
Painting and printing on fabric opens up a world of decorative possibilities. You can use special fabric paints to paint free-hand, transfer designs with crayons and inks, or try batik work. Printing with blocks and stencils are particularly easy ways to decorate fabric – the effects are almost magical. Any of these techniques can be used alone or in combination to decorate a variety of soft furnishings, including curtains, cushions, wall hangings, and bed and table linen.
As an introduction to painting fabric, why not try out your design first on paper with ordinary paints. Before you start to paint the fabric, stretch it tightly over a padded surface using low-tack masking tape (you should always do this when painting or printing on fabric), then transfer the basic outlines onto the fabric. A soft-leaded pencil – but not too soft – is ideal for this, and will wash out in the first wash. Now start painting!
If you are nervous about copying a very detailed pattern or creating one of your own in free-hand, transfer crayons and inks are a good alternative. They give you considerable control and are very easy to use. Draw or trace your design onto paper, then color it in with the transfer crayons or inks. As soon as the colors are dry, place the paper with the colored side down on the fabric and press with a medium-hot iron. Test out the colors on a scrap of the main fabric you are using first – they look positively dull on paper but turn into brilliant hues once they have been exposed to heat.
Batik
The Javanese are the acknowledged masters of batik. This form of decorating fabric involves the process of resist dyeing, in which the design is first drawn in melted wax, applied to the fabric writh a brush or a tool known as a batik needle (this consists of a handle to which is attached a small metal cup finishing in a slender spout). The prepared fabric is then immersed in a cold dyebath: the wax resists the dye and the pattern is formed. The fabric may be waxed and dyed a number of times, building up layers of color in ever more complex designs. The decoration will not reveal its full glory until after the final dyeing, when all the wax has been removed.




