This image shows the three key stages of fabric design that I’ll be demonstrating and sharing at my workshop on Sunday 2nd June in Sheffield.
Step One is a design worked out on paper.
Step Two is to create the design in heat sensitive dyes on paper.
You can apply the dyes to paper using paint brushes, or you can collage painted papers or you can stamp the dyes onto paper. No drawing skills are required but some thoughts on composition are worthwhile.
The colours in this stage of the process are very different from the final outcome, as demonstrated in this short colour sample video.
Like any art work you can spend as much or as little time on your design as you wish. You can print your design and then move the design and over print if you like.
You can print a number of times from the dyes, although each later print will be slightly unique from the previous one, but we experiment with time and colour during the workshop.
Step Three is to press the paper with the heat sensitive dyes together with your desired fabric at high heat for a few seconds. This will activate the dyes and make them turn into gas, to wrap around the fabrics fibres and thus transferring them.
In seconds you’ve got your designed fabric and it can become whatever your imagination will allow.
If you’d rather watch than read – See this process in less than 40 seconds in this video. https://youtu.be/xnt9NKFmhKo
A second example
As a recap on the process here’s an alternative design, a small coastal landscape design made by collaging torn papers which had been painted with transfers dyes.
Step One: I had a seaside composition in mind to fit into a greeting card window.
Step Two: I collaged torn paper to compose the picture. Note I have not drawn anything in this piece. For many people drawing skills, of their perception of their skills can be a barrier to them enjoying art. That’s a shame as there are many other ways to make marks and create. This is just one suggestion.
Step Three – I heat pressed the design onto one, then another piece of fabric.
I’ll be sewing into the design next before mounting it in into the greeting card for a unique, handmade, frameable gift.
If you’d like to try these techniques for yourself you can book at the Stitched Up and Fleeced website. Stitched Up and Fleeced is a lovely studio with great facilities which are ideal for our workshop.
The workshop will be from 10am to 4pm giving chance to learn techniques and enjoy exploring them and developing your ideas using these new possibilities.
Whether your a textile artist, crafter, designer, or just fancy trying something new you’ll be creating in no time and will have a number of fabric designs by the end of the day. Your fabric designs could be framed, appliqued, made into accessories such as zip bags, glasses cases, cushions, home decor, gifts and so on.
You can see more details of the workshop day at this post. When you’re ready to book you can do that here.
See more fabric design ideas to spark ideas of what you might like to create:
Fabric Design Highlights
Heat Press Inspiration
Don’t just take my word for it, want to hear how other people found my live workshop:
Workshop – Testimonials
And something cute to complete this post:
Fabric Design Doll
Hope to see you on 2nd June.
Bye for now x
#fabricdesign #sheffieldartist #surfacepatterndesign #textileart
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