There are no shortcuts to any place worth going. -Beverly Sills
Resources
Glossary
Dyeing: adding color to fabric by applying a dye. Dyes usually go through some chemical change that binds them to a fabric's molecules. This is different from paints, which sit on the surface of cloth and do not go through a chemical change. Dyes can be applied to cloth by immersing it in a container of dye solution, or by painting the dye on with brushes or sponges.
Discharging: the removal of color through the application of chemicals. Chlorine bleach is an example most people recognize. When you spill bleach on clothing accidentally, a chemical reaction occurs that alters the dye molecule and changes the color of the cloth. When this is used deliberately, a pattern can be created on the fabric surface. There are many kinds of discharging agents, but they all do essentially the same thing.
Devoré: a French term, also known as "burn out" in the U.S. One approach involves the use of a fabric woven from two kinds of thread—one is plant fiber, or cellulose, and one is animal fiber, known as a protein fiber. Cotton, rayon, and linen are cellulose fibers. Wool and silk are protein fibers. Sodium bisulfate is the chemical used in the burn out process. It is thickened, applied to the fabric surface, and heated. During this process the cellulose part of the cloth is destroyed and can be washed away. The protein fiber remains. When a cloth is woven from a silk/rayon blend for example, the rayon part of the fabric is removed by the chemical. The silk backing fabric is exposed because the rayon fiber is gone, and this creates the pattern.
Foiling: foils are plastic films manufactured to be shiny, resembling metallic leaf when applied to cloth. They are perfect for a bit of shine and high textural contrast. In order for foils to be permanent on cloth they must be applied to a permanent, water based adhesive, and heat must be used for the application, as opposed to rubbing or burnishing. Foils are surprisingly sturdy and if properly cared for, will withstand use on clothing and home furnishings. See Supplies for a wonderful source for foiling materials.
Puff paint: a fabric paint formulated by including tiny plastic beads in the paint. These are not obvious when the paint is applied, and it can be stamped, stenciled, or silk screened. Once dry, heat is applied by holding an iron over the surface of the paint and steaming it. The tiny plastic beads pop like popcorn and expand, raising the surface of the paint and giving immediate textural relief to the surface.
Resist: means what it says. There are numerous ways of resisting on fabric. A physical resist might be string or rubber bands that are wrapped so tightly they keep dye from penetrating the cloth. A liquid resist can also be applied to the fabric's surface—flour paste and Elmer's Glue are two very simple products that can be applied to cloth. Once dry, the surface gets an application of thin paint or dye and it colors only the areas not blocked by the resist. When that dries, the resist is washed off. The remaining pattern is a combination of the cloth color prior to the resist and paint/dye application, and the color added last.
Screen printing: a print screen is a wooden frame with a fine polyester mesh stretched on it. The mesh can be blocked with paper or a variety of liquid products, as a way of making a design on the surface. To print, paint is put inside the edge of the frame and then pulled across the mesh surface. The squeegee used to pull the paint forces it through the open parts of the mesh, which creates the design on the fabric. This process can be endlessly repeated as a way of patterning cloth.
Textile Paints: these paints are water-based, which means they can be cleaned up with water. They are all related and have acrylic or plastic components—that's the part that makes them stick permanently to the cloth once dry. The companies who manufacture these paints advertise them as nontoxic, which means they are safer than paints with oil bases or solvent components. Paints specifically formulated for fabric have softeners in them so that they don't affect the hand of the cloth as much as a craft acrylic paint might. The paints can be intermixed and are formulated in various thicknesses. Sometimes paints are called "inks" on the label, but this, and other descriptive wording used on packaging, is primarily an effort to set paints apart by company. Any process—stamping, stenciling, or silk screen printing—can be accomplished with any textile paint made—thin to thick. The key is choosing the right tool and perfecting your technique.
Suppliers
Suppliers of Materials, Services, Paints and Dyes:
Dharma Trading Company, 654 Irwin Street, San Rafael, CA 94901 800-542-5227
A comprehensive source of supplies for tie-dye, batik, marbling, screen printing, silk painting, stamping, quilting, block printing, fabric painting, vat-dyeing, and sun painting.
PRO Chem, P.O. Box 14, Somerset, MA 02726 508-676-3838 and 800-228-9393 (Orders only)
A complete line of fabric dyes and paints.
Welsh Products, Inc., 932 Grant Street, Box 845, Benicia, CA. 94510 800-745-3255 for a catalogue
Supplies for thermofax machines and both used and new machines.
Fabrics:
Testfabrics, Inc., P.O. Box 26, West Pittston, PA 18643 570-603-0432
A complete line of fabrics for surface design.
Exotic Silk, 1959 Leghorn, Mountain View, CA 94043 800-845-7455
Sells wholesale with minimum 15-17 yard cuts per piece—minimum order is $100.
Thai Silk, 252 State Street, Los Altos, CA 94022 800-722-7455
This is the retail branch of Exotic Silks. They sell in smaller quantities at slightly higher prices.
Rupert, Gibbon & Spider or the Silk Connection, P.O. Box 425 Healdsburg, CA 95448 800-442-0455
Foils:
Screen-Trans Development Corporation, 100 Grand Street Moonachie, New Jersey 07074 (201) 933-7800
The best foil glue for fabric around, and foil in widths as wide as 6 feet. Very reliable and interested in what we are doing with his products. Call for a folder and samples.
