Last week the proteges in my mentoring group got together for an incredibly colorful & delicious dinner and thoughtful conversation, and someone mentioned the commitment we had all made by joining the group. I wondered to myself, "Have I really honored that commitment?"
Every morning I wake up about 6am so I can get in a couple hours work before the kids get up. I wondered...couldn't I spend that morning time on textile work? I am a morning person, after all. Why not commit to using my most vibrant energy on my emerging art?
I've also set a goal to experiment this summer, and to that end have made a list of techniques I want to try. One of them is stenciling on fabric (instead of freehand painting, which is what I usually do). When I paint with a brush, the paint itself needs to be somewhat thick in order to keep crisp lines. With stenciling, the paint can be a bit thinner. Sometimes I like to have the weight of the handpainted lines, but I'd like to have an option with better drape in my toolbox too.
I started by drawing a stencil, loosely based on a motif in the Designer's Guide to Japanese Patterns.
I made a copy to be sure the stencil could be repeated to create a balanced pattern.
I traced my design onto Friendly Felt, a stiffened felt made from recycled plastic bottles.
The felt was easy to cut through with an xacto knife; I trimmed a few rough edges with sharp scissors.
I sprayed the back of the stencil lightly with spray adhesive, then practiced stenciling on an old tshirt.
Earlier this morning I had cut my favorite fitted tank pattern from a black XL tshirt I found at Goodwill. I had originally planned to make the tank as a single layer with embellishment on only one panel...but the stenciling was so easy, I just might have to modify that plan.
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