Extraordinary Prints from Ordinary Objects - K

These Boots are Made for Printing - K is for Keens!

So what do Boots have to do with with the letter K? Well, in 
my Swedish mother tongue boot is called kanga (just imagine 
two little dots above the first 'a' in kanga).  
In addition to that: My favourite boots, shoes, sandals are made 
by Keens. AND in addition to THAT: Keens have  awesome sole patterns!

Colour Vie pigments are water based, so any boots/tools are
easily cleaned with water.

 















I use Colour Vie pigments (www.colourvie.com) to print with.

If you are using other pigments, just make sure that they are water based, 
so that you can easily clean off your boots with water after printing.

I made a stamp pad from a piece of foam rubber.
A foam brush is also good for applying the pigment to the boots.

In all these pieces I decided to start printing with an opaque white,
and then to layer other colours on top.

First I printed white boot prints, then over-painted  with blue pigment.
The opaque white pigment will not absorb the blue colour as much as
 the white cotton, so will appear lighter. Lastly I overprinted
with a metallic copper pigment.

Opaque white pigment on green cotton.

First I printed opaque white on white cotton. Then I over-painted with
yellow, red and blue. After this was dry I printed with metallic copper
pigment.

Opaque white print on white cotton, over-painted with red,
then over-printed with metallic gold pigment.

Opaque white pigment on yellow cotton, over-painted with
pink pigment.

Opaque white pigment on white cotton, over-printed with grey and black
pigments.

Opaque white pigment on yellow cotton, over-printed with grey and
black pigments.

For a list of workshops in my studio in Toronto, please visit
www.colourvie.com and click on workshops. For workshops
elsewhere please click on Calendar.

I wish you a very Happy, Healthy and Creative 2014!

Extraordinary Prints from Ordinary Objects - J

J is for J-cloth!

After a bit of a hiatus, I'm back to printing the alphabet - and J it is!
The ever so absorbent J-cloth is good for cleaning up many different 
messes - and creating colourful prints to boot!

Just add fabric and Pigment to the J-cloth and print, print,
print! I am partial to Colour Vie pigments
www.colourvie.com

In this print I ripped the J-cloth into strips, placed them randomly
under the fabric, and used a brayer to roll a small amount of black
pigment over the whole fabric. The effect is a bit like a rubbing.

Strips of J-cloth under the fabric, then I used the brayer to roll on
first black then metallic gold pigments.

First I painted the fabric with Colour Vie pigments.
While the pigment was still wet I used a rolled up piece of J-cloth
to remove areas of wet pigment.

Finished print. Hmmm, could be used for a cloud effect as well....

On this fabric I dipped the strips of J-cloth in pigment and used the strips
to print the random stripy marks.

When the pigment was dry I over painted with turquoise pigment, scaped
and added some gold prints.

There is always the trusty old rag rolling technique. Totally immerse
the J-cloth in pigment and roll away!

J-cloth rolled fabrics.

November - and looking back.....

My Fabulous Summer and Fall Months of Teaching Design and Printing

Wild Prints from Nature in Hastings, ON

Marta with her corn cob print

Wild print for sure!

A lovely field trip to the Alderville First Nations
Black Oak Savanna, near Hastings, ON

Using my Portuguese potato masher.
Windsor, ON

Finished potato masher print

Texture designs, Haliburton Fabric Arts
diploma programme

Border design, Haliburton Fabric Arts, diploma programme

Block print, repeat (Haliburton FAR diploma programme)

Block print: variation of repeat, Haliburton 

Screen printed fabric, Haliburton FAR diploma programme

Screen printing in the Fabric studio, Haliburton

Make fantastic one-of-a-kind gifts in our 3 upcoming workshops!

 1. Indigo dye silk scarves - 

Nov. 23 - 24, 2013 “The World of Indigo” with Pam Woodward  

$150 (+$15 materials fee)

2. Photos on fabric -

Nov. 30,  2013 “Photographic Images on Fabric” with Gunnel Hag

$99

3. Print on place mats, tote bags, T-shirts or tea towels - 

Dec. 7,  2013 “Printapalooza on Fabric” with Gunnel Hag

$95

Treat yourself to my fun filled workshops today...

Call early to reserve your space

416- 532-7435 (local calls) or 1-877-425-8379 (toll free) 

or e-mail colorvie@istar.ca

All workshops are held at the Colour Vie Studio, 

222 Symington Ave., Toronto, ON

For more information and yummy pictures 

please visit www.colourvie.com and click on Workshops

Extraordinary Prints from Ordinary Objects - I

I is for Iron!

Now we're up to the letter I in the Fabric Printed Alphabet.

www.colourvie.com

Who doesn't have an old iron that has seen too much work,
has been in too many workshops, has been dropped on the floor
too many times and has now given up the ghost?

Don't throw it in the garbage - PRINT WITH IT!

First I painted the canvas with Colour Vie pigments.
While the pigments were still wet, I used my
 dear old toy iron to remove some of the pigments.

 My printing blocks today: A defunct steam  iron,
 a couple of antique irons and a toy iron

A well-ironed border print

Table napkin printed with antique and toy irons.

Nope, the tea towel is not burnt - just printed!

Another toy iron print. I played with the iron quite a bit as a kid.
Little did I knowhow much ironing I would actually be doing
in my career as a textile designer/printer!

Summer Happenings

This summer is getting wonderfully busy. I just finished printing fabric for costumes for a television production.

