Exploring Screen Printing

Mixing it up!

Since our return from Quiltcon we have been obsessed with screen printing. Chelsey has been wanting to screen print for many years, I just became intrigued with it since I started incorporating stamping, painting and gel printing fabric to use in my projects. We've been playing with making screens out of different materials and supplies, different inks and paints and different material to print on. We've learned some good things and also things we won't do again.

I've been using my Cricut Expression to cut screens out of vinyl, I'm using the cartridge designs I've purchased to put together screens that are unique but not my original artwork, which is fine for some things but eventually I would like to be able to make my own sketches and drawings into screens, which is where Chelsey's new "baby" the Brother Scan n Cut comes in. We're still working out the hows but we've been having fun figuring it out.

Here's a peek at what's on our work tables lately!

This is a sheer curtain stretched in an embroidery hoop, it's the macguyver screen frame!

Vinyl cut with the Expression, laid on the screen as a mask.

Ta dah! 

Cutting fabric is trickier than you think! I use heatnbond lite to fuse it on the screen. Fabric doesn't cut well with the Expression unless there's a stabilizer on it.

Home made screens, very technical as you can see, blue tape, sheer curtains, embroidery hoops, gel medium and vinyl. The dog screen is made with gel medium, I made that screen in a class called macguyvering screen printing. It's amazing what you can do to make screens!

    

Smile!!

Test prints! As you can see, paint is seeping out and making a mess. There's still lots for us to learn, it's fun trying! I haven't printed anything to use in a project yet. Chelsey has, I'll save that story for her to tell.


Go make something!

Nini~