Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Playing with Colour

Lately, I have been experimenting with adding colour to black fabric. My original plan was to discharge the black and then add colour back in................this stuff will not discharge. It is good quality quilters cotton but for some reason it does not want to discharge. I've tried discharge paste, gel bleach, and even hairdressing streaking solution.........nothing worked. So I began playing with paints and not having a lot of success. The best result I have had so far is by painting a motif onto the fabric using an opaque white, once dry I added colour by using Tsukineko all purpose inks applied with those Fantastix applicators.
I don't generally like those applicators but on this black fabric I don't need to be precise (don't have to stay inside the lines)I plan to add some thread work to see if I can get a little more colour "POP"
Below is a postcard that is on it's way to a friend who will soon be celebrating her 80th birthday, I had to send it out a little early because she is jetting off to Mexico.........how cool is that?

13 comments:

Anne Huskey-Lockard said...

I am stumped as to why the black fabric won't discharge....have you tried the thick dishwasher solution? And did you wash the fabric first?
Some of the discharge I have done required a wash of the fabric to get the sizing off.
Love the results though.....hmmm....I am completely puzzled. I always used Kaufmann for mine.

XXOO~~♥
Anne

Karen S said...

I bought some fabric to discharge and then used it for something else, so I don't have any suggestions.

I love the idea of using the inks over white paint. Are they permanent after you heat set them?

Clare Wassermann said...

I like the idea of a bird on a G clamp - does it have a particular significance

Anonymous said...

DRATS!!!! I'm not turning 80! Love that card! Someday I will sit down with a pen and just try to come close to your drawings!!

Robbie said...

Way tooooo nice BD card! Very nice job! I had some commercial fabric (one black, one with print) and I tried using 50% bleach/50% print paste with no success! You just never know..other times, I've used bleach pen and it worked fine..who knows..bleach gods I guess!

Rian said...

I totally love the simplicity of your pen etchings on white, but this color on black is pretty darned cool....way.

Esther Aliu said...

I love your black and white resolts.I have tried several times myself without luck...gues i'll have to try again your way.
Thanks for sharing.

Diane J. Evans said...

Leave it to you to take lemons and make lemonade out of them -- this is a great way to tame the unruly Black Fabric That Won't Discharge. Your feathers are so cool -- love the paint job. And your dear 80-year old friend is truly fortunate to have you in her life.

Diane

Needled Mom said...

Have you tried the bleach pens? They seem to work for me.

Jaye said...

I like how you are using the same sort of shape (that feathery shape) for your experiments. Nice consistency. I think it is very clever to try hair streaking gel!

Joan said...

Enjoyed your post as always. I do like the way you try all the different colouring on fabric. If I only had time... I have never heard of those pens. Its so efective what you have done. I always feel I have learned something each time I visit. Beautiful card you made... I am still experimenting with mine.

Thearica said...

OK!! This is by far my favorite pen etching of all the ones being shown lately!!

Kim said...

Be careful with that dishwashing
solution.....I had some spill in my linen closet and it ate through handmade placemats, table runners, and napkins......fabric just gone!

The post card is amazing. What comes first the quilting or the design?
Have you ever done a tutorial on these little art treasures?

Happy Sewing

Copyright Jill Buckley