Do you love dyeing fabric? Are you looking for a new way of creating luscious colour that changes across the surface, almost by magic? Curious about screen printing?
Then sign up for my Colour Blocking Online Workshop that begins on August 4th. In this workshop you will learn all the necessary steps to make amazing fabrics that will inspire you to create wonderful art.
In this workshop you will have a 45 minute video lesson (that you can download and watch forever), a printable PDF with all dye recipes and step by step instructions. In addition you'll be able to leave questions and comments on the password protected webpage. There is a private Facebook group to join, if you wish where other students share photos of their work and talk about their Colour Blocking projects.
So what is Colour Blocking? Its a way to use thickened dyes as a base for printing with a silk screen. Thickened
dyes do not change the hand of the fabric, allowing the fabric to remain
soft and supple despite repeated applications, plus thickened dyes are
transparent, so layers of dye will change intensity, value and colours,
giving the artist a wide range of possible uses for their created cloth.
I’ve been using thickened dyes for several years and love to screen
print with them in a technique I call “colour blocking”. By using an
open screen, with no images masked on the screen, I can achieve large
areas of one or several colors that can mix and combine on the fabric.
Students sometimes ask about fabrics....they wonderful part about Colour Blocking is its versatility1 You can use any fabric that works with Fibre Reactive dyes, so think of cotton, linen, hemp and silk. In fact any natural cellulose based fabric is perfect! Can't decide? Then why not layer some fabrics on top of one another! There's so many great effects that you can create with this technique, its not surprising its one of my favourites!
Are you thinking this is for you? After you register for the workshop, then check out my free video on making a print table, you'll need one for the workshop. You can get the video here:
Can't wait to get started? If you are a Quilting Arts magazine subscriber, then my article about Colour Blocking appears in the October/November 2014 issue!
I'd love to have you in my workshop, so sign up now and be one of the first to learn Colour Blocking!
You can get the supply list when you register and be ready!
I took a break from my series project to teach this morning and thought you might be interested in seeing some of what my students had created.
The workshop, which I call Colour Blocking, is working with thickened dyes through an open silk screen. This allows you to mix colours right onto the screen and create wonderfully rich combinations of values and open or closed areas. The fabric that is made is perfect for piecing, for applique or the addition of other surface design techniques.
Here you can see the blue and green laid down onto the fabric and mixing as the scraper is pulled across the surface of the screen. By rotating the screen horizontal or vertical designs will appear.
Sarah is so excited her hands are a blur! She likes the blue and magenta colour scheme.
Joan has the complementary colours to her shirt and has almost finished her piece of fabric.
Its possible to mask off areas of the fabric with freezer paper cutouts or to put soy wax on the screen to act as a type of mask. Many possibilities....
Are you interested in learning more? My online class will begin June 25th and registration will begin June 11th. Further information can be found: www.susanpm.com/online-workshops
I love to play with colour, fabric and threads! And I've just posted some new packs in my shop. I think you'll agree that they are quite luscious? If you'd like to learn how to do colour gradations like these, then hop on over to my video here: https://vimeo.com/89749580
I'll bet you are often wondering what else you can fling paint onto and create wonderful effects on your fabrics? Did you know that you can paint, stamp, glitterize (is that a word?) and generally add colour to fusible web and interfacing products? Yes, you can!
Isn't this gorgeous? Would you like to make something like this?
All you need is a few fusible products.....
Some paints and tools.....
You can paint, splatter, sunprint and more.....
Make sunsets......
And seascapes.....
Would you like to learn more? Then check out my introductory video:
My online workshop is open for registration here: http://susanpm.com/online-workshops/
I was looking up songs about summer this past weekend and if you are part of my generation (and I think most of you are) then these will sound familiar:
"Surfin' Safari," The Beach Boys
"Summertime Blues," Eddie Cochran
"A Summer Song," Chad & Jeremy
"Surfer Girl," The Beach Boys
"School's Out," Alice Cooper
"Those Lazy-Hazy-Crazy Days Of Summer," Nat King Cole
What are your plans for the summer? Are you vacationing or staying close to the air conditioner? My daughter and grand daughter are staying with us for most of the summer, in fact next week she'll be on her own with her grandpa and me.....oh my! She's only 2 1/2, so a little young to teach how to quilt! But I found a quilt for her bed that she loves:
When I have a few minutes to call my own, I'll be working in the studio on a quilt to enter into some shows this fall. I also have the script planned out for two new online workshops.... you'll hear more about those later. Plus, there's my vegetable garden; its been an ongoing battle with the deer, so I bought a "water cannon", a motion sensor/water sprinkler to scare them out of my veggies! I've had to replant the beets twice!
I know the summer will just fly past, I hope you have time for "fun in the sun!
One of the lessons in my Screen Print with Success workshop involves using thickened dyes to print across the surface of the fabric. I love doing this exercise as its a fabulous way to play with colour mixing.
Here are some of my results:
Screen Print with Success is open for registration! Join in this fun class and learn several ways to create image, texture and colour on fabric. These techniques show that screen printing
is not difficult or expensive.Students will learn to make simple, basic
screens that will meet all their needs and the appropriate paints and
tools to use.
We will begin with freezer paper stencils and other masks, then move
on to using soy wax on the screens with thickened dyes. Fabric dyes
provide wonderful transparency, allowing you to build layers of colours
without changing the hand of the fabric. Other screen printing
techniques will be demonstrated including Thermofax screens, using gel
mediums for foil and special effects.
Time will be spent on showing how the printed fabrics can be used in
quilts, clothing and mixed media. Workshop fee will include one small
Thermofax screen of student’s choice, mailed at the beginning of the
workshop.
Does this sound like a fit for you? Well, hurry on over to: http://susanpm.com/online-workshops/ and sign up, registration is limited so don't delay! We'll see you in class!
After a very steep learning curve, the FIRST part of my Online Workshops is up for viewing! I am thrilled to be able to offer a variety of Surface, Design, Dyeing and Printing Techniques for my students.
I love to teach and share with you but I can’t always be at your
guild or conference. So I’ve developed the next, best way to inspire
you. So, invite me into your home or studio to learn new ideas and
techniques.
My workshops are multi-lesson formats that combine PDF documents to
print out – such as dye recipes and resources – and videos for you to
watch and learn exactly so many of my techniques are done. You can watch
them at your own pace, download them for future reference and work
alongside me or take notes with a cup of coffee beside you! There will
be opportunity for you to ask questions and post pictures and to meet
other students and chat.
Pictures from Colour It, Fuse It!
Each workshop will be open for six months from the start date and you will be able to keep the links to the videos forever.
Browse through the workshops below, see which dates fit your calendar
and sign up! You are welcome to email me with any questions. I hope
you will join me on this exciting new adventure!
