Paint and Fabric


One of the things on my project “To Do/Try List” for this summer was to experiment with paint and fabric.  Well, let me tell you, I loved this project and how the painted fabric turned out!
 I have tested paint and fabric before and blogged about it here but that was with microsuede and latex.  This time however, I wanted to use a chalk type paint.  I decided to use some beautiful sample pots I had picked up from Country Chic Paint.  I loved the vibrant and summery colours of these little jars of chalk paint so thought they would be the perfect paint to use for this project.I wanted to use each of the colours in a unique way to test out how they worked at dying fabric so I chose 3 unique pieces to create.
 I had picked up about a thousand yards of muslin in the spring (the woman gave it to me at 90% off!!!! so how could I pass it up??) and decided to use some of it for all 3 pieces to keep the fabric consistent.  Here was the outcome…
Project #1…
For the first project, I used the green Country Chic paint, called Rustic Charm, to dye some strips of muslin that I would wrap around a frame.
I watered down the paint quite a bit for this project because I wanted the paint to act as a dye for the muslin.  I used about 2 spoonfuls of paint to about 2 cups of water and mixed it all up.
 I stuffed the strips of muslin into the jar of green paint water and swished them around for a minute or two until they looked dyed.  I then squeezed the water out of them and layer them out to dry overnight. This mixture of paint and water was the perfect consistency to retain the beautiful green colour and dye the fabric a consistent colour.  (I would definitely recommend this consistency when you want to dye an entire piece of fabric the same colour)To cover the frame, I wrapped the dyed pieces around it and then tucked the last piece into the first. I absolutely loved the texture that it gave to the piece.  For the picture inside the frame, I used the purple and pink paints, straight up, and a stencil to paint some little flowers and a butterfly onto a piece of burlap.  The paints worked beautifully on the burlap and there was no bleeding at all.
Project #2…
For project number two, a bolster pillow, I chose to use the pink Country Chic paint called Cherry Blossom.  I used the same consistency of paint to water that I used for the first project (2 spoonfuls of paint to 2 cups of water) only found that for this project, it was a little too watery.  Whereas for dying a piece of fabric this mix was perfect, for doing detailed work, it bled a little (there is a shot further down) because it was a little too watery.  The next time I do this, I would mix 2 spoonfuls of paint to 1/2 – 1 cup of water and it would be a much better consistency. I painted the mixture on with a paintbrush for this project because I wanted more control over the design. I gave the fabric a section of pink paint, some scalloped edges and polka dots.
 (The dark spots you are seeing in the photo above are from the cloth I used below to fabric to paint on.  Because the fabric was still wet in the photo, you could see the pattern from below through the muslin)The polka dots were done by placing a canning lid onto the fabric, thick rim down, and then I brushed paint onto the fabric that was inside of the ring to make the dot.This shot shows some of the bleed through.  I would have liked a crisper and more defined edge so a thicker consistency would have done the trick. After letting the paint dry, I cut a piece of batting to go on the inside of pillow.  I sewed up the edge on each end so that it wasn’t raw and then sewed the long sides together to form the tube.  Once sewed, I turned it right side out and slipped the batting into the middle and then stuffed it with pillow stuffing.  I used the layer of batting so that it would have a smooth finish as pillow stuffing can sometimes look lumpy.Once the pillow was filled, I used two of the left over green strips to tie off the ends to create the bolster.
Project #3…
The third project turned out to be my favourite!  I used the purple Country Chic paint, called Perfection, and I adore the colour!
 I made another pillow but made a square one this time and did the sewing before the painting.  I cut two pieces of muslin and sewed them together and after turning them right side out, I sewed another line about an inch and a half away from the edge to create a border around the exterior.  I wanted a defined border on this pillow that I could paint with a thicker paint and a smaller paint brush.For this pillow, I watered down the paint again, but only a bit.  I used 2 spoonfuls of paint but only a trickle of water this time and the consistency was perfect for the detail work that I wanted to do.  There was no bleed through at all.To create the pattern in the middle of the pillow, I used a canning jar lid again but used the larger, thinner side.  I dipped it in the same paint that I used for the border and stamped the circles all over the muslin.To add even more character, I added a few of the stencil flowers from the burlap picture in project #1.After the fabric was dry, I lined the inside with a piece of batting again, stuffed it will pillow stuffing and hand sewed the opening closed to finish it off.Here are all three finished pieces together…I love, love, love the look of painted fabric and have a much better idea of consistency and process now from these projects.  I will definitely continue to paint on fabric and will be using the Country Chic paint again as well.  (check out their website for all of the wonderfully vibrant and dare I say country-ish colours that they have in their line)  I love adding different types and brands of paint to my arsenal and look forward to using this paint on wood and other surfaces as well in the future!
 And a little side note… all three of these pieces were intended for my nieces when I began the project but, alas, loved the purple pillow so much that it found it’s home in my master bedroom that I have been re-doing! 😊
 The bedroom had been needing a pop of colour and this was just the piece to do it!

 

 

 

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4 Comments on " Paint and Fabric "

  1. Lisa

    Thank you for this. I will try it on s bench seat cushion. I have a question though about future washing In the washing machine. Have you tried it and had the pained project survived it? Thank you

    1. Lisa

      Hi Maria,

      I have washed the shower curtain and it held up well. I wash it in cold water on the gentle cycle and have had no problems.

  2. Lisa

    What a great idea. There are gorgeous. I've never painted fabric before, but you've inspired me to give it a try. Thanks for linking up to Funtastic Friday and sharing with us. Hope to see you again this week.

    1. Lisa

      Thanks so much Sherry! I love painting fabric and am woking on a new shower curtain now πŸ™‚ I'd love to see what you try! Thanks for stopping by πŸ™‚

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