Printing on Pretreated Cotton, Side by Side comparison

I had purchased some Tailor Computer Printer Fabric at a craft store in Keene last year and that is what I printed my "Moonlit Yurt" painting on since the other inkjet cotton sheets I had ordered had not arrived yet. The print on the Tailor cotton came out really faint and a lot of the color was missing so I further embellished it with fabric pastels, paints and stitch. The paper was really flimsy and didn't want to feed through my EPSON R2400 (which prints with archival pigmented inks not regular inks). When the print came out of the printer is was smeared and it had hit the print head on the edges so there was black ink all over the edges.

Yesterday my EQ Printables Ink Jet Fabric (Cotton) Sheets arrived so I tested them and there was a huge difference in quality and color. Here are some photos showing the differance.

The Tailor sheets on the left were really flimsy and curled up. The ink smeared on the painting and the edges hit the printer heads leaving smeared black ink all over the edges. Both sheets were printed using my EPSON R2400 with archival pigmented inks. There color was very faded on the Tailor sheet.
The EQ Printables sheet was a totally different story. The color was rich, fully saturated and true to the original art. There were no smears at all and the sheet feed through the printer perfectly. The print remained flat and the edges did not curl all up.

 The Tailor sheet, on the left,  had to be taped down to get it uncurled enough to even photograph. The image smudged across the whole painting shown at the top of this photo.Also the edges were smeared with black ink, which made a total mess of everything it touched.

 No comparing the color the EQ Printables, pictured on the bottom, won hands down!

Another shot showing the smearing of the painting on the bottom and the black ink on the edges.

So for ease of printing, color saturation and color matching, high quality thick sheets that feed easily through the printer EQ Printables won. However after soaking and rinsing as directed ,when I went to quilt it it was still quite stiff and did not show the stitches as well as the softer Tailor cotton did. I am further experimenting with washing with Ivory liquid dish detergent (can be used as a substitute for Synthrapol). I scrubbed the fabric back sides together to soften it up and I now have it soaking in fabric softener. I will let you know if this helps soften it up to allow the quilting stitches to show up more. Also if it retains its rich color after all this abuse.

More Stitching on my "Moonlit Yurt" Experimental Art Quilt

I did some more stitching on my art quilt experiment "Moonlit Yurt" last night. I love the slowness of the stitching. I am such an impatient artist and my silk paintings feed that need for immediacy because in silk painting you must work very quickly while the dyes are still wet. The slowness of working up this image using different mediums and then stitching back into it is proving to be very calming to my hyperactive mind. I find it very restful and addictive.

 I experimented with different threads and found that the old silk thread I used broke with the slightest pull but the cotton thread could be pulled tightly with no problems. The metallic thread in the moon was very thin so I doubled it and I am not sure if I am happy with that affect. In some places I fell more into embroidery type stitching so in the grass area I tried to settle into more of a pattern of stitches.

 

I used two different types and colors of thread in the grass the light green was the old silk thread I had hanging around and the breakage gave me fits in spots.  

 

The photo below shows it as it is now. Not sure where to go from here, more stitching, or what type of backing/mounting to use? 

I ordered some books and DVD's that I hope will help me learn more about quilting stitches and materials used. I posted questions on Facebook on SDA, TAFA, SPIN but I did not get much of a response at all so it looks like I need to hit the books ;~)

 

Art Quilt Experimentation 1st Attempt

I have been really craving creating something with more texture and more experimental than my traditional paintings on silk. I have long admired art quilts but I am by no means a sewer myself so I never really thought of going that route. However lately the pull has been so strong I decided I want to experiment with some stitches on various pieces of art cloth. I will post some photos of my first experiment in process. It clearly shows me that I need some instruction on the stitching aspect as mine is incredibly sloppy but so far I love doing it.

Last night while Don and I watched a movie I stitched away on my little painting and I found it very relaxing. I did not have a plan in mind for the stitches and that showed up in my work so for the next phase on this piece I think I will try to be a little more consistent in my stitching.

The photo below is my image before I started stitching

In the photo below I have stitched the moon, tree and part of the border outline

Still working on it but clearly need to learn more about stitching. Really enjoying fooling around with it though.

House with Large Bright Artists Studio For Sale

This Charming Bungalow, in the award winning, artsy town of Brattleboro, has been extensively renovated and  is packed with surprises. There is a front screened porch, a back sun porch, a circular stone patio, and a deck complete with hot tub, all on a lushly landscaped, fenced lot that is walking distance to shopping and downtown! And if that's not enough there is a large bright artist's studio with a double sink and sliding glass door that leads to the back deck (and hot tub)! The house is close to the hospital and doctors offices so if your not an artist the studio would make a perfect space for a chiropractor or massage therapist etc. It would also make a great family room or in-law apartment.

The adorable carport with it's high pitched roof offers plenty of storage above and also has an attached shed at the back . There is even an extra parking space to the right of the house where we park our RV. 

We have created a website with lots more information about the house: http://www.brattleborohouse-studioforsale.com/

Color Sketch for Painting on Silk, John of God

Here is a color sketch I did on my iPad for another painting  on silk I want to do. I have been quite sick for the last 2 weeks but am leaving to see the healer John of God from Brazil in a few days so my hopes for healing are high.

New Sketches Betsy's Hens and December Morning

Have been struggling with the health thing for the last couple of weeks so I am spending a lot of time in bed or resting. I did one sketch on paper but the other one I did on my iPad while in bed. I am so grateful to have the iPad to use as a creative outlet when I am really struggling with the fatigue issues.

The painting with the chickens  is named after my High School friend Betsy. At our 30th high school reunion she asked me to do a painting with chickens in it, She has her own flock of laying hens and they are her beloved pets. So here it is Betsy! It will eventually become a painting on silk.

Commisioned House Portrait on Silk

Here are some photos of the commissioned house portrait I have been working on. It is such a beautiful house it was a joy to paint it.