January Technique Challenge

I thought we could have a play with monoprinting this month

You need

• a glass or plastic tile or similar, you can use a quilting ruler, but make sure you use the smooth side
• Fabric paint or acyrilic paint (if you don't intend to wash the fabric in future)
• Paintbrush and a hard roller, or you could use a bottle or another cyclindrical object
• a few pieces of plainish light fabric the same size as your tile
• a packet of paper doilies, or some cut paper shapes

First paint a good thick coat of paint on your tile, I used a glass tablemat

Then fairly carefully add your cut up paper doilies or cut up paper shapes

Carefully place your fabric right side down on top of the tile, paint and paper

Your fabric is going to take a lot of paint, so choose a fabric that looks good with your paint colour

Rub over the fabric, quite hard, to transfer the paint to the fabric

Then carefully peel off your fabric and leave to dry. Set it with an iron if you used fabric paint

I had a second go with some turquoise and gold paint

And here's my doilified fabric. I think this may be useful for ATC and postcard backgrounds, but you could use it for anything.

It's a fun thing to do, and not too messy, and pretty cheap, so have a go!

Ooh, I like that Katy, must have a go, but do I have any suitable paints here??

P.S. Am sitting here leaning against that boutis cushion I made from one of your ideas last year and thinking how much I like it.

Aw, brilliant Sylvia, I was hoping you would like it, I did think of you and Di, no-one else seems very keen! It is good fun, and any paint will do if you're not going to wash it. We had a speaker at my quilt group last year who made art quilts, and had given up on fabric paint, as she knew none of her work would ever be washed anyway. She used everything from poster paint to emulsion, which I thought was fantastic.

I think plastic doilies would be good too, and resuable, really anything with an interesting 2D shape will work, as it just creates a resist for the paint. My paper doilies were £2 for 30, and I have plenty, so if anyone wants a couple, I'll send some out.

I love this idea too. May have a go too.

M xxx

I have lots of paper doilies (they were here in the house when we bought it) so must find some paintof some kind. Am sure your tutor was right, for small art quilt pieces it really doesn't matter.