Block print a plain bag

Block print a plain bag

Printing on fabric is so much fun and you get to show off your work everywhere you go with this simple tote bag project. This project is designed to show you how to make a simple foam printing block and how to print a seamless repeat print, I have provided an artwork for you to use but you can of course use your own images to create a design. Please read through the instructions before you start so you are familiar with what you have to do and practice your print on a piece of scrap fabric before you start on your final project.

Top Tips 

• You can use normal acrylic paints to print on fabric, mix with fabric medium 50/50 and they will be permanent and soft on the fabric once set with an iron.Acrylic blocks are available form craft shops in lots of sizes or you can find some companies will cut them to size for you, ebay is a good starting point. You can use wooden blocks or even old plate mats as long as its firm and flat- its just easier to see through acrylic to line up your prints
• Make sure you clean your block every few prints with a cloth or babywipes, this will stop the build of paint and make cleaner prints. 
• You need a nice flat surface clear of clutter, remember to put down newspaper or table covering to protect it. 

You will need…..

Acrylic block size 6”x6”square at least 3mm thick

Foam sheet (sticky back preferable) size A5 or A4

Craft knife

Fabric paint

Sponge roller & sponges

Plain tote bag

Scrap fabric for practice

Masking tape

I’ve provided……

The artwork, as a pdf template. Download here and print out before you start.

Step by step….. 

       1.     Stick your foam sheet to the surface of the acrylic block, take care not to press to hard onto foam as it marks easily.

2.     Print out the design and draw onto tracing paper using a soft pencil. 

 3.     Transfer the design onto your foam by placing the tracing paper upside down and lightly rubbing over the lines with your fingers.

4.     Using a sharp craft knife cut out the design and carefully peel away the excess foam. To get the detail on the wings and leaves use a sharp pencil and press firmly into the foam drawing the lines, these will appear as white lines in the final print. 

 5.     Mix your paint to the colours you are going to use and prepare your printing surface and place a piece of newspaper inside your bag to stop the paint coming through to the other side.

 6.     Use your masking tape to create a border around the edge of the bag and to stick bag down so it doenst move during printing, use extra tape at the top of the bag to protect the handles. 

 7.     When you are ready to print use a sponge roller or sponge to apply a thin, even coat of paint to your block, use a cloth to remove any excess paint on the edges of the block. Place the block face down onto the fabric, start in the centre overlapping the bottom edge a little. Press firmly on the back of the block. Carefully peel the block of the fabric to reveal the print, load the block with more paint and repeat the printing process lining up print by looking through the acrylic block. 

 8.     For an interesting design feature, for just one of the prints change the colour of the bird. Clean off all the original colour from the bird first with a cloth then load up the paint in the same way but with 2 different sponges.

 9.     Once you have covered the whole surface of the bag use a paint brush to touch up any areas that need it and allow to dry. Carfully remover the masking tape to reveal a nicely framed print with clean edges, iron on a high setting to set the paint and you bag is finished! Now show it off !

 TROUBLE SHOOTING

·      Egdes of print bleeding out – too much paint

·      Image faint – not enough paint

·      Mess marks all over fabric- edges or block need cleaning

·      Image over lap – you have not lined up the prints correctly, go with it, it could create a whole new design!

·      It looks a mess – embrace imperfections that’s the nature of hand printing and just have fun!

The main thing is to have fun, play and learn as you go!

Happy printing

Jenny

some links to credit me if your are going to share

https://twitter.com/jennymccabe
http://pinterest.com/cooandco/boards/
https://www.facebook.com/www.cooandco.co.uk

EXTRAS- here are a few links to where I buy stuff from
www.handprinted.co.uk - great for everything handprinted!
Ebay is a great place to look for acrylic sheets- here is a good company

Ebay again great for bags but if you want to buy more than one - Clever baggers are great

Homemade screenprints

This is a great way to try out screen printing, with practice you can get a lovely clear print each time, its great for a repeat design and with care your screen will last a while.

The basic idea is that you paint on your design onto the screen with the drawing fluid, coat the screen in a thicker screen filler, once its all dry you wash out the drawing fluid, leaving your design as a permanent stencil in the screen.

