New Year, New Technique? Wonky Star Screen for Hand-Printing!

melissa • January 19, 2018 • 3 Comments

Hand-printing and screening on fabric is raging these days. Whether you’re using linoleum blocks, wooden blocks,  stamps carved out of raw vegetables or even scrunched-up plastic bags, adding a custom printed visual layer to fabrics is totally on.

We wrote about the whole hand-printing trend back in 2015 and it’s grown exponentially since, spawning new techniques, new books and even new fabric lines that emulate hand-printed designs.

In that March-April 2015  issue, author/designer/artist Lynn Krawczyk of the Smudged Design Studio designed a project for us that included a custom Thermofax screen-printed image of the GenQ wonky star. She turned her fabric bits printed with wonky stars into colorful Pop Art coasters. Using her screen, we turned our printed bits into note cards. And a pillow. (And maybe there will be a tote soon.)

So, we know what you’re thinking: You can do these things and more, if you only had a screen.

Glad you asked. We have a limited supply of GenQ wonky star Thermofax screens!

Pair the screen ($8 plus s/h) with a trio of inks for an easy-but-fun gift. Or use it yourself to explore this trend.  Here’s how to get a screen: Go to the Purchase tab on our website and click on Fun Stuff. Or just go here. 

Meanwhile, here’s how we made our cards:

  1. Using the Thermofax screen, we printed stars on some ultra-coarse muslin lurking in our stash.
  2. Using lime green perle cotton, we added a big-stitch accent to the center. (Yeah, we were inspired by Lynn.)
  3. Then we trimmed away excess fabric.
  4.  Then we centered the printed piece on the front of a blank card and stitched it down using thread to match the perle cotton. The beginning/ending threads were pulled through to the back, knotted and trimmed. 

Voila! Mail-worthy style and texture. In this age of digital communication overload, we guarantee there’s someone in your life who will love getting “real” mail. Plus you will have tested out a new technique that might end up in your next sewn project. Win, win, win.

Quilt. Sew. Live. Breathe.

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3 Comments

  • Sue Laughton • 6 years ago
    COMMENT #1

    Just merely fabulous!

  • Mary Holmes • 6 years ago
    COMMENT #2

    You did it wonderfully!
    XYZ

  • Doing • 6 years ago
    COMMENT #3

    that looks so cool!

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