Supplies Needed For Screen Printing On Fabric

I used to screen print in college (we won't say how long ago that was) and loved it.  I minored in Art and would have liked to take more classes had I thought such a career would actually have a big chance at supporting me above poverty level.  And at the time I needed to support myself and fast!  So...I majored in Criminal Justice but that is a whole different story.

Back to screen printing on fabric...

 A shirt I recently printed of a propeller for my boat-loving Super T using the drawing fluid/screen filler method

I'm re-learning the processes for screen printing.  As you can see from my previous post here I've already had an epic fail of reading directions when using the emulsion method.  One I'm learning from though...I found some rubber gloves.

After deciding to dive back into screen printing ('cuz I seem to need to add something else on my plate while running after my toddler and preschooler, right?) I realized I had one big problem.  I got rid of all my supplies after college.  Dang it!

Since I'm a bargain shopper I hopped on Craigslist to see if a miracle might occur and someone was parting with screen printing supplies.  Low and behold...a local t-shirt printing business was selling a huge lot of wood screens in excellent condition as they were changing to aluminum framed.  They were selling the wood framed screens for...get ready for this...$3 each!  Yes, 3 bucks!  I got myself eight (yes 8!!) screens of varying mesh count in awesome condition for what I could buy two for brand new.  Score!

If you've been thinking about dabbling in screen printing on fabric, but are overwhelmed by the products out there, this post is for you.  Hopefully it will help you sort out what's what so you can decide which method(s) you want to try.  It really isn't as daunting as one might think.  Actually, it is addicting once you get going. There are some awesome tutorials of various methods already online, so I'm not going to repeat those.  I'm simply going to outline what a "hobby screen printer" might have for a set up as inspiration for you.

You don't need a fancy professional screen printing studio or crazy-big space to produce fun prints.  I have a simple, small bedroom that I've turned into my "craft studio".  In there I do anything and everything crafty except build with wood and power tools.  To do that I invade the "man cave" belonging to the Mr. 

This is my main work space for when I have my screens out and am working on them.  On this table I prepare my screen for inking (with whatever process I happen to choose for the specific design I've got going on). It is just a dresser that the Mr. made into a craft table for me by adding an extended laminated plywood top. 

This is a small table I do my inking up and printing on - it is totally beat up so I don't really care if it gets ink on it.  There is a sanded, wax paper covered board on top that is the perfect size to slip inside youth and adult t-shirts to aid in getting a smooth print. 

Underneath the table is the perfect size space for storing my extra screens, wrapped in plastic bags to keep the dust away (hardwood floors in my house seem to have dust bunnies giving birth to dust bunnies!).

In a small space that must be multi-functional, organization is key!  I have a drawer that most of my supplies fit into.  I do plan to build my ink supply, but for now, this works.

Lastly, you need a clean up space.  It is really the messiest part of it all.  I use our laundry tub, which is the perfect size to fit my screen and allow me room to scrub and rinse.  You could also use a bathtub, but make sure to scour it well afterwards to avoid stains from the inks and chemicals.

 If using photo emulsion you need a dark space for the screen to dry.  I use a cupboard that isn't opened during the day or a dark window-less closet.  

Laid out here is all that a "dabbler" needs for all three screen printing methods:  1) The use of a stencil.  2)  The use of screen filler and drawing fluid.  3)  Photo emulsion.

To aid you in deciding what method(s) you might like to try, I'm listing some of my favorite tutorials here.  You will also find a ton of different techniques and tutorials listed on Pinterest.  Keep reading past the links below to see what supplies are needed for each method.

Stencil:
See Kate Sew
Lil Blue Boo
Homes

Drawing Fluid & Screen Filler:
Instructables.com
Blick Art Supplies  (link to tutorial video)

Photo Emulsion:
Lil Blue Boo (using sunlight)
Lil Blue Boo (cleaning and removing emulsion)
Instructables.com (using artificial light)
Blick Art Supplies (link to tutorial video)


SUPPLIES:
Please keep in mind there are various techniques for each method, and I'm just outlining supplies I personally use.  For all methods you will be needing a screen*, squeegee ( with rounded edge for printing on fabric), something to prop the screen up (I use two long wooden boards), scissors and tape (for taping off edges), wax paper (or cardboard/newspaper) to lay directly under the layer of fabric you are printing on so ink doesn't seep through.

*A note about screens...there are various mesh counts available.  Basically, the thicker the ink (white is super thick), the larger holes you want in your mesh (like a 110/sq. inch or so).  They thinner the ink (which tend to be your darker inks), the smaller holes you want (like a 155 or so).

