Jack did NOT know I was pointing a camera at him. This is from two days ago, when we had some warm temperatures and I put blankets out to air.
This is the commission that I just finished. I would not use variegated thread again in a project like this — I didn’t like it changing up on me when I didn’t expect it to. Also, even though this is a blanket, meant to be sat under on a couch, I would NOT have rinsed the photos once they were transferred to fabric — the red shirts bled! So, unlike most of the blankets I make, this one will have to be dry cleaned. Lastly, I should have added another band of color on the right side.
For the inkjet phototransfers, I used pre-treated and pre-backed sheets of cotton available commercially — I like ‘Printed Treasures’. They are pricey, but because it is so labor intensive to produce one’s own sheets, I consider them worth the cost.
I have gone the Bubble Jet Set route (which makes fabric more receptive to color), but by the time you’ve washed, dried and pressed the fabric, measured and cut it to just under 8.5 x 11″, then backed it with freezer paper, you’ve invested a LOT of time in something that has a very good chance of jamming in the printer. Once I learned that you could skip the chemical bath and simply back the fabric with freezer paper and print on it, I tried that, too. But again, the washing/pressing/cutting/backing and jamming are big headaches in my book.
So, while I wish the pretreated sheets were cheaper, I consider them worth it.
I’m pretty sure I ruined my printer trying to do my own. Not worth it. 🙂
Thank you so much for the advice on printing on cloth ~ I’ve been wanting to experiment with it, and it would be nice to avoid the pitfalls. Your commissioned quilt is such a wonderful way to archive family photos. What a lovely idea. And I love the colors you used, the greens and blues, that touch of black, antique yellow, and dusty pink! xo Kari
i have used printed treasures and bubble jet… i haven’t had anything run but then i don’t think i have ever had anything as red as your photo. is this the first time you have experienced this? have you had other colors run? and i wonder if the brand of the printer(ink) matters? would a product like retayne help? thanks for whatever you can answer, i know there are a lot of questions here.
nancy
That’s funny–I have a Jack too and yours looks as round as mine does. Mine’s a bulldog, but I think I detect a little snout on yours? Corgi? I agree–preparing those sheets is a pain!
wow that looks amazing!
i just love cloth outdoors. as for transfers, i just dropped that idea. i am back to trying to create image with just plain old fabric and i leave the photos on the paper…
Hi everybody, thanks for visiting, I have been running around some these last days and not sitting here AT ALL!
Nancy — I’ve never had colors run before, but in the past I have limited my post-transfer treatment to pressing the fabric (and not rinsing). I imagine a fixative WOULD help, but I am so lazy, that the more steps that get involved, the less I want to do the process…
Jack IS fat, Robin… funny you have a fat Jack too! I’ll have to go look at his pictures, though come to think of it, I remember him from awhile back — because he WAS so memorable!!
Jude, I may get to that place with transfers, of just leaving it to others — They were the least favorite part of that commissioned piece and I kept wishing that I could just make a ‘straight up’ log cabin!
We have a very windy garden so outdoor cloth doesn’t last long unless it heavy! I love the picture of the unabashed Jack.
I spray mounted my fabric to a piece of printer paper when I did a transfer. It makes everything sticky but it works.
as for the handwriting, welcome and I just took several pictures on macro of mine and cropped the different bits off. I adjusted the contrast on some and brightness.
Thanks for your support on you know what.