Printing on Fabric With Natural Materials

Class Preview

In this class from our partners at Peak Media, collaborate with Mother Nature to create unique fabrics. You’ll learn an assortment of direct and indirect printing techniques to incorporate natural materials in your original fabric designs. Then see how you can use your creations to make quilts, pillows, table runners, and more.

Sun Printing Overview

Jane kicks things off with an explanation of sun printing and the materials you’ll need.

Sun Printing With Masks

Print with the sun by blocking its rays from hitting some parts of the fabric.

Sun Printing Compression

By manipulating the fabric to compress some portions of it, you’ll change the drying time and hence the depth of color in different sections.

Sun Printing With Salt Effects

Simple table salt will draw pigment away from the fabric as it dries to create unique patterns.

Sun Printing Troubleshooting

When your printed fabric doesn’t look as you expected, review Jane’s suggestions for what to try differently.

Sun Printing Finished Projects

Jane suggests some projects to sew with your dyed fabric, and how to care for it.

Direct Printing With Leaves: Overview

Here’s a great excuse to go out for a walk and find leaves for printing! Jane explains the process.

Preparing the Leaves

Flatten and dry your leaves to prepare them for printing.

Leaves Variation

Try different colors and combinations for unique designs!

Troubleshooting

When you run into trouble, try Jane’s tips for better results.

Leaves Finished Projects

Jane shares inspiration for more leaf-printing projects and tips on how to care for your printed fabric.

Direct Printing With Produce: Overview

Learn how to print beautiful designs using fruits and vegetables. Jane explains how it works and goes over the supplies you’ll need.

Sturdy Fruits & Vegetables

Pears, apples, corn and even artichokes make for interesting prints and are easier to work with.

Delicate or Juicy Fruits

Bananas, cucumber, tomatoes and lemons are all fair game for printing, but require some more careful handling.

Variations

Print yardage, use different colors and combine fruits for some fun variations.

Troubleshooting & Finished Projects

Jane shares tips and trips for fixing prints that didn’t turn out as you expected.

Direct Printing With Fish (Gyotaku): Overview

Traditionally, Japanese fishermen would make prints of the fish they caught as a method of record-keeping. Fish printing has evolved into an art form, but you don’t need a real fish to do it; you can buy a silicone fish! Jane shows how it works.

Printing Fish

Begin by printing a fish with one color.

Variations

Try two-tone printing, using metallic ink or printing schools of fish. The possibilities are endless.

The Fish Eye

The eye of the fish is never printed, traditionally, but hand-painted. Jane shows you how it’s done.

Adding Detail

Embellish your fish print and give it more personality with wax pastels.

Troubleshooting

Things can go wrong with printing, but Jane has some tips for recovering from your mistakes.

Finished Projects

Art quilts, album covers and more will look terrific with your fish prints. Janes shares examples.

Indirect Printing 3D Natural Objects: Overview

Print with objects that would be difficult to reproduce directly (or ones you don’t want to get ink on!) by trying some of the indirect methods. See how it works.

Printing & Rubbing

See how to get detailed prints from objects such as leaves and shells through rubbings.

Printing With a Gelatin Plate

A convenient and attractive indirect printing method employs a synthetic gelatin plate. Jane demonstrates now to do it.

Troubleshooting & Finished Projects

Jane explains how to get better prints when things don’t go right, and shares some ways to use your printed fabric.

UV Reactive Dye Printing: Overview

Play with sunlight and special light-reactive dyes to get gorgeous effects in your printing. Jane walks you through the process.

Heliographic Printing With Masks

Covering up UV-dyed fabric with a variety of objects leads to some fun effects.

Heliographic Printing With Photo Negatives

Choose a photo with good contrast and turn it into a fabric print! Jane shows you how.

Troubleshooting & Finished Projects

Learn how to improve your process and get more inspiration.