Chapter 6. Surface decoration on fabric - monoprinting and solar printing. Reverse applique.

 Monoprinting seems to work really well to interpret the oak leaves and so I decided to work with this on fabric. I used acrylic paints with a fabric painting medium, the latter extends the drying time of the acrylics and offers a softer finish.

I used the same method as follows:

Monoprints on silk laid as a collage onto a calico backing, I've allowed the silk to fray when it overlaps for added texture and interest:

Detail:

Detail 2

Monoprints on calico over laid with monoprints on tissue paper:

Monoprints on calico and then flooded with silk paint:

Solar printing.

I used calico and silk both of which were washed to remove any dressing.

Early experiments [ not linked to this project]:

The fabric was painted with Setacolor paints and laid over surface which would take pins.

 Flowers pinned into place and then placed in a sunny spot for a couple of hours:

 

Until a negative image develops:

Now using oak leaves:

The result:

I have yet to stitch the above samples awaiting development.

Added information re solar printing taken from The Found Object by Cas Holmes. 

Below is a sample of reverse applique. I used a monoprinted piece of calico with some free machine embroidery as a bottom layer. I had a piece of silk painted with Setacolor paints which had not responded to sunlight which I used as atop layer, I monoprinted oak leaves onto this before stitching oak leaf shapes at random on the back. I then cut away these shapes on the right side and free machine stitched around the cutaway shapes

I finished by adding stitching to the monoprinted oak leaf shapes on the upper side. to produce some interesting textural effects.

My monoprinting tile after a long printing session, much too beautiful to wash away!