Printing on Fabric - Labels

The Victoria Quilter's Guild is presenting Journeys, their bi-annual quilt show, on May 4, 5 and 6. This is my 'home' guild and I will be showing three pieces.

Looking West was accepted to the Quilts: A World of Beauty competition in Houston last fall so it is ready to go - it has a sleeve and label.

Miyagi Tsunami has a sleeve but no label yet. Read about how I added the sleeve to this 'odd-shaped' quilt on my blog a couple of weeks ago.

Moira's Fans has no sleeve and no label. There is one extra block that will be used as part of the label for this quilt.

Time is getting short!  Those labels need to be made - more printing on fabric. Since I only need these 2 labels I am using fabric cut from my roll of Electric Quilt Printable Fabric. I don't want to waste a whole 8 1/2" x 11" 'page' of fabric for just these 2 labels. I could 'fill the page' with other images but I don't really have the time to sort through digital files and make decisions on what to print right now!

I decided to add the Artist Statements along with the contact information on my labels. I opened a Word document and typed and formatted the text.

Next I printed the document on paper to check how it would look and be sure the spacing includes a turn-under allowance around each label. I also checked that the label for Moira's Fans would work well with the extra block; I will sew the printed text to the block and then use the entire unit for the label.

I measured how much fabric I would need to cut from the roll to accommodate the labels - 6" works well.

I realized there was extra space below the Miyagi label so I inserted a photo of yellow tulips from my garden. I'll use that photo in a collage sometime!

I cut a piece 8 1/2" x 6" from the roll, placed it in the back feeder tray of my printer and printed the labels. I will follow the instructions to let the ink dry for at least 15 minutes, peel off the plastic backing and then soak the fabric in room temperature water. I will let the fabric dry flat on a towel and then get those quilts labelled.

I'll definitely meet the deadline! 

Photos to Fabric - Workshop

I have had lots of emails from quilters and fibre artists seeking more information about printing on fabric.

I have also been asked about a hands-on workshop to learn about printing on fabric. I have scheduled a 3-day workshop in my home where we will have access to my computer and printers, my software and my studio. Topics included in this course are:

• basic photo editing
• printing from edit software and MS Word
• advanced editing and collage
• using printed photos to make books, fibre art and quilts

Anemones

 

Journal - Turning 50

Workshop dates: June 19, 20, 21, 9:30 am - 3:30 pm.

Class fee: $120 (printable fabric and ink cost is extra and will depend on how many sheets you print)
Maximum students: 5

For more information and to register please email me.

A complete supply list will be provided when you register and pay for the class. Hope you will join me for lots of fun and learning.

Printing on Fabric - Recommended Reading

When I first started printing on fabric there were very few references available. Now there are many books and online sources for information. 

A few books on my bookshelf that I use as references:

Blending Photos with Fabric 2 by Mary Ellen Kranz, The Electric Quilt Company.

Artisitic Photo Quilts by Charlott Ziebarth, C&T Publishing.

Secrets of Digital quilting - From Camera to Quilt by Lura Schwarz Smith and Kerby C. Smith, C&T Publishing

Quilted Memories by Lesley Riley, Stirling Publishing.

Fabric Memory Books by Lesley Riley, Lark Books.

Gloria Hansen has been using digital images in her quilts for a long time and in 2008 she published Digital Essentials - the quilt maker's must-have guide to images, files and more!

Gloria includes information about printing and scanning, about photography and how to edit your digital photographs, how to include your photos on your website and in presentations. It is an excellent sourcebook with real examples and step-by-step instructions for working with your photographs.

I have 2 copies of her book left in my Patchworks Studio store. I am offering you the opportunity to have this excellent reference in YOUR library for $25.00. Remember I only have 2 copies left so don't wait too long or you'll miss your chance to have one of the best books to help you print on fabric!

More Printing on Fabric

In my last post I mentioned that I had printed photographs on fabric many times before. I also promised more tips to help you get started.

