Deconstructed Screen Printing Day!

Three of us had a fun time today...well, I did!!  We prepared some screens for deconstructed screen printing.  It was cool this a.m. but the sun was out by lunch and we did get a few silk screens to dry!
The process is pretty simple...you spread thickened dye onto a silk screen which you have laid on top of different items for texture (e.g. bubble wrap, crinkled paper, stencils, etc.).

You can see some stencils which Beth used as texture for her screen.

Getting ready to prepare a screen.

Nancy spreading thicken dyes on her screen.

This gives you a better perspective and you can see the texture showing on the screen.  The screen has to be totally dry before we can transfer the design onto fabric.

My screen 

Screens drying in the Florida sun!

This was one of Nancy's screens and it really has lots of texture in it.  She did two and both are really cool.

This is Beth's screen.  Beth was able print with this screen but I didn't get a picture.  Her fabric turned out really cool!!!  I'll have her send me pics and share with you later this week.

And now it was time to transfer the print to fabric!

I'm adding thickened print paste to the top of my dried silk screen.  Next I scrapped the print paste from top to bottom several times to release the dye.  Fabric pre-treated with soda ash is under the screen (that's the white you see next to the screen).  It is pinned to a printing surface made of foam board, batting and heavy plastic.

Now I've lifted up the screen and reapplying more print paste releasing the dye on another area of the fabric.

I liked the print but decided to add some yellow dye to transfer.  

I'm quite happy with this piece!

Beth made a screen using a nylon stocking!!  Results to follow later this week!

Waste not, want not....transfer print on newspaper!

It really was a fun day and I'm looking forward to receiving pictures from the ladies so I can share with my readers.  I plan on printing with the screen I made today and hope to make another one tomorrow.  Sun will be out so the screen should dry quickly!