Also helpful will be newspaper for protecting surfaces, paper towels and rags, an apron or smock, rubber gloves for use when handling chemicals and during screen clean up, as well as a scrub brush for washing screens.  I keep a good liquid dish soap on hand by my laundry tub too, for help in scrubbing out ink.

STENCIL METHOD:
Here are the basics for what you would be using a stencil method.  Mask Ease or contact paper to make your stencils which will act as "ink blockers", and ink made for printing on fabric.  I like Speedball water soluble, but there are various brands available.

DRAWING METHOD:
For the drawing method, you'll need drawing fluid and screen filler.  Again, I use the Speedball brand.  You will also need a solution to remove the dried screen filler.  There are commercial screen cleaners on the market like this  or you can make your own solution like I did of 1 cup Arm & Hammer Washing Soda to 1 gallon water.  Used with warm water it works like a charm and is way cheaper.

PHOTO EMULSION:
Photo emulsion method may be the most intimidating, but is really quite fun.  You'd need a bottle of photo emulsion, sensitizer (not shown as I spaced photographing it at tossed the bottle), and a bottle of photo emulsion remover.  Shown here is Speedball.  You'll also need rubber gloves when handling it.

Transparencies are needed to transfer your image to via computer printer or black marker, and a piece of clear glass helps to stack on top of the transparencies and screen during the time you are burning the image onto the screen, resulting in a nice crisp image. I edged my glass with masking tape to protect my hands from the sharp edges.

For screen burning, you'll need to either use the sun on a really bright day or artificial light like this shop light (look in the auto section of your local department store) and a 150V clear incandescent bulb.   Also helpful is a dark surface to set your screen on during this time (like a dark counter top or black fabric) which will cut down on reflection and help with the exposure process.

OTHER HANDY TOOLS FOR ANY METHOD:  

 You may want some disposable foam brushes for use with clean-up chemicals, plastic spoons for scooping ink and other fluids onto screens before squeegeeing (is that a word?) it, little paintbrushes for applying various liquids like drawing fluid, and Sharpie markers for making black designs during the emulsion method.  Also keep the handy dandy instruction pamphlets around that come with your inks and chemicals as they are awesome to refer to if you are a beginner.

Screen printing is a lot of fun once you collect all your supplies and get the basics down for the method you want to try.  Don't let it intimidate you!  Your creativity can soar with this hobby!  HAPPY PRINTING!

Kid Friendly Caramel Corn With Chocolate

My son had a school assignment where he was asked to complete a fun recipe at home and bring photos and a sample to preschool to share.  We chose a caramel corn recipe (which I've had written down on scrap paper for over a decade now and have no idea where it originated from) and switched it up a tad bit by adding chocolate chips.  Because who doesn't like sugar on sugar???

This recipe is very kid-friendly for preschoolers, with the supervision of an adult due to working over a hot burner and oven.  With instruction, my kiddo was able to do most of the process himself, taking care to not touch hot surfaces. 

You will need:
4 quarts (or about 1.5 microwave bags) of popcorn
1 cup butter
2 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup corn syrup
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla
chocolate chips (optional)

***Please don't judge me by the condition of my burners...I wasn't about to scrub off spillage from last night's dinner before I had a preschooler working on my stove with sticky stuff!***

Preheat oven to 250 degrees.

First, pop the corn to set aside until later.  I prefer to make popcorn the old fashioned way over the stove top in a kettle, but with an impatient 5 year old I decided to make things happen quickly with 1.5 bags of microwave popcorn (lightest salt and butter flavor I could find).

Melt the butter in a saucepan on the stove top, stirring constantly.  Add your brown sugar, corn syrup and salt.

Stir on medium heat until the mixture comes to a boil.  Boil for 4 minutes.  Keep stirring...you don't want it to burn. 

Remove from heat, add the vanilla and baking soda.  Stir until mixed well.

Make sure your corn is in a heat-resistant, deep pan.  Pour the caramel mixture over the corn and stir until coated well.

Lay coated corn out on deep sided cookie sheets or a baking pan of your choice.  I sprayed the pan with non-stick spray first, but I'm not sure that was necessary.

Bake at 250 degrees for 30 minutes.  Remove from oven, stir, sprinkle in chocolate chips, and bake for another 30 minutes.

Let cool, divide, and enjoy! This makes a great holiday gift or party favor, too.  It is really good this batch is headed to preschool, or my hips would suffer the consequences.

Directions? What directions?

