This past month I have been focusing my inner creativity with outer experiences and oh boy!
I spent a day with Thea getting practical advice and technique in the repeat application of yardage printing. Repeats are very tricky when you first start playing around but as I learned there are simple tricks of the trade that help you along the way.
Already having previous training in Print Making gave me the confidence to enter a workable studio and print under instruction..... though this certainly was not necessary for Thea's Workshop. She takes you through step by step from design concept through to repeat prints and is a great course for anyone who wants to dabble in printing.
Here I am with Thea having a go!
This is where 'consistent pressure' is required when passing the squeegee from one person to another and back again. The same pressure is important for the print to be inked consistently from top to bottom and again on each repeat.
EQUIPMENT
Repeat printing can cause baldness..... from ripping out your hair!!
By following some useful techniques I discovered how your yardage printing will be perfect each time. Two steps that I really 'absorbed' were the correct placement of fabric, stretched tightly and evenly along your table and fixed into place using 'T PINS'- (oh, T Pins are my new best friend), and the registration of your print using specific tools of the trade. Over the years Ive observed different techniques of which each work effectively well. I'm not planning to go into any length of detail on these steps, I'll leave that to the experts (Thanks Thea!!). What I do have is a visual of what tools of the trade are being used to get perfect repeats.
Here is an insight to what is required:
Registration Rail/Bar - gives you a perfect straight line to guide your screen along the length of the fabric.
Repeat Blocks/Clamps - These are movable blocks that are fixed into place once you have measured your repeat perfectly.
T Pins - aka bestie! These are special pins that when inserted almost horizontally will fix your fabric into place. No more masking tape or wastage yippee!
Registration Clamp - This is a fixed clamp on the screen that butts up against your registration rail for consistent printing along the length of the fabric. They work in conjunction with the Repeat Blocks. Ingenious!
Screen & Table - too obvious!
AWESOME!!! Approx 10 metres of fabric printed perfectly.
(Thea & Sami's Cottage Garden Design)
I had a great time, met some wonderful creative people and came away much better prepared to set up my own workspace.
To check out Thea & Sami's 2 day workshop course dates head on over to www.thea-sami.com.au
Once back into the swing of things I adapted these techniques with what tools I had on hand and worked on yet another print. Hope you like my Pebbles in Line.
