New stencils, fresh off my design board, are inspiring new ways to play and create.
The beauty of a collection is that there are so many creative directions to play with Uganda, Warrior Women and the Kenya Stencils together offer a lot new design possibilities. In my own printing, sometimes one stencil is the focus..and images on another stencil provide the perfect companion shapes. The photo below shows the whole collection. Printing with each stencil opens new possibilities and ways to combine the 3 sets of images in the Africa Collection.
2 Ways to think about your stencil collection:
The Images are one way…and the way you combine them on fabric is another….endless options really. The combinations I am starting with here are the first layer of design thinking and play. Layering your printed surface with stitching and sewing techniques, threads and other details will always take your printing to another level and make it more personal.
Working on commercially printed or striped fabrics adds another layer of appeal. Above, Women Warrior Stencil in knits and dark fabrics give an entirely different feel to your project than the printing on the stripe. The Uganda Stencil was added to the hand-painted fabric by Miles Frode below. I worked it in white and grey fabric paints to soften the original shapes and LOVE the effect! The periwinkle linen below was stenciled with the Uganda Stencil with a mixture of silver and grey paint- the shapes remind me of a school of fish wiggling up the fabric panel. If you are a garment maker, notice how draping pieces on a dressform gives scale and design placement on the body. Remember open space is an important part of your design.
After printing the border on this white linen piece below, I know it will make a beautiful summer shirt!
I love creating designs to support your creative process! Take a look at the stencils in action in these short videos. We're looking forward to seeing what you design with the Africa Collection!
Enjoy, Diane
1 comment
Love the ‘border’ design. A great start to any garment.