What's New Review

Surface Treatment Workshop: Explore 45 Mixed-Media Technique

Have you ever gone to the Sunday Sampler (or Friday Sampler) at Quilt Festival?  It’s a collection of some 30 teachers who demonstrate a particular technique in short segments of time.  Each time a segment concludes, attendees can move to a new demonstration.  While I suspect it’s hard on the teachers, it’s a great way for students to be exposed to a variety of techiques.  This book is similar in that in two- to four-page spreads, there are 45 different mixed media techniques explained.  No one technique goes into deep detail, but that’s what I like about this book.  There is plenty to experiment with, and the book includes troubleshooting and variations to try.  Techniques include additive, resist, and subtractive or cominbation. For example, there is stamping, foils, masking tape, crackle paste, stucco and pumice gel, embossing, rubbing alcohol, painted leaf, and much more.  I like that archival quality is discussed, and variations and trouble shooting is included. 
I like this book.  It’s a solid overview of many surface techniques. 
 applications for your own artwork.

Print, Pattern & Colour

I had the pleasure of meeting UK artist Ruth Issett while at a UK quilt show.  She tirelessly demonstrated a variety of print techniques and shared piles of sketchbooks showing various printed examples of her work. Her latest 124 page book reflects many of her techniques and has that “I’m going to show you everything I know” style.  The book contains  four sections: getting started; printing on paper; printing on fabric; and design ideas and development.  Each section contains a variety of techniques such as mono printing, roller printing, block printing, various print mediums for fabric, screen printing, and more.  She covers methods for further experimentation, creating unique shapes, and so on.  The color examples throughout the book are luscious.  For anyone interested in adding a variety of customized pattern and color to their work, this book will not disappoint. 

Off-The-Shelf Fabric Painting: 30 Simple Recipes for Gourmet Results

I've been painting and dyeing fabrics for nearly 15 years, and I wish this book was around when I started. It's loaded with ideas - everything from preparing your paints and simple techniques likes splatters and splashes, lines, basic textures, salting, and sunprinting to various print techniques (such as spong stamping, stenciling, and masking) and resist techniques. It includes a troubleshooting guide, too

Paintstiks on Fabric, Simple Techniques, Fantastic Results

$16.95, 32 pps, Cedar Canyon Textiles

What are Shiva Paintstiks (called "Markal Paintstiks outside the USA) and why do you want to use them on fabric?

Paintstiks look like a chunky crayon, but they are actually made from pigment, oil, and wax. They are available in 51 professional colors and 15 iridescent colors. My question when I first learned of them was: What type of oil is used in the Paintstiks? Mineral oil, as in Sennellier oil pastels? If so, I knew that was fine to use on untreated fabric. Or linseed oil, a chemically active, highly acidic oil that is generally not good to use on fabric unless some type of primer is used.

I learned that Shiva Paintstiks do contain linseed oil; but, there is far less oil used compared to all other oil sticks and the oil that is used is uniquely refined making it far less acidic. For these reasons, the manufacturer maintains that Shiva Paintstiks are completely safe to use on fabric, which is great news to fiber artists! Need ideas on how to use Paintstiks? That's where this book comes in.

Using concise writing and color photographs, Shelly Stokes shows you how to use Paintstiks on fabric to create unique looks. She explains how to create textures, work with stencils and masks, create transparencies — even how to create "Paintstik applique." Preparation, heat setting instruction, and clean-up are also covered. The techniques have a very short learning curve, yet offer a wealth of possibilities. Paintstiks on Fabric is well worth the small price tag — the only question is how many Paintstiks will you buy?

Paintstiks on Fabric is available directly from Cedar Canyon Textiles.