I have based all of my design ideas around natural, organic shapes. I want my final design to be simplistic as I am going to add detail to my designs using applique and embroidery. Once I have decided which design works best with screen printing I will further my designs to create a wider variety design range for my 'Green' with Envy collection.
Some of my initial designs:
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A slightly more delicate & intricate
twig & leaf design. |
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| Simple leaf and bamboo design |
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| Simple design for a cush |
A 'collection' of designs using an uncomplicated basic leaf and 'twig' design.
I decided that I wanted to do some screen printed test pieces for my design collection to see if this would be the best route to take for my final designs.
I handmade my screen printing frame from some old wood that I found in the garage and some organza fabric that I bought from my local haberdashery. I stretched the organza as tight as I could across the frame and then secured it using a staple gun. I then covered the edges with duct tape to help to stop any paint bleeding into the wooden frame.
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| Homemade Screenprinting Frame. |
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| I then cut out my designs on some card ready to use as stencils for my screen printing. |
I used natural fabrics, cotton and calico, to test my screen printing on. They both worked quite well.
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| I attached my stencil to the under side of the screen with masking tape, placed it on my fabric and put a line of water based paint across the top edge of the frame... |
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| I then got a squidgy and flooded the screen with the paint - this in turn pushed the paint through my stencil on to the fabric below creating my desired pattern. |
Unfortunately, the card I had used for my first stencil was not thick enough and when I did my screen print the paint bled. This is why some of the test designs above look a bit smudged. This was why I had decided to do test prints though, so I can learn from my mistakes ready for my final pieces.
These are some of the other designs that I printed:-
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A. For my bamboo design I
used 3 different colours.
I waited for each colour to
dry before adding tone
and shaddow with other
colours. |
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B. This is a very basic leaf and stem
design. I feel this may be a little
too simple, although it has worked
quite well with the screen print. |
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C. This is a development of the above design (B.) and I feel this works
a lot better. It is still a basic design but slightly more intricate.
I feel this design lends itself to delicate applique and embroidery. |
The above design (C.) is my favourite design. I have started to look at how I can expand on this design to create a range for my 'Green' with Envy collection. I am looking at how this design would work when I duplicate it and rotate it as well as creating new patterns with it. I will be enlarging my new 'Green' with Envy Collection designs and doing some more trial screen prints. I will then start adding some of my applique designs (basic leaf shapes made from recycled materials - embroidery, etc) to the screen prints.
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I concentrated on a small section of
design C. and repeatedly placed it
with the base positioned to form
this circular design. |
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I 'flipped' part of my design to form this
'corner' feature that could work nicely on
a cushion or even on an upholstered chair. |
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I concentrated on the top
section of my design.
I thought I could 'flip'
and rotate it to see designs
I could come up with.... |
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I think this simple idea works
well and would look good as a
repeated pattern - maybe as a
feature cushion... |
As part of my 'Green' with Envy collection I have decided to incorporate my designs on a full height headboard. I have also designed, and started to make, a hanging mobile to go over the bed, hanging from the large full height upholstered headboard:-
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| These are ideas for my full height headboard..... |
I have taken my inspiration from magazines and catalogues - A lot of beds have huge pieces of art or a collection of images hanging above them. This has helped me to decide that my 'Green' with Envy collection should include an upholstered full height headboard ...
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| 'Green' with Envy bespoke Headboard and Mobile. |
... I have designed my headboard so that it curves back over the bed, like an old fashioned babies crib - this then lends itself for a bespoke mobile hanging to become part of my collection too.
