Mock Screen Print Tops

Blue Angels inspired Top

I am really excited to share a few of my newest discoveries.  I recently whipped up another pair of pajamas for Mr. C. The discoveries that I made were used in the image making aspect of the shirt.  By looking at the tops you might think-Freezer Paper Stencil, but no.  This is a Mock Silk Screen stencil that I used following a tutorial from Wowzzy.  I found a video tutorial a month or so ago and finally got around to trying it out.    It is basically a hybrid between silkscreening and stenciling.  The thing about the technique is that you can reuse the stencil.  How great is that?  The day after I worked out my stencil I noticed that Char from Crap I've Made posted about the same technique.  There are a few different resources available if you are wanting to try this technique out for yourself.  Basically how it works is this.

1-Select an image that you want to transfer to your fabric.
2-Stretch a piece of sheer drapery fabric in an embroidery hoop (I picked up a half yard at Wal-Mart for around a dollar).
3-Transfer your image to your screen.
4-Use Mod Podge to block out the negative space (space surrounding your image)
5-Lay your shirt or fabric out flat, with a board or paper beneath it.
6-Use fabric paint to fill in the image.
7-Wash out screen (so that it can be reused).
8-Heat set paint according to instructions on paint.

Those are the basics of the process, for details you will want to visit the original tutorials (since this isn't MY technique I'm not going to try to claim it or make it mine by creating my own tutorial.

Aside from the technique itself, my second favorite new find is Ottobre.  It is a Finish website that has a number of different resources including some free patterns and images for appliques or embroidery.  I loved their airplane and the pedal car.  You can print off the images and use them for your personal use.  Aren't they great?  They also have a pattern for a Hobby Fox that I am planning on making for my son's birthday.

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Something else that I tried out on this process was this fabric painting medium.  I wanted to use a number of different colors in the prints (without having to buy a huge selection of fabric paint).  I found this medium at Michael's in the craft paint section. 

I will admit that I was quite disappointed with how the image actually transferred, but I think I know why the process went the way it did.  Instead of using a craft grade acrylic paint I used my artist grade acrylic.  My paint is significantly thicker than the craft grade acrylic paint and I was too afraid to thin it out before adding the textile medium. When I try this again I will be thinning out my paint.

I am also eager to try this technique using ink.  In the tutorial from Strings and Things she used ink rather than fabric paint.

I ended up stitching around the pedal car in an effort to clean up the edges. The tops are made using Dana's 90 minute shirt tutorial and the shorts are of my own design.  The knit fabrics are close to thirty years old.  I decided to take it off of my mom's hands and do some premature September Stashbusting.

This is how Clark likes to model...I don't know why he wants to show his belly.

I think that he loves his new pajamas......

...and I know that I love him.

Thanks for stopping by, and let me know what you think. Don't forget to check out the great places that I'm partying today, and head on over to The T-shirt Diaries to sign yourself up for the September Stashbusting challenge.