You can use any size hoop but 10” is a good working size, the best fabric to make your screen from is a very fine nylon mesh, look for net curtain fabric or voile in your local fabric shop, you can buy screen printing mesh which is perfect from screen printing specialists.

The screen drawing fluid & screen filler are available for any good art shop and last a long time and will make many screens, they come in a few different big name brands – I prefer the speedball ones as they are more familiar to me but take advise from others and your art shop.

Fabric paints come in many different brands- I always use acrylic paints mixed with fabric medium- just so I can use what’s already in my studio and to have more colour choice- again take advise form others and your art shop.

You can improvise your design but it may be helpful to have it drawn out first so you can trace it onto fabric, this will help you get the sizing right and play with your ideas before you commit it to the screen, for a 10” hoop you art work needs to be no bigger than 6”x 6”.

Practice- practice- practice- always except your first few screens not to work very well, it’s the only way to learn – it’s a tricky process and it will be trial and error till you get it right. (it took me 3 attempts to perfect the screen in the tutorial! Image to thin then to messy, then perfect!)

Right here we go- good luck

You will need

Embroidery hoop 10” or larger

Fine mesh nylon fabric

Fabric for printing on

Artwork

Screen drawing fluid

Screen filler

Paintbrush

Old credit card

Scissors

Parcel tape

Fabric paint

Hair dryer (optional)

Iron

 

Step by step

1- First you will need to cut your mesh slightly bigger than your hoop and stretch it over, tightening the hoop as you stretch, until you have a drum tight screen. 

 

2- Now you can paint your design onto the screen using the ‘screen drawing fluid’ this has a runny PVA type of consistency, take care not to drip it any where on your screen, you need to achieve a good solid line for your design – too thin and it wont work- practice makes perfect. You can draw your design onto the fabric in pencil or trace it directly from an image underneath- make sure you screen is mesh side up when you paint your design on. Allow it to dry fully, you can use a hairdryer on low heat if necessary. This should take 5-10mins.

 

3- Once your design is dry you can coat your screen in the ‘screen filler’. Do this with a credit card or squeegee if you have one. Pour a blob on the card and drag it across the your screen covering the surface in a thin even coat, take care not to over work this process as the drawing fluid will start to dissolve- one or two quick smooth scraping across the screen should be enough ( practice –practice – practice) allow to dry fully, use a hair dryer in you like. This should take 5-15mins.

 

4- Once the filler is completely dry you need to wash out the drawing fluid under running water. Allow the water to run over both sides of the screen and after a few second you should see the blue drawing fluid start to disappear, you may need to rub gently in some areas – be careful as to much rubbing with ruin screen. Hold it up to the light to check its clear- the edges of your design should be clearly defined and clear of both the drawing fluid and filler. Once its clear allow to dry.

 

5- Prepare your screen for printing by taping all the edges so no extra ink can get through to the fabric. I use parcel tape as its water proof and easy to remove- but masking tape would do too.

 

6-Lay out your ironed fabric on a clear protected surface ready to print, lay your screen onto the fabric where your design is to go, place a generous blob of paint above your design on the screen and use your credit card to smoothly scrape the paint across the design, pushing the paint through the screen 2 or 3 passes will be enough. Carefully lift the screen off the fabric and allow paint to dry.

 

7-If your design is repeated, use a hair dryer to dry the first print then place the screen on the fabric where the next print is going and repeat until you fabric is covered. Always iron your finished fabric to set the fabric paint.

Never allow the paint to dry in your screen, wash is immediately after you have finished printing- if you are doing a large piece of fabric with a repeat design you may need to stop half way through and wash your screen (make sure its dry before you start printing again)

 

I have made my fabric into a simple zipper purse as an example, but you can make anything you want, the possibilities are endless!

I hope this has been a helpful tutorial- if you have any questions just get in touch

Id love to see what you do and feel free to spread the word about this via pintrest of facebook or any other way!

Happy printing

Jenny

some links if your are going to share

https://twitter.com/jennymccabe
http://pinterest.com/cooandco/boards/
https://www.facebook.com/www.cooandco.co.uk

EXTRAS- here are a few links to where I buy stuff from
www.handprinted.co.uk - great for everything handprinted!
the fabric I used is 32T mesh 1/2 metre- £4.50
the drawing fluid (big pot lasts for ages)
Filler - (big pot - lasts for ages)