Inktense Blocks

I bought myself a new 'toy', a tin of inktense blocks - they are inks in a block. You can use them dry or with water, below shows the colours both dry and wet.

I did a few quick, very quick sketches in my sketchbook.

Then I thought I would try them on fabric. I used my gel printing plate, but on the first experiment the ink was to dry to transfer to the fabric. When I applied water to the plate then drew in it with a block, it worked just fine....but I was quick.

The tortoise was a freehand drawing directly onto the fabric.

I wasn't sure about washing, so I rinsed out a sample and the inks stayed put, so it looks like they will be good for fabrics. They have inspired me to start a bigger project......

TAST 26

Take a Stitch Tuesday

The stitch this week is palestrina stitch. In my stitch book it is called double knot stitch and  believe it is known by other names too.

The blue fabric is painted fabric, a monoprint I did using the gel printing plate. It is stitched to another painted fabric, I used a rolling stamp for decoration. I've used the palestrina stitch for the sea plants as well as some of the fish. Other embroidered stitches include French Knots, running stitch, back stitch. This is another page for my fabric journal and I've used blanket stitch around the edges to join it together with another page on the other side.

TAST 24 & 25

Two more pages for my fabric journal.

Week 24 - Take a stitch Tuesday - Buttonhole Wheel Stitch

The blue fabric is a mono print, I used a gel printing plate for this and some bubble wrap. The top fabric is a piece of devore I did several years ago. Devore is where the top layer of fabric has been burnt away with fibre etch and just leaves the see thru part, on my sample it is where the blue fabric shows through. I have also put on a couple of bits of lace and some running stitches.

Week 25 - Cable Chain Stitch

On this fabric page I have used a bit of digitally printed fabric on a sheer material, some painted and cut fabric, beads, lace, and running stitch. I've not done the cable chain before but I kept doing a twisted chain by mistake so I had to undo it quite often.

TAST 18 and Molly Drawing

Take a Stitch Tuesday

This weeks stitch is 'crossed buttonhole'. I've just realised, looking at the photo that I didn't finish off a row of stitching at the top. The background was a piece of fabric I had printed on the gel printing plate, then painted - but it is the wrong side as I preferred it, the colour was too strong on the right side. There is also dyed and transfer printed laces, beads, sequins. The rosette is an upcycled item I made on another project, I just added the beads and French knots around the middle for this journal page. I don't think I have done this stitch before and I will confess that to start with I was getting in a muddle, but once I sorted it/me out I think it is an easy stitch to do. Click on the image to enlarge.

I like a photo I had taken of Molly so I thought I would do a drawing of it.

Transfer Prints and Valentine Potato

Does a potato have a heart?

Below are some of the transfer prints I did last week, some of the photos were so bad I decided not to add them, these were the best of the bunch. Most of them were done using the gel printing plate which is normally used for acrylics but I thought I would experiment. The transfer paint separates when put on the plate but I thought I obtained some interesting effects. I used poly cotton fabric, so the results are more muted and not as bright as when a totally man made fabric is used. 

For this sample I used a fabric with a little texture.

I used a plastic fork to make the marks in the paint here.

I used a stamp in the paint here.

More than one colour was used

A whisk was used here and a stamp 

I also used stamps and texture plates to print on the fabric directly which can be seen on some of the papers below. Tip - save the used papers and paint over them so they can be used for collages and other art work.