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Textile Printing at Leeds Art College
Hello everyone!
I thought it was about time for a full round up of my Textile Printing course. This is going to be picture heavy I’m afraid and I’ve not even included all the pictures!Weeks 1 and 2 we worked with disperse printing using heat set dyes on man made fabrics. Using paper soaked in dye and a giant heatpress, I played with geometric shapes on coloured polyester and crepe.
Week 3 we made paper stencils using scalpels and when taped to mesh screens we could pull binder ink through onto any fabric we liked. Mine was an utter disaster due to poor squeegee technique and rubbish stencil.
Week 4 was about free form painting direct onto a screen using Procion reactive dyes. I printed a splatter print onto cotton lawn and silk.
Weeks 5 and 6 we prepped for future sessions by coating screens in light sensitive emulsion and thanks to a huge light box we exposed imagery onto the mesh. We drew the images in thick black pen to act as positives and when the screen was exposed the black areas washed away creating a negative that would allow ink to pass through in just those areas. I chose pineapples!!
While our screens set we also dyed silk, satin, velvet and cotton in big pans using tiny amounts of dye and lots of hot water. Excitingly I also got to use the digital printers while our fabrics soaked! I printed 1.5m of paper crane print cotton drill and 1.5m of painterly triangle print silk.
Week 7 was the start of my pineapples adventures! We pulled binder ink through our screens onto any fabrics we wanted. I chose to print fluorescent pink ink on white cotton and crepe de chine and black ink on brown polyester.
Week 8 we tried discharge screenprinting where a smelly seaweed-based paste bleaches the colour from dyed fabric. As well as devore printing which removes cellulose fibres leaving the man made fabric base behind – e.g removing the nap from velvet to create a relief. I used my pineapple screen again to discharge print on my dyed cotton and silk. And freestyled a brush painted devore print on my dyed satin and velvet.
Weeks 9 and 10 I decided to expose a new screen with hummingbirds and printed onto some colourful viscose. I printed teal ink on pink and pink ink on purple. Plus I had time for a sneaky little bit more disperse printing.
It was such a wonderful course, I’m actually a little sad I can’t repeat it next term but I’ve already signed up to a pattern drafting course.
Here are the details for Textile Printing: The course I did was a short evening course run by Leeds Art College, over 10 weeks for 2.5hrs. The tutor is Kirstie Williams who also runs independent print courses.
The course costs £185 with all materials provided but you bring extra if you want to print something specific.
I ended up with enough fabric for 3 dresses, 4 tops, and plenty of A2 pieces for tote bags or small garments – silk pineapple knickers perhaps?!
The new term starts in a couple of weeks so I suggest you sign yourself up asap if you’re interested!
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What noise do swans make?
Happy Sunday everyone!
Here’s a post about two things.
First up – This Sew Over It Pussy Bow Blouse!
I used a fab swan print polyester from Regency Rags.
You can probably see I’ve made a few adjustments.
I got rid of the centre front seam. That made it a little hard to attach the necktie so I added a little keyhole. Plus I tried adding some bust darts because my muslin turned out a little too floaty but they’re a touch high because I didn’t test them out before cracking into the swans.
But seriously I love it! It’s cute (albeit sheer) and it makes me feel a bit like Rose Byrne in Damages (which I’ve been binge watching). Plus it sort of reminds me of my Godson who has been learning animal noises and is obsessed with ducks. You say “All the ducks go…” and he screams “QUACK”. Mega cutes.
I’ve just finished another version in disco gold chiffon for going out in. I’ll see if I can get a photo without the metallics sunbeaming everywhere.
Second up! I’ve got something fun to share.
I’ve started an evening course in textile printing at Leeds Art College. I’m like totally an art student heehee!!
It’s a 10 week course covering:
- Heat transfer printing (disperse printing)
- Discharge printing (with basic dyeing)
- Screen printing with paper stencils
- Screen printing with photo emulsion stencils
- Devore
- Hand painted prints
- PLUS I GET TO USE THE DIGITAL PRINTERS WOOOOOO!!!
Ahem… So weeks one and two were about heat set discharge printing where we used dyes and a 200 degree heat press to print on synthetic fabrics. We also got to play with resists, putting objects in the way between the dyes and fabric.
It works really well with geometric shapes. And I’ve got enough printed fabric to make two tops.
Next week we’re using paper stencils and screenprinting onto A2 pieces of cotton.
So I’ll update you again with my progress soon!