to win a copy of Fabric Printing at Home.

The XOXO Scarf
In honor of Valentine's Day, I'm going to show you how to print a "hugs and kisses" silk scarf using one of my favorite types of print blocks... hot glue on cardboard (see How to Make Hot Glue Blocks pp. 80-81 in Fabric Printing at Home) . For this project you'll be making hot glue brayer rubbings (see Printing Three Ways on p.30 in Fabric Printing at Home).

To make the blocks you will need: Corrugated cardboard, pencil, clear gridded ruler, self-healing cutting mat, craft knife (I used an X-acto), hot glue gun, extra glue sticks.

1. Use the craft knife to cut two squares of corrugated cardboard the width (short side) of the scarf. The scarf I used for this project was 8" wide so I cut two 8" x 8" cardboard blocks.

2. Draw designs on the cardboard. I came up with two variations on  XOXO designs.

3. Insert a glue stick into the hot glue gun and turn on the gun to melt it. Be very careful not to touch the tip of the gun or the hot plastic "glue."

4. Follow the drawn designs on the cardboard. I usually hold the glue gun approximately 1/16" off the cardboard. Squeeze the trigger of the hot glue gun and release it at regular intervals to keep the heated plastic "glue" flowing.

To print (brayer rubbing) the blocks you will need: The hot glue blocks, silk scarf (I used a 8" x 54"  12mm silk satin scarf), flat work surface that can accommodate the scarf's dimensions (cover with padding and plastic) 2 colors of transparent fabric paint (I used red and blue), plastic containers and plastic spoons, glass or plexi-glass palette, dense foam brayers (I like Rollrite), paper towels.

1. Lay the scarf on the covered flat surface. Place one of the hot glue blocks under the scarf.

2. Spoon 1/4 teaspoon of red transparent fabric paint onto the glass palette. Roll the dense foam brayer over the paint until it is evenly coated. Add paint to the glass palette a little at a time as needed.

3. Carefully roll the paint-covered foam brayer over the silk covering the block. Shift the block to another spot and continue until this first design covers the entire scarf.

4. Repeat the process using the other hot glue on cardboard block and the blue paint.

For more ideas and Valentine's scarf designs go to Issue #25 of Julie B Booth Surface Design News, my free monthly online newsletter. For projects using the kitchen as your surface design on fabric resource, please sign up and the newsletter will appear in your email mailbox once a month (sign up in right-hand column of this blog).

Today is the last chance to leave a comment to be eligible for the book drawing. I'll take comments until midnight (Eastern USA time). Tomorrow at noon, I'll do the final drawing for a free copy of Fabric Printing at Home: Quick and Easy Fabric Design Using Fresh Produce and Found Objects.

 And now for the winner of yesterday's giveaway (one yd of Kona PFD)...congratulations to Kathy Davis! Please email me with your contact information (threadborn@cox.net) so I can send off your prize.

Be sure to visit all the stops on the Tour. Please note, I've added the deadlines to enter the giveaways at each stop:

 
February 2 (winner: Emily Vanderlinden): Lisa Chin 
February 3 (winner will be chosen noon Feb 15-book and stencils!): Lynn Krawczyk
February 4 (winner will be chosen end of Feb 13): Jane Davila 

February 5 (winner of book and fabric: Monica Weidmann): Carol R. Eaton

February 6 (winner will be chosen end of Feb 13- 2 book copies!): Judy Gula 

February 7(winner: Deb Clarke): Susan Purney Mark 

February 8 (winner will be chosen on Feb 15): Teri Lucas 

February 9 (winners: Pam (Stashbee) and Alison): Jennifer Coyne Qudeen 

February 10 (winner will be chosen on Feb 17): Deborah Boschert 

February 11 (winners: Carole Gold and Dawn Jones): Lynda Heines 

February 12 (winner will be chosen 5PM on Feb 16): Cheryl Sleboda 

February 13 (winner will be chosen on Feb 15- book and fabric!): Terri Stegmiller 

February 14 (winner will be chosen on Feb 18): Jackie Lams