volume 2, edition 3

SUMMER 1997

CONTENTS

Message

I didn't realize that my 'message' was one of the most read sections in my newsletter. I had so many people ask me about my trip out West these past couple of months. I have travelled to a few more places lately and as you will see on the "Products Page" some great new items have been found (just in time for Christmas). I really appreciate your friendly inquiries and it shows that this newsletter is still an effective way of connecting our customers with us.

I am hoping that everyone will have a good holiday season and remember to play safe.

'till next year

Dixon

ATTENTION ALL TEACHERS AND ANYONE ELSE WHO WANTS SOME FUN!

by: Loren Clough

School's back! All those happy, expectant faces are beaming up at you. You are all ready and raring to go! Okay, okay that takes care of the first week ..just kidding! Actually, Dixon has been harboring a great product that not only will add some more excitement to your well planned year but at a very low cost (This time, I am not kidding).

'G&S' pigments and base, are not only easily adaptable to the classroom setting but also very cost efficient. In this article I will describe two methods of using these products; silk screening and a pseudo-batik-like process. By using G&S products, both methods cost about one third of the price of the other leading manufacturers.

Screen Printing Method

Invite students to bring a T-shirt, pillow case, boxer shorts or anything with a high natural fiber content from home to print on. Provide a large piece of fabric to print a class mural that will remain in the classroom.

Materials & Equipment

• G&S Pigments Screens
• G&S Base
• Squeegee
• G&S Antibleed
• Scissors
• G&S Resfix
• X-Acto knives
• Tracing Paper
• Newsprint
• Plastic Cups
• Spoons

Set Up

Procedure

On sketch paper or newsprint the size of the printing area of your screen, have the students draw out their design. From this 'master' drawing, trace and cut out positive or negative stencil from the tracing paper. Lay stencil on printing surface. On top of that lay screen and ink. Have students pick a 'muscleman' partner to hold down the screen as the other one pushes the squeegee and a generous amount of ink across the silk screen surface. Push squeegee at a 45 degree angle across screen, lift slightly to gather any remaining ink; push across screen again; repeat at least five times. Remind students to leave squeegee in screen bed until clean up. Once student's garment has been printed, print image on class mural. Fun, isn't it!

Pseudo-Batik-Like Project

This method involves painting G&S pigments onto fabric that has been treated with a resist. For elementary students I suggest a large flat area such as a pillowcase or a piece of fabric. Intermediate and senior students may like to try a T-shirt.

Materials

• G&S Pigments
• Black Felt Pen
• G & S Base
• Wax (Bees, or Paraffin)
• G& S Resfix
• Crock pot
• Pencils
• Aluminum foil bowls
• Sketch Paper (Cartridge)
• old paint brushes
• Plastic cups
• optional: wax-holders, found tools

Set Up

Through experience, I prefer to use a Crock-pot to melt the wax. Set it up about an hour before you wish to use it. (Now, just to figure out what to do with all those Fondue Sets!) Students may use aluminum foil bowls to transfer the wax to their working area.

Preparing Paint:

Water + Base + Resfix + Pigment

250mL 30mL 2mL

Procedure

Sketch design. Plan colours. Trace design with black marker or very dark coloured pencil so that it can be seen through the fabric. Place fabric over design. Paint the areas you wish to remain fabric colour with wax. Paint other areas with G&S Pigment Paint Solution. Repeat procedure. Layer wax and paint. Dry piece. Scrap off some wax. Place painted fabric between sheets of newsprint and iron out excess wax resist. Optional: procedure, wash and iron.

 

I have introduced these methods to students from the age of six to sixty-six at workshops in schools, libraries, businesses and my own studio, Hand Prints Art Studio, in Oakville. We have not failed to have a great time yet and just as a bonus, the projects always seem to work out. If you have any questions or suggestions or wish to book a workshop, please do not hesitate to call me.

Thanks,

Loren Clough

Mississauga, Ontario

RESISTS, GUTTAS, WAXES

In silk painting, a resist or gutta is applied to the fabric to form an enclosed boundary to contain the spread of the colours. The resist lines outline the design and separate the colours, creating a stained glass effect. Resists are usually applied through special applicators to make fine lines but resists also may be applied by painting, splattering, or screening.

