Baby Blanket Sneak Peek: Berry Ava Fabric

So, last night I decided to muster up the courage to go ahead and print one of the fabrics that I will use in the baby blanket for our little girl who is due next month. I really have been putting it off, as I did not want to TOTALLY screw it up as I did not have money in the budget to buy more fabric. Nevertheless, I VERY much consider this a practice run as I am still using the hoop screens and modge podge(which explains the random smudges and pinholes...LOL). I think with my next print I will go ahead and use a true screen, but for this project, I will continue with this print.

I do have one question...How do I prevent my screen from picking up ink if it is laying on top of the print next to it..should I print every other row and let dry and then print in between or do I just wipe after each print..any suggestions?

As I was reading the lovely and might I say very resourceful blog Celestina Carmen, which is a blog about screenprinting, sewing, & crafting; I learned that I should really raise my screen just a bit from direct contact to the fabric to help prevent smudging so I will definitely be experimenting with that soon. Also, I failed to use a fixative in my ink, so I have to be sure to order some to help my color set better. Nevertheless I am pleased with the design and can really see this motif in lots of different things. I call it Berry Ava because our little girls middle name will be Ava!

So, I just wanted to quickly share my progress. I must say that screenprinting while pregnant can be a bit of a challenge!: I will be back some time next week and will post pics of the completed blanket. It really won't be to complicated...quite simple really. Ok, thanks for listening and I will be back soon! Happy creating!

The Manderley Collection by Romo Fabrics (textile of the day)

I thought it would be fun to every now and then share some textile inspiration by picking a print to highlight from time to time. To start things off I have selected this print from the Manderley collection by Romo Fabrics. I love the colors, and the pattern is great! I will be highlighting both manufactured and hand printed fabrics, so if you come across a great print that you think should be highlighted, then feel free to shoot me an e-mail!


printed on pure linen

Fabric Ink & Color Theory {new goodies}

Don't you just love getting art & craft supplies in the mail! I finally received a few goodies in the mail today! I recently ordered some basic screen printing/fabric ink, some speed clean, and a wonderful color theory book called the "Color Mixing Bible".



I LOVE this book as it has so many examples of the various techniques and ways that one can mix colors depending on consistency and shade! I bought this book first to add to my collection, because in my opinion, knowing how different colors work together as either the top or bottom layer is extremely important when hand printing. Many times I would find myself confused on which order I would apply my ink/paint and then i would end up with a disaster and a waste of product.



So I really think that this book will be a good aid for when i need a bit of color mixing inspiration. It includes color mixing for: watercolor, acrylics, oil, gouache, colored pencils, ink, and pastels. I bought mine "like new" for only $8 bucks via amazon & it is in perfect condition (I heart amazon)!

I decided to go with Versatex for my ink as I remember it worked quite well in my past printing sessions, so we will see if I still feel the same way after a few practice rounds. If so, I will order a few more colors!



I plan on making my mom a yard of fabric for her birthday and to print my own fabric to make a baby quilt for our little girl that is due in May...the colors for that will be pink & brown. Wish me luck! If they come out properly I will most definitely post them here.

Maiwa Natural Dyes

Psst...Maiwa is hosting a fabulous textile symposium in October, so if you are in the area I would definitely recommend looking more into this, as I know I would love to attend many of their workshops!


I just came across Maiwa, a supplier of natural fabric dyes and textile printing supplies! I heart this site and look forward to trying out their line of natural materials to experiment with. They carry natural materials such as: Black Oak, Henna, Indigo, Marigold, Pomegranate, Safflower, and more; and their prices for the smaller jars start at just $3.95! They also have some great instructions and tips on various textile printing that are free to download as well as a glossary that defines the colors that each of their natural dyes are used for as well as the colors that result from them. So, if you are lucky enough to find yourself in the Vancouver, BC area, then you should most definitely check out their shop Maiwa Handprints!



They have also produced several documentaries. Two of them I would love to own to add to my own textile collection, the first being "In Search of Lost Colour: The Story of Natural Dyes".



The other film that I would like to own from them is called "Through The Eye of a Needle: Stories from an Indian Desert" (the textiles in the preview below alone are captivating..simply gorgeous!).



The price of these two are about $42 bucks for private use, but I think if you are a serious textile guru or one that just simply loves the art of textiles, then it would be well worth the investment!

Dabu Dyeing (beautiful)