My quilt "Whirlwind 11" is part of "Higher Ground", an exhibition or Connections Fibre Artists at the Guelph Civic Museum, Guelph, Ontario, Canada. The show continues until Oct. 13, 2013.

"Whirlwind 11" quilt. Painted and manipulated with Colour Vie pigments. Machine quilted.

"Whirlwind 11" detail

From July 2 to 31 my piece "One Drop at a Time" will be on display as a part of "This is Life", which is an exhibition or work by the Faculty at Haliburton Summer School of the Arts at Rail's End Gallery, Haliburton, Ontario. This piece is inspired by a beautiful saying by the Buddhist monk Patrul Rinpoche:

Do not take lightly small good deeds,

Believing they can hardly help,

For drops of water one by one,

In time will fill a giant pot.

"One Drop at a Time". Discharged cotton with photo imagery,
stitching and glass beads.

I will be teaching an exciting five day workshop at the Haliburton Summer School of the Arts in beautiful Haliburton, Ontario The workshop starts on July 15. You can check out my "Irresistible Resists" workshop at 

http://flemingcollege.ca/continuing-education/courses/fabric-printing-irresistible-resists/013116

"Photographic Imagery on Fabric" is an information packed one day workshop on July 20: also at Haliburton  Summer School of the Arts.

Fabrics printed in one of my workshops in Haliburton, Ontario

In August I will teach a 3 day workshop at the Fibre Festival in historical Hastings, Ontario from Aug. 13 to 15. 

http://hastingsfoundersweek.com/fibre-festival-workshops/

To register and for more information please contact Skye Morrison at skyemorrison@gmail.com

And on Aug. 24 and 25 I will be teaching “Glorious Colour: Fat Quarters for Quilters” at the Windsor Modern Quilt Guild in Windsor, Ontario.

AND my cherries are almost ready for picking!!!

Super Easy Screen Printing Tutorial

This month I am honoured to be the guest blogger for the Canadian Quilters' Association's blog!

Check out the Super Easy Screen Printing Tutorial at http://cqacanadianquilting.blogspot.ca/

Another great screen print in my screen printing workshop.

I also have space available in my upcoming workshops:

“ADD AND SUBTRACT - Discharging Made Easy”

Unravelling discharged fabric

May 4, 2013: 10 a.m. to 4. p.m.

Learn to use household bleach in combination with pigments to create exciting one-of-a-kind fabrics. Explore immersion discharge and direct application discharge while learning in-depth techniques for clamped, tied and pole wrapped resists.

-Bring 3 - 4 yards of black 100% cotton fabric.

$89 (+HST)

“GUERILLA SCREEN PRINTING ON FABRIC” 

Screen printing workshop

May 11 - 12, 2013: 10 a.m. to 4. p.m.

Interested in home decorating, quilting , fashion? If you want to print your own images on just about anything, this workshop is for you! Create  and print simple motifs as well as designs with fine and detailed imagery, which you then can repeat over and over to create your own unique yardage.

This intensive screen printing workshop will take you from the basics to photo emulsion in two inspiring days.

- Workshop includes Colour Vie pigments, acetates and emulsion used in class, and one silk screen - yours to take home after the workshop.

$210 (+HST

“COVER ME - JOURNAL AND BOOK COVERINGS” 

Sketch books covered with painted fabric

June 1, 2013: 10 a.m. to 4. p.m.

Make an impression with a unique covered book. Print your fabric in the morning and learn how to use your printed fabrics to cover your journals, sketch books and other books in the afternoon.

$95 (+HST)

“THE WORLD OF INDIGO” (with Pam Woodward) I spot left

Indigo fabric dyed in Pam's workshop

April 20 - 21, 2013: 10 a.m. to 4. p.m.

Indigo dyes have been used around the world for centuries. It's no surprise that the mysteries and magic of indigo have held a special fascination for dyers, no matter their level of experience. Spend a weekend "getting blue" using a variety of techniques on assorted fabrics. You will be amazed.

$150 (+HST)

(Material Fee: $15)

For full descriptions, prices, 

details of how to register as well as more pictures please visit

www.colourvie.com and click on Workshops

Extraordinary Prints from Ordinary Objects - H

H is for Hair Roller!

On this piece I painted the fabric in layers going from light
to dark using Colour Vie pigments. www.colourvie.com.
While the pigment was wet I used the end of the hair roller
to twist and scrape off some  of the pigment. Then I used
the edge of the hair roller to create lines/slashes on top.

The hair roller is just another fabulous tool!

 Registration is now open for an exciting variety of surface design
workshops in my studio here in Toronto. If you are ready 
to create gorgeous printed cloth and find yourself in 
the Toronto area during the months of March, April or May,
 I would love to see you in my studio.
 Enjoy unique and fun filled opportunities to take part in 
hands-on and in-depth studies of fabric design!
Please visit my website http://colourvie.com/Workshops.html 
for times, dates and more information. 

I used the "bristley" side of the roller to print/roll on the
background red shapes. Then I used the circular end to print
some red and black circles.

I gave the hair roller a little twist to create a slightly fuzzy
edge on the black circles.

The hair rollers come in a variety of sizes.

Here I printed the "bubbles" in black onto a fabric that I had
previously painted in a gradation of burnt orange. I then used
the edge to add the fuzzy lines for directionality.

Hair rollers stuck together for a more organized print.

I printed the white fabric with opaque white pigment,
then painted over it in green/blue and used the hair rollers
to print again with metallic pewter pigment.

Another scraped fabric print.