Wax is applied to the fabric in a hot liquid state using brushes or tjanting. Wax is the basis of design structure in batik and Japanese wax resist, but it may be used for many other effects. Each type of wax has different characteristics of penetration, adherence and crackle. Waxes are usually mixed to achieve desired results. Bees wax is a very tacky wax that adheres well to different fabrics. It doesn't crack much. Paraffin wax is a much softer wax that cracks quite easily. Most batik artists will blend the two waxes in varying ratios depending on the amount of crackling.

Resist & Gutta Comparisons

G&S Waterbased Resist

A white creamy liquid that produces a strong resist line. G&S Resist is economical, and easily washes out in warm water thus avoiding dry cleaning to remove. You can also add colour to tint or screen print for perfect outlines. Sold in 120mL to 1.0L size. Used for direct application only.

Cons: Nine months shelf life; Not good for iron-on paints; can take a bit longer to dry than the other two guttas.

Pebeo Waterbased Gutta

Twelve colours in pearls, clear and black. Sold in 20mL tubes except clear is available in 250mL size also. Used for direct application only. Heat resistant, making it ideal for iron-on paints (Liquid Colours). Waterbased gutta can be applied directly from tube. Residue can be removed when washed in warm water.

Cons: Application from the tube doesn't provide a very fine line. Line is weaker than G&S Resist and solvent gutta, causing breakthrough if not applied well.

Pebeo Gutta

Solvent gutta is available in clear, gold, silver and black. Sizes vary from 120mL to 1.0L. Used for direct application only. Very smooth consistency; quick drying; does not clog applicators easily.

Cons: Solvent fumes can cause headaches; inflammable; most expensive of the three; messy cleanups and has to be dry cleaned to remove.

MONTHLY SALES

Every year at this time, I'm always in a giving mood. So all orders over $50 'till December 31, will receive a free pack of open face cards. Besides the free gift, there are monthly sales to help you save a bit more.

October: 15% off Liquid Colours, 100mL and 250mL sizes only.

November: 20% off all open face cards.

December: 15% off all in stock books.

PRODUCTS PAGE

Silk Rayon Velvet: $24.00/yd

After searching for years, we have finally found a great silk velvet in black and white. This newest arrival is richer and more luxurious than our previous stocks. The velvet is perfect for dyeing, printing or trying the newest burnout techniques using "Fabric Etch" (see next item). Both colours are 45" wide and come on 30 yard bolts ($20.00/yd by the bolt).

Fibre Etch

A unique chemical that is used with our silk velvet for "Devore". Featured in Threads Magazine and other publications, this amazing liquid is applied to the back of the silk velvet. When you iron the fabric, the chemical will weaken the pile. Subsequently, when you wash the garment the pile will wash away leaving a negative image. Fibre Etch can be applied by brush or screen print. Available late October. Please call for pricing.

Discharge Paste

A safe colour remover for dyed natural fabrics. Apply by brush, block printing or screen printing. Afterwards, iron and wash item and the colour will be reduced in the area you applied the paste. This is used similar to the Fibre Etch, but instead of removing the pile it removes the colour. Available in 250mL & 1.0L jars.

250 mL	$ 9.95
1.0 L	$29.95

More Pebeo Soie Colours: $9.95 - $56.00

Due to the initial demand, we have now added another 6 colours (we have 13 colours in total now) that are available in stock. The new colours are Buttercup, Amaranth (purple), Turquoise, Sea Blue, Moss Green and Hazel. Remember that you can purchase any of the 80 colours but you get 50% more (120mL vs. 80mL) when you purchase in-stock colours.

 

 

White Opaque Base: $8.00 - $200

This white coloured base is used for printing or painting onto dark coloured fabrics. Used primarily as white but you can add G&S Pigments to create a full spectrum of colours. Available in 250mL - 5 gallons sizes.

Cutting Board: $13.95

A self healing cutting board, with a roller blade. Perfect for those quilters out there and for general paper and fabric crafts.

G&S Soap TNA: $1.75 - $8.50

Please note that G&S Lissapol ND Soap has now been reformulated to be better and stronger. The product will now be known as G&S Soap TNA. Available in 60mL - 1.0L sizes.

Electric Tjanting Tool - $65.00

An electrically heated hand held tjanting designed to produce fine lines of melted wax. Increases productivity by constantly having the wax heated for faster application.

