May: Inspired by Monet

Brush Painting in the Studio today-

Lumiere, Neopaque and Textile Colors on Sale

Buy a minimum of 5 get 15% off (for the rest of May)

Printing with Stencils & Spring Colors-

Adding Stenciled images is a favorite way to update garments! This linen dress had machine embroidered flowers and stems around the hem...but it was pretty sparse.As you can see from the close-up, I mixed several of the colors to get more muted colors, and added some older favorites colors too. Printing images, some over and some under the original embroidery is a favorite trick for integrating the design elements. The leaf stencils used were Fall Leaves, Spring Leaves and Eucalyptus. They are all in The Foliage Collection, (15% off for the rest of the month) and are available individually too. Once I finished the stenciling, small rubber stamp designs was added as accents with the stencils up the front. A collection of unique buttons  gives the perfect finish to the newly renovated  piece!

This linen top was easily updated with the Crickets and Leaves Stencil in the new colors: The concrete, bright green & army green. I do love the cement color...it is a beautiful medium grey. The poka dots were added at the end with the jumbo and medium size Tee Juice Pens. A printed knit was added as a facing on the sleeve ends.

The Backyard Garden Stencil Collection-

The Backyard Garden Collection includes 3 of our favorite mini-stencils: Garden Vines, Borders and Cactus Floral. Here are some of the ways those 3 designs are infusing my spring printing. Look how this single sprig of leaves (Borders Stencil) can look so different depending on the overall design of your printing....in a row on the white linen, and playfully draped in the asymmetrical layout with the sweet peas (Garden Vines Stencil) on the misty green linen.

The Border Stencil, used below, creates 2 unique looks: The first one, on a striped raw silk, the stripes have been masked off with tape before printing to create perfect edges while printing inside the stripes. The sheer, vintage silk on the right, has a very subtle printing with soft muted colors and lighter amounts of paint using the same stencil.

 The Cactus Floral Stencil is one I reach for regularly.....the shapes often lend themselves to everything from soft backgrounds to borders as well as bold flowering designs. Here are some of my variations, very Southwest feeling on the sandy textured fabric as black backgrounds. The printed piece on the bottom left was made into a pocket front then stitched to the black to create a pocket detail now ready to install...it illustrated how even printing partial images can change the look of your work. 

The closeup below, shows an easy technique to really take advantage of all the elements in a stencil design. Notice the small cut-outs in the center of the flower, have been repeated on the background fabric in red.

Designing with Painted Fabrics-

Where to now? Here are some of the ways I go forward with printed or painted fabrics. First, are you going to combine it with other fabrics? if so, notice how either printed piece can move towards to 'cool or warm' spectrum just by combining it with other fabrics.

 Second, Sheers offer other options: layering with other prints or stripes, even solid colors let us take the printed design in multiple other directions! So fun!!!

 Just like the stenciling added to the embroidered garment, personal details such as beads, stitching or adding more collage on top will give your work a more signature look....so have fun with this.

This piece is crying for embroidery...so off I go to fetch a needle!  Enjoy, Diane