Transfer print decorated with organza bonded applique. Being able to colour/dye and print your fabric is very important if you want your work to be different. In my teaching I strive to help my students create original work. It is my passion. So this session is very important, dyeing natural fabrics (Viscose, cotton, silk)with procion dyes and synthetics with disperse/transfer dyes. It takes a lot to organise but is soooo worth it.     The group sorting all their fabrics and putting them in their plastic bags. Learning how different types of fabric take the dye is great fun. I use the dyeing in a plastic bag method for this. We don't need yards of fabric to give us the information we need. I use Ruth Issett's book Colour on Paper and Fabric for all the dye recipes. It is now out of print but can still be bought quite reasonably. I always refer to Ruth's books, having done several summer schools with her, I know her systems work - she is the Queen of Colour...

A lovely print by Jo . A few days later - I was going to continue this sooner but preparations for the photo shoot next week and my teaching this weekend at Foredown Tower just sucked time away - plus I have a new distraction . . .  My ExTex students produced some fabulous prints on our disperse dye/transfer print day. If you are not sure how to create these prints there is a chapter in Hot Textiles (Colouring your fabric) that will help.  The three prints below show some experiments with cutting and printing. A simple print showing how translucent the prints are. This print was created by printing with two different paper bags, first one, then the other. The six prints below show how using resists such as grasses and feathers can create very beautiful and simple effects. You can then turn over the resist (which is covered in dye) and then take a print from that.. Torn strips of dye painted paper over printed. ...