Here are some of the questions I am most often asked (and the answers):

What type of printer do I need?
If you want to print directly onto fabric you need an inkjet printer. You probably already have one for printing documents. It does not have to be an expensive printer!  One of the ones I use was only $39.95. The cost is really in the cost of the ink. I always use the manufacturer's ink in my printers. I don't buy generic ink or re-fill ink cartridges. Doing this can void the warranty on your printer and I want the best prints I can get.

One thing to check is the type of ink it uses.

Dye-based inkjet ink is not waterfast, so the fabric you print on must be pre-treated before printing so the ink will not run as soon as water touches it.

Pigment-based inkjet ink is waterfast so you do not have to use pre-treated fabric. However, using a fabric with a pre-treatment can produce a better-looking image since the slight coating reduces the spread of the ink. The less the spread, the sharper the image.

My printers are Epson and they both use DURAbrite® ink - it is a pigment ink. I have used both pre-treated fabric and untreated fabric with excellent results.

How do I pre-treat my fabric?
The easiest way to use pre-treated fabric is to purchase it already treated. Several brands are available. I have had best success with The Electric Quilt Company's pretreated inkjet fabric sheets (and rolls, as you saw in my last post). There are other brands available that you may want to try too. This fabric is cotton and several types are availble:

Regular Cotton Inkjet Fabric - 200 thread count, 8 1/2" x 11" sheets, 6 sheets per package
Premium Cotton Lawn - 240 thread count, 8 1/2" x 11" sheets, 6 sheets per package
Premium Cotton Satin - 283 thread count, 8 1/2" x 11" sheets, 6 sheets per package

The fabric rolls are Regular Cotton Inkjet Fabric - 200 thread count, 8 1/2" x 120".

You can also buy silk and organza fabrics that are ready to print right out of the package. All these fabrics come attached to a backing sheet to make them stiff enough to feed through your printer.

The most common pre-treatment for fabrics is Bubble Jet Set. You need to soak your fabric in the solution, hang it to dry, cut it to size and attach it to a backing sheet. The backing sheet can be freezer paper or a full-sheet sticky label. You can see that it takes time to do these steps and it is easier to have pre-treated fabric when inspiration strikes!

How do I edit my pictures before I print?
Photo editing software is an extensive topic!  But you probably have some capability with the software that came with your camera. You would have installed it on your computer so you could transfer your digital pictures from the camera to the computer. Your computer may also have a photo-editing program. Basic tools will probably include the ability to crop the picture (draw a box around the part you want to keep and discard the rest), make the picture lighter or darker, fix red-eye for portraits.

I use Photoshop Elements to edit my pictures. Basic edits are very simple to do but the program also has extensive filters and options to combine photographs, recolour, resize and more.  I highly recommend this software if you want to do more with your photographs.

What can I do with my printed pictures?
This is where the options are many!  Here are a few examples showing how I have used my printed fabrics in quilts and fibre art.

Photos from my first Alaska Quilting Cruise, Attic Windows setting.
I teach Attic Windows Design at Quilt University.
I don't specifically teach printing on fabric but you create your own quilt design
for your particular fabrics and these could be a set of photographs

Collage quilt with photo of Paris.
One of a series of small quilts, photographs printed on pre-treated silk.

Brag Book - photos of children printed on Inkjet Fabric.
Collage pages using fabrics that would enhance the photographs.

Two-page spread showing collage pages with embellishments.

Prairie landscape using photograph of old buildings taken near Drumheller, Alberta.
Fabrics include commercial cottons and upholstery remnants.

Close-up of photograph portion of the quilt.
Stitching on the left side adds the 'missing' part of the building.
This blends the photograph into the other parts of the quilt.

Where do I get printable fabric?
I carry Electric Quilt's printable fabric in my Patchworks Studio store. And they are all ON SALE (25% off) for the month of April. Quanitities of some types are limited so place your order soon.

Coming next time, book references for more information about Printing on Fabric. Check back later in the week.