The AirPen - $145.00/each (6 cartridges)

This is an innovative craft tool which draws fine lines with a variety of think mediums, such as fabric paints, ceramic glazes and silk painting resists.

A clear cartridge is filled with the desired medium and is screwed into the black pen body. When the compressor (included with the pen) is plugged in, a finger placed over a hole on the pen activates the flow. When the finger is taken away, the flow stops instantly and a suction is created to hold the contents in the pen.

Originally developed to make many crafts accessible for arthritis and carpal tunnel syndrome sufferers, the airPen has become a necessary tool for every studio. Not only are continuous lines possible, but start and stop blobs are eliminated, resulting in a consistent line made without squeezing an applicator bottle.

NEW BOOKS

Hand-Dyed Fabric Made Easy by Adrienne Buffington Explore the possibilities of fibre-reactive dyes, produce coordinating colour families and create fascinating surface textures. There's no mess and no fuss because everything is mixed in plastic bags! Step-by-step guidelines, colour suggestions and other helpful tips are included. $20.50			Complex Cloth by Jane Dunnewold Learn to create visual complexity and depth in fabric. Experiment with dyes, bleach, fabric paints, water-based resists, photocopy transfers, foiling, silk screening, stenciling, stamping, embroidery and beading to create your own sumptuous fabrics. Complex Cloth is a great resource for a wealth of surface design techniques. $54.95
Dye Painting! by Ann Johnston Quilt and garment maker Ann Johnston presents a simple method for painting with dyes, one which requires no expensive equipment, dangerous chemicals, or specialized studio space. Over 90 colour photos illustrate the beautiful results of this method. $30.50			Paint and Patches by Vicki L. Johnson Using nontoxic paints, Johnson creates beautiful quilts that are part of public and private collections around the world. Enjoy learning about this aspect of fabric and colour selection to make your own extraordinary creation. $28.50

STEAMING SERVICES

Early adopters of our G&S Liquid colours have discovered a great product that whisks away all the worries and frustration of steaming. For the the rest of us who have demanded the best colours, that has meant sticking with dyes and steam setting your colours (as opposed to ironing for the Liquid Colours). To ease the inconvenience, G&S has a convenient steaming service for those who don't wish do it themselves.

Scarves

up to 31" square or 11"x60"	$1.20/pc
> 31" square or 11"x60"	$1.50/pc

Yardage

up to 36" wide fabric	$1.50/yd
36" - 67" wide *	$2.00/yd

Small Pieces

area smaller than a 15 square inches

$0.80/pc

Cotton Items

extra or each piece or yard

$1.00/pc

Rush Job

two business day turn-around

starting at $35.00

Notes:

• We reserve the right to steam items purchased from our stores only.
• In case of damage, we keep damaged originals and replace with equal quality materials only.

* We have to fold the fabric

TRAVELLING WORKHSOPS

We recently had a very good response for one of our recent travelling workshop. It was sent to us by Hanna Olszewski of the Rideau Lakes Artists Association. Here's what she wrote:

"On behalf of Rideau Lakes Artists' Association I want to thank Dixon for a very interesting and successful demonstration by him on marbling. Dixon came all the way to Westport, near Kingston and inspired 17 artists with new creative ideas. With his guidance, each one of us did a piece of marbled work, a first of many to come. We enjoyed his workshop very much and it sparked new creative enthusiasm in us."

Hanna Olszewski

President RLAA

 

 

 

WORKSHOPS

 

After a good break this summer, it is nice to be able to focus on learning some great new skills. We have added quite a bit to our regular silk painting, marbling and screen printing workshops to greatly improve the learning experience. Besides our regular workshops, we have also added two great dyeing workshops.

Basic Silk Painting - $35.00

Nov 22, Jan 17, March 14

 

Advanced Silk Painting - $60.00

with Rita Campagnaro

Jan & April - please call for exact dates

 

Dyeing Fabrics For Quilters - 2 Days - $100.00

with Betty Conlin

January 24 & 25

 

Marbling on Fabrics - $45.00

Dec 6, Feb 21

 

Screen Printing- 2 Days - $120.00

February 14 & 15

 

Batik Dyeing - 2 Days - $100.00

early 1998 - please call for exact dates

 

 

All workshops are one day unless noted otherwise. To register or to receive more information, please drop us a line and we shall be glad to send it to you by email, mail or fax.