It seems we've been absent on the blog for a bit. Elizabeth broke her hand in February, and both Elizabeth and Sue are spending time on preparations for an upcoming VCQ retreat (of which Sue is chair) at the end of April. But now that a recent piece of Sue's has been shared on the Colorways by Vicki blog, it's time to share here as well. Sue created this piece in 2021 as a tribute to her father and his World War II service. It is called "Untold Stories".
PG Fiber2Art
Adventures in surface design with a focus on thermofax screen printing.
Sunday, March 27, 2022
Untold Stories
Saturday, February 26, 2022
Words, Words, Words
Thermofax screens are a good way to put words or sayings onto ready-made garments, totes, and other items. Many of our custom clients send us a Word document with their word or saying and we make the screen. A note of caution though that very large solid designs may not print as clearly as other methods of putting a word on your garment. Fabric texture may also impact how the design screens and all designs should be tested before screening on your final product. Our customers have sent us some great examples of the items they have made with screens they designed using various fonts.
Another customer printed this bag for her husband who is a local historian and leads Ghost Walks in Virginia Beach. Doesn't it look great?
Friday, October 15, 2021
Evolution of a Collage
After creating cyanotype prints and background papers, the final step of the retreat workshop was creating our collage. Below is a short video of Sue's process, what she started with and where it ended up. You'll notice that some pieces come and go, others change placement. Believe it or not, this represents about a day and a half of working/re-working to come up with the final composition! Of course, that included instruction and demos from Lesley as well as time to enhance/alter some of the pieces used.
Wednesday, October 13, 2021
Altering Cyanotype Prints
At the Red Thread Retreat, we enjoyed learning ways to alter our cyanotype images by using different chemicals and techniques. Serendipity is also a big part of the process. Even though you change things up from a traditional blue and white cyanotype print, you never know what you will get when you start adding other components to the experiment. There is a lot you also don't have control over such as the amount of sunshine, the humidity and the angle of the sun. You can somewhat control other additives to the botanicals placed in your design.
Monday, October 11, 2021
Botanical Collage Retreat
Two years ago we signed up for a Red Thread Retreat with Lesley Riley - master of cyanotype printing, modern botanicals, inventor of TAP (Transfer Artist Paper). We were really excited to learn from her and create a botanical collage. Then COVID hit, and the May 2020 retreat had to be cancelled. After several attempts at rescheduling through 2020 and 2021, it was finally scheduled for the end of September. So last week we spent 4 days immersed in art at the Rhodes Grove Retreat Center in Chambersburg, PA.
Friday, September 17, 2021
Cyanotype experiments on coffee filters
For several years at Quilt Camps, Sue and Elizabeth have experimented with Cyanotype on fabric. The availability of ferns and other interesting botanicals in New Hampshire make them fun to do. Of course, we also have made some at our homes in Virginia and Elizabeth has done some in the hot humid weather in Mississippi. Heat and humidity certainly affect the results as does the directness of the sun on any given day and if the sky is cloudy. So many variables and it is the serendipity that makes it interesting.
Cyanotype is actually an alternative photography process developed in 1842 by English Astronomer, John Herschel who was interested in ways to copy his manuscripts and notes. It was Anna Atkins who in 1843 used the process to catalog botanical specimens.
In preparation for a paper collage workshop in a few weeks, Elizabeth has been experimenting with some cyanotypes while still in New Hampshire where it certainly isn't hot or humid and the sun seems to get weaker every day. Even so, experimenting is fun and helps to build up a supply of papers from which to choose when the workshop begins.
Round coffee filters are an easy way to experiment. They are quick to dry after applying the chemicals to the paper and you can treat many of them at once.
Following some instruction from the dharma website about Jacquard products (Jacquard is the company that makes the chemicals needed for cyanotype) she started bleaching and toning some of the exposed samples to see what the results might be.
Only a Soda Ash rinse for this one, you can see how it really bleaches out the cyanotype chemicals.
Here are some rinsed with Borax then with Soda Ash water and a final rinse in plain water, Here she got a bonus print. Coffee filters are very thin and she hadn't noticed that two were stuck together until they separated during the final rinse. The lower filter was the one on the bottom.
This piece was rinsed in Soda Ash which bleached it out and then followed by Borax. The brown streak in the middle is explained below.
These were swished in Borax, then a mix of Hydrogen Peroxide and water, followed by a dip in soda ash and another rinse in Hydrogen Peroxide and water. Her scientific methods aren't quite as firm as they should be as measuring was loosey goosey, but approximately 1 part Borax to two parts water, 1/4 cup of soda ash to 1 gallon of water, and a glugg of hydrogen peroxide in a cat litter pan full of water. Surely, on different days with different amounts of chemicals, different temperatures, different types of treated papers, results will vary a lot.
There are other toners and bleach you can also use. Let us know if you have done any experimentation.
Monday, September 13, 2021
Using Color Magnet
One product we enjoy using when we are dyeing fabrics or t-shirts at Quilt Camp is Color Magnet by Jacquard. It attracts additional dye to the spot where it is applied. We have used it successfully in both an immersion dye bath and in an ice dye.
Oops, I guess this part is destined to be cut out as an applique.