I learned something today.  I learned that I really should abide by the directions listed on a bottle of chemicals.  The whole "wear protective rubber gloves when handling product"  just didn't seem to apply to me at the time.  I mean, who has the time to disrupt their mo-jo and hunt down a pair of rubber gloves?  Not me!  Now I know that they put such words on the label specifically for the stubborn (ahem...like me).

Dear Brain In My Head,
     Next time do not allow your person to open a bottle of photo sensitizer and emulsion, taking no care to avoid it getting on your bare thumbs, lest you want to experience the burning feeling of it eating into your skin for hours afterwards.  Not smart. 

               Sincerely,
                     Self

I've never had a chemical burn before but they are surprisingly painful for their pathetic little size.  I stole a couple of my kid's Scooby Doo bandages to sport tonight.

For the record, I hate following the directions on sewing patterns too.  I'm impatient for my end result and would rather take short cuts.  No risk of chemical burns there though, so it's all good.

A dabble here, a dabble there

My youngest son with last summer's strawberries...maybe this photo will inspire some summer weather to come to Oregon! 

 
I just changed my blog name.  Why?  Because I'm a dabbler by nature.  "The Groovy Mess" seems to fit me and my life better.  Not to mention that my former blog name, "Badonkadonk Knits" was selected because I was knitting custom orders of baby attire, which I'm taking a break from for now.  I might start that up again in the near future under The Groovy Mess.

I fantasize about my "someday crafting" a lot. Someday I'd like to quit dabbling and streamline my crafting a little more.  Someday I'd like to get really good at just one.  Someday I'd even like to start a crafting business.  I mean a REAL crafting business...one that actually makes money.  I have several blogs bookmarked that I follow (or stalk?) featuring women who have done this.  Started out with a dinky little blog outlining their hobby crafting and eventually it mushroomed into something really, well, business-like.

I often think that if I could just get myself organized enough and focused enough and educated enough in certain areas, then I could do it too!   I will admit there is quite a bit of fear holding me back though.  Fear that I will embark on something and fail, I guess.  Fear of the internet and my lack of knowledge of things like how websites run and how to get my own.  Concepts like domain names, web hosts, copyrights and trademarks float around in my head at night and overwhelm me.   I find myself a bit intimidated by the thought of putting my creative juices into something and then putting it on a site like Etsy, only to have it sit there with no one thinking it is as cool as I do.  Yikes!  Maybe someday...when my young kids are both in school and I can quit spending my time fishing out those random items thrown into our toilets for good (the latest of which was a full bar of soap courtesy of our 2 year old).

In the meantime, I still dabble.  Sewing and more sewing, refashioning clothing, repurposing thrift store finds, jewelry making, knitting, wood working, a little photography (not that I'm great at it, but I like it), and my newest revisited love...screen printing (more on that in a future post for sure).  Oh, and let's not even talk about what Pinterest has done to me!  Oh the endless possibilities.  Eye candy for the crafter to be found there, folks!

Here are some of my recent favorites off of Pinterest that I'm determined to try:

Glass tile pendant tutorial

Little boy neck tie tutorial

Spring time ruffle top tutorial

Tee to tank tutorial 

Wool anyone?

I feel like it's been forever since I've posted...while my break from blogging was several months long I was busy creating fun stuff.  Of course, I photographed basically none of it and gave most of it away as gifts for the holidays, so my bad there.  My resolution for 2012?  1) Take more photos of my projects.  2)  Take more photos of my projects BEFORE giving away as gifts. 

Here are two that were given as gifts using wool...one of my favorite materials!

A tree pillow using my kid's hand prints as the branches & trunk.  The red background is from a recycled sweater found while thrifting.  I was able to get two 14x14 pillow faces out of it, plus some scraps left over for future projects.  The hand/arm print is suede leather from a women's shirt also found while thrifting.  I purchased a bunch of wool felt from Felt On The Fly which made up the leaves once I cut out a bunch of little circles and stacked them up here and there.  The cover has a zippered back for ease of removing and cleaning if need be.

And a little knitting....I like this yarn and hat pattern so much I may make myself one too!  I used Malabrigo yarn, chunky, in the Sealing Wax colorway.  Love it!  The pattern was a free one found on Ravelry but I can't for the life of me find the bookmark so I'm going to have to go do a big search for the pattern again when I have free time to devote to it. The flowers are cut from wool felt scraps left from the above pillow project and hand sewn on. I used this  tutorial for the smaller one and just winged it for the larger one, which is a pinwheel design.

Yeah for wool!