Organza Silk Screen tutorial

Before I start my tutorial, a couple of people have asked me lately where to get the Transfer Artist Paper (see blog post from 1/23/13) so I will put a link again here: LesleyRiley.com. One person's e-mail didn't work, hopefully they will find this:-) 

Ok...making a silk screen out of organza is really quite simple. (I got this idea from a Quilting Arts magazine, issue 53, Oct/Nov 2011) Explaining it, however, is a bit difficult, as the parts involved are transparent, and therefore hard to photograph...The first time I saw it, it took me a minute to get my head around it, but then it was so simple. It works best for small projects, as it doesn't involve adding a frame. All you need to make the screen is iron-on vinyl (I use Heat-n-Bond) and organza, it doesn't have to be silk organza.
First, cut out a square of the vinyl a couple of inches bigger than your design on all sides. The iron-on vinyl comes with a paper backing. Trace your design (more on choosing a design at the end) onto this paper, in the center of your square.  It does not have to be in reverse. Next, and this is REALLY important, as I found out when I skipped it the first time:-), take a Sharpie marker and scribble all over the VINYL side of your design, making sure you go beyond all edges. (see picture below) If you don't do this, your design will be unbelieveably invisible when you are done:-)

Next, use a utility knife or small scissors or razor blade to cut your design out of the vinyl. Unlike a regular stencil, it can have some unconnected parts, more on that later. When it is all cut out, peel the paper backing off, and lay it carefully (so it stays flat) onto a piece of organza, tacky side down. I start with a piece of organza a bit bigger than my vinyl. Trim the edges a bit so they are flush, and you are done! You could stabilize it with duct tape around the edges, but I don't find this necessary on small screens.

To use the screen: I use silk screen ink made for fabric, by Speedball, I get it at Michael's or order online. All you do is take the fabric you want to print on and lay it on a slightly padded surface. I use a cheap vinyl tablecloth folded a time or two, which also protects my work surface. Lay your screen vinyl side down on the fabric, and put a small bead of ink across the top, above your design. (I use a plastic spoon for this) Holding the screen firmly with one hand, use a credit card to drag the ink across your design. Carefully lift the screen off the fabric. Usually you can get several prints before you have to wash the screen. Check after each one to make sure no ink crept under an edge somewhere. If it did, you need to wash the screen before doing another print. To wash, just gently rub it under warm water. If any edges of vinyl peel up, let it dry completely and iron again. I have used mine lots of times without having to do this.

Choosing a design: When I first made the raven screen, it was a solid shape without the wing in the center. The larger expanse was giving me trouble with ink leaking under the edges, so I added the wing to try to fix that. It not only fixed it, but it is much nicer besides:-) If you have a separate shape like that, you can just iron it on separately after the main part is done. My raven feet are small, so I do those with stitching, but I probably could have put them on the screen too. When you design your screen, you just have to remember that whatever parts you remove from the vinyl, that is where the ink will go. You can make either positive or negative prints, depending on what you cut out and what you leave. You can do a couple of samples with simple shapes to experiment.

Tune in next time for how to do a print with more than one color:-)

Feel free to ask if you have any questions!

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