Solvents:
Real Goods, Inc., 555 Leslie Street, Ukiah CA 95482 (800) 762-7325
Citra Solv is an alternative to oil based solvent for xerox transfers. It is a citrus based solvent—use it exactly like automotive laquer thinner. It's oilier, so be careful to avoid smearing.
Velvet and Velveteen:
Wimpfheimer Bros Inc., 350 5th Ave, Suite 3101, New York 10118 (800) 223-7228
Thermofax Screen Imaging Services:
Flying Images
Pam Relitz rockitz@tds.net 847-223-2931
A thermal imaging mail order service located in the Chicagoland area. You provide the art work, and within 24 hours we mail out the imaged screen and frame. We do not have a website, but can answer questions privately via e-mail or phone.
Touch of The Master’s Hand
Bobbie Vance, Indianapolis, IN 765-479-3766 fiberartBV@aol.com
A custom thermofax screen service for your imagery with next weekday turn around. Email for info and succsss tips.
Reading List
Jane’s Top 20 Book List
Not in Order of Preference
I don’t know how anyone can write a review of a book like the ones I have listed below. It is such a subjective process. What I hope you’ll gain by reading one of these books is a perspective larger than the one you currently claim, and I would be pleased if seeing the listing here encouraged you to actually acquire or read one of these titles. They are books that changed my life.
Inspiration and Spirit:
1. The Prophet, Kahlil Gibran, Alfred Knopf, New York; 1968
2. Tao te Ching, Stephen Mitchell, translation HarperCollins Publishers;1992
3. Memories, Dreams and Reflections, Carl Jung, Vintage Books; 1965
4. 365 Tao: Daily Meditations, Deng Ming-Dao, HarperCollins Publishers, New York; 1992
5. Picnic, Lightning, Billy Collins, University of Pittsburgh Press; 1998
6. The Alchemist, Paulo Coelho, Harper One; 1994
7. Sacred Contracts, Caroline Myss, Harmony Books; 2001
8. Shambhala: The Sacred Path of the Warrior, Chogyam, Trungpa, Shambhala Dragon Editions; 1988
9. The Places That Scare You, Pema Chodron, Shambhala Classics; 2002
Writing and Journaling:
10. Life's Companion: Journal Writing as a Spiritual Quest, Christina Baldwin, Bantam Books, New York; 1991
If you have never journaled and are curious about beginning, this is a wonderful place to start. Baldwin takes the whole thing—and you—seriously. Her suggestions for writing are the best I’ve ever seen in thirty years of journaling my own art and life into being.
11. Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life, Anne Lamott, Anchor Books/Doubleday, New York; 1994
Hilarious, biting, agonizing, sad, lonely. She is talking about writing, but you’ll know she is also talking about art as life.
12. Wild Mind: Living the Writer’s Life, Natalie Goldberg, Bantam Books.
People usually think of Goldberg’s first book, Writing Down the Bones, as her best. But this is a fantastic book and could be subtitled “living the artist’s life.”
Miscellaneous:
13. Fierce Conversations Achieving Success at Work & in Life, One Conversation at a Time, Susan Scott, Viking; 2002
Wow. I adapted her suggestions to my own critique sessions in classes and it was good. Anyone who reads this will gain insight into and more honestly and accurately get at whatever is going on in their lives or their art.
14. Radical Honesty: How to Transform Your Life by Telling the Truth, Brad Blanton, Dell Trade Paperback, New York; 1996
You may not agree with Blanton, but this is certainly food for thought—and even embracing some of the ideas will set your life on a more straightforward course.
15. Thirteen, Remy Charlip and Jerry Joyner, Aladdin Books, Macmillan Pub. Co., New York; 1994
This is a children’s book for everyone. You will study it over and over again.
16. The Secret Life of Bees, Sue Monk Kidd, Penguin Books; 2002
A poignant, funny, heart-rending book that will especially resonate with children of the sixties. A great book for anyone younger, because it paints such a great portrait of that time.
Art and Textiles:
17. A Primer of Visual Literacy, Donis A. Dondis, The MIT Press; 1973
I had to read it a few pages at a time, and then re-read it again. That’s really good! There are so few books to read that offer lessons every single time you read them. This is a very strong, interesting exploration of design and visual language.
18. Art and Fear, David Bayles and Ted Orland, Capra Press; 1973
I used to think I needed to read this so that I could share their ideas with students. But then one time when I was stuck, I realized I needed their wise words as much as anyone. Read a few pages as a great way to get unstuck.
19. The Stitches of Creative Embroidery, Jacqueline Enthoven, Van Nostrand Reinhold, republished at least twice. THE best book when it comes to seeing how stitches are formed. No one has ever done a better job, in my opinion. I learned from it before I knew classes existed, and I am basically inept when it comes to following written instructions.
20. Selvedge Magazine... offers the world's finest textile photography, unparalleled design and peerless writing.
Links
Follow these links to view the work of other fabric artists who work in the Art Cloth tradition:
Art Cloth Network artclothnetwork.com
Contemporary Cloth contemporarycloth.com
Committed to Cloth - Claire Benn and Leslie Morgan committedtocloth.com
Valuable web resources for art cloth creators: Surface Design Association surfacedesign.org
Dharma Trading Company dharmatrading.com
ComplexCloth group - at YahooGroups: a free, very active list. Anyone can join by going to Yahoo and subscribing. Lots of information about textiles, printing and products.