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Off the Shelf Fabric Painting 30
Simple Recipes for Gourmet Results by Sue
Beevers Be sure to check out the C&T web site for up-to-date corrections and additions. C&T also maintains a registry of teachers, have contests and additional information on their website. Sue Beevers has written a visually engaging and informative text covering all aspects of fabric painting. The color photographs of examples of each technique and of her finished quilts are gorgeous. The opening pages are an introduction to Sue’s favorite paints for fabric; Golden Fluid Acrylic, Pebeo Setacolor Textile Paint and PROfab Textile Paint and Color Concentrates. A discussion follows of paint properties, preserving the color and color theory Setting up a work area is covered, as well as types of fabrics, painting surfaces, equipment and pre laundering and drying techniques. The introduction out of the way, the author presents four sections of painting techniques. Beginning with Simple Free-Form Techniques, the reader is encouraged to “play” and to get to know how the different brushes, fabrics and paints act. Simple exercises are illustrated, such as flecking, splashing, crumpling and folding, dribbling, sprinkles and splashes. Experimenting with different ways of producing lines, as well as brush wiping and wipe out are included. This section includes six specific recipes. Warmed up, we move on to the section on Background Textures. Here we learn the many ways to create background textures such as stamping, using second generation fabrics, color gradation, color dribbling, salting and sun painting, using six additional recipes. Print Techniques, the next section, has ten more recipes for exploring texture. These techniques include stamping with sponges and brushes, wrinkling, using rollers, fingerprints, stencils, masking, mono-printing and various combinations of the above. Her exercises using plexiglass for printing make the whole process seem quite simple. I found the last section on Resist Techniques to be particularly interesting. She begins with exercises using vegetal resists such as; cornstarch, rice paste and various flours. The instructions for applying, working with and removing the resists are thorough. Three exercises are included using water-based gutta and a stretcher frame. The final exercise illustrates how to create resist, or uncolored areas, by twisting, folding, binding, and stitching the fabric. Once again, these techniques can be used in combination with others like stenciling. Sue concludes with a very useful paint comparison chart and a troubleshooting guide. I have done nearly all of the techniques in her book, yet it makes me want to cover a table and work my way through the recipes. I find the presentation to be exciting. The author also makes painting fabric accessible to everyone. The projects look like fun, the directions are clear and simple and the photos inspiring. Sue’s book is a great book on fabric painting, especially for the beginner. It would be perfect for a class or for an informal study group. Review by Diana Norris |
