a weaving blog

A blog about weaving, art, and family by NANCY FARR BENIGNI

Friday, October 3, 2014

Time to Print...



Today, finally, was the day to print the Stevie Nicks Shawl. I chose 3 textile printing blocks from my collection. They are hand carved wooden blocks that were well used before I acquired them. I've collected them over the years from various places, from eBay to shops in Cleveland and Material Culture in Philadelphia. My favorites are the blocks that were used for printing yards of fabric and garments in Indonesia and India and are slightly damaged from years of use. I feel a connection to the person who so painstakingly carved the intricate designs as well as to the artisans who used them.



For the printing I used PROfab Textile Paint for the first time (available from PRO Chemical and Dye.) In the past I have used thickened Procion dyes, but have had some trouble with the printing bleeding through to the other side of the fabric. When this happened I considered it a happy accident, since my design process is constantly evolving as I work. "Mistakes" like that just lead me in a different direction, one that may not have otherwise occurred to me. However, for this project I had hoped that the textile paint would remain only on the printed side.... and it did! No biggie.. 
Generally I mix colors when I print, but the Indigo Textile Paint color was perfect. A test print on rice paper allowed me to experiment with the stamps and figure out the design.



































Aaaand... the finished piece on the printing table.





































Some details:





I'm liking the way this turned out:
























































Thank you for reading... more to come on Inspiration, Process, and Materials!

all my love,

NFB

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