It's about exploring and sharing my creative adventures (mostly sewing these days) ~
~those activities that sometimes obsess, usually inspire, occasionally frustrate
~and always provide a delightful maze to wander through.

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Silk Screen on Fleece (a quick & easy project)

Who knew that silk screening could be so EASY?!  I was about to find out, with my first ever silk screen on an actual garment..... [gulp]
Test Piece

I was getting ready to blog my latest project, knowing that the post had the possibility of turning into 1000 word tome (yeah, it was one of THOSE projects) when I got sidetracked by the fact that I was wearing the fleece vest I made earlier this year (I know, I live in sunny California, & the sun IS shining today, but still it was windy, foggy, & chilly when I got dressed), and was thinking about silk screen projects......  I looked at my vest, looked at my bucket of silk screen supplies, and the next thing I knew, I was on the kitchen floor surrounded by fleece scraps & possibilities....

Clockwise from the top:  Jacquard Textile Color in black, a plastic syringe from something-or-other, Twin Leaves silk screen from Marcy Tilton, a silk screen squeegee, a bucket of clean water, and a test sample.   All sitting on a piece of plastic sheeting.

Here's the vest, ready to go (after saying a little prayer that it would go as smoothly as the test pieces did):


I placed the screen on a pocket, drew up some paint into the syringe, & squeezed out a line at the top edge of the screen:

I pulled the paint down the screen with the squeegee (no pics, only 2 hands available & they were both busy).   Note:  in previous tests I had tried using a credit card or a paint sponge to pull the paint, but I decided that it was worth investing in a proper squeegee for the best effect.  I think I was right!   The art supply store had limited option in these small sizes, so I got a plastic handled squeegee & cut it to size for my specs.   It worked great!

In less than five minutes, I had this!:

I'm delighted!   Now I wait about 24 hours, then I'll set it with a press from the iron (since this is fleece, I'll see what works best for the pressing & report back)

UPDATE:  After a day, I gave the prints a press with a hot, dry iron - 2 passes, pressing for 10 seconds each time.   Then I tossed the test pieces in the wash (warm water) & a hot drier.   This is NOT how I plan to wash the vest (cold water wash, hang to dry).   I should have washed one of the test pieces the same way I plan on washing the vest....20/20 hindsight.   At any rate, the paint faded quite a lot with this abuse:
Test piece on the left, back of jacket on the right.
Even the faded paint looks OK, so I won't fret about it, but as I said, I won't be washing my vest that vigorously!

All in all, I'm a happy screener :)



Silk Screening!   I'm stoked!!   Have you done silk screening on fabrics?   Any tips, or posts to link & share?

12 comments:

Peggy L said...

Me!!!! I love it - and it is so amazingly easy!!!! Not that I am a pro but I have done two shirts and always get compliments. Love it on your fleece!!! Maybe my sewing mojo will come back soon.

Anonymous said...

Yay, darling! This is a feeling of so much happiness. Thank you for sharing -- with me!
Love, Pat Spahr.

Andrea said...

Cool project! Wishing it was cool enough foe fleece here today.....

Jillybejoyful said...

Peggy may your mojo return soon - I love seeing your sewing projects :)

Patrick!!! Delighted that you popped in with your happy energy :)

Andrea - I'll take a few of your degrees any time - I didn't sign up for this cold summer :(

shams said...

I played with it about a year ago with mixed results. I am SO impressed that you would risk your wonderful vest, but it paid off!! I like your Twin Leaves stencil. :D

glorm said...

Glad it worked on the vest. There is always that moment when you hold your breath, hoping that the real thing works as well as the numerous trials did.

luckylibbet said...

I've contemplated this for years - but never actually tried. Maybe this is my inspiration? Your leaves look wonderful!

Martha said...

I love your choice of stencil, and your resulting vest. And you've inspired me to try silk-screening again. My results have always been muddy. Maybe I'll try that squeegy thingy. Thanks.

Dixie said...

You go, girl! Great job - I love the leaf design. I haven't tried a squeegee or a credit card yet. I do pretty well with a foam brush, although sometimes I think I'm pressing too hard, because the image comes out a little thick. Maybe the squeegee would give more control, and an even coverage. I'll have to try it!

Jillybejoyful said...

Thanks everyone! I do hope I inspire you to try it, or try again, as the case may be - it opens up such a world of creative possibilities!

I do recommend the squeegee - a thin one....you could even cut an old window cleaning squeegee up - I would have done that, but I didn't have one that wasn't already designated for windows....

Dixie I felt like the sponge brush held so much paint that it seemed wasteful to my frugal self. I do feel that the squeegee gives more control.

My test leaves are in the wash right now. I plan on abusing them a bit to see how the paint holds up on the fleece; I'll report back :)

Jean said...

So cool! I've never tried the technique, but have always wanted to give it a go -- just been hesitant to start something new. But you've inspired me!

Joanne said...

Looks great.