Cyanotype Photo Printing

Hello! I just finished reviewing a Jacquard Cyanotype Set. That means that I got a sheet of instructions and 2 black bottles of dust. The instructions provided were concise, but included links to a website that had more information and helpful tools. I've been interested in "blue printing" for a long time, but I've never had any experience with it until now. The only thing I think I've ever seen are those sun sheets that come pre-treated. My daughter did those at summer camp one year.

Anyway, I got the set and I was intimidated, but excited. So I started working on all my pre-print stuff like picking an item to make, deciding what kind of image, etc. I'm not going to go over the whole thing here because it will be up on Cut Out + Keep, but there was an emotional craft fail along the way and I changed the original project. Initially I was trying to do a men's shirt refashion and that just did not happen. I am still planning to do the refashion at some point, but I'm not sure if it's the right item to combine with a cyanotype print.

I had a minor craft-tastrophe followed by crafter's remorse and then I pulled it together. I took some time to think, salvage my work, and move forward. Beyond all that though, this is a process that I think should be explored more. I've thought of a lot of possibilities for cyanotype printing, most of which would require greater skill with the process than I currently possess.

Unfinished panel from the tutorial

Test Samples

Detail

Detail

The first print that I exposed was large and once it was processed, I discovered a lot of mistakes. After I looked at the first exposure, I started over, but I added test pieces to experiment with. I discovered that smaller pieces of fabric were definitely easier to work with. That probably should have been obvious, but some how it wasn't. I was much happier with my test pieces than I had been with the first attempt I made. I have some more fabric cut and treated so I think I am going to back to those eventually and see if I can correct the first mistakes.

In the lace print example above I used decorative packing tape. I would like to make a pattern using this and find some other prints. I'm thinking I could also use painter's tape and create a striped pattern. The palm print is from a section of the photo negative I used in the first exposure. I wanted to make sure that the problems I saw in the image had to do with the way I had coated the fabric and not because I had a bad negative.

Testing...

This photo is of the samples again, but also includes a piece of fabric that some of the mixture dribbled on. I was looking at the "water mark" on the fabric and started thinking that the chemicals could be used to create a gradient painting or even a tie dye type of print. I am not a painter, but my husband is so I'm thinking I'll give him what I have left of the sensitizer so he can experiment.

So what do you think? Have you tried any of the other uses I've suggested? 

xoxo,

sun exposed

b

Catching Up

Mr. Husband left town over the weekend and we had an all lady house (except for one kitty cat man).  We started our weekend by watching Maleficent and then we got crafty and loungey.  The Lady Bean listened to a lot of music and worked on homework (wow).  I decided it was time to pull out old projects and new ones... always new ones.

Let's start with the new!

Pumpkin form

I made progress on the pumpkin mask, but for some reason I don't like using a black bag for the form.  I don't even know why, but it's covered with paper now.

Linoleum block

I finished my first product review for Cut Out + Keep.  A project with a tutorial and final photos will be posted there.  I am not sure when, but I will put a link here when it happens.

I call this "The Louise Pattern".

Miss Bean decided to be Louise Belcher for next Halloween.  I know this seems insanely early, but I enjoy working on the costumes when I'm stuck inside during the winter.  I also realized after years of last minute costumes, it's much more fun to be done with a costume when October hits than it is to be starting one.  The other benefits are better costumes because I'm not rushing and if it's already made, it's harder for her to change her mind 5 times.

Now for the old...

From white to grey.

I pulled out a bag of supplies that I had for a project(s) started two years ago.  I used to feel awful about doing things like this (you know, setting something aside and then just sort of walking away from it), but then I realized that I often end up going back (eventually) and it works better that way.  Sometimes I need to develop a few skills or step away in order to figure something out.  The problem with this method though, is that sometimes you decide you want more of a certain fabric you were using, but you can't find it anymore.  So the photo above is me "making it work" and dying some similar fabric that I already have.  Not what I would liked to have done, but I learned to buy a little extra in the future.

Fancy Bat is back.

That brings us to this, Fancy Bat.  Fancy Bat wears a fancy hat.  Fancy Bat also wears a vest and maybe some sort of a pocket watch, sips drinks with a pinky out, etc. because Fancy Bat is fancy.  FB is inspired by Mary Engelbreit characters, personified animals in children's books, and a bit of the Victorian era.  I drew the original sketches and sewed the hood and cape in 2012.  I was using this piece to challenge myself to sew a complete outfit based on a created character.  At the time, I was planning to purchase a shirt and tights to layer the pieces over, but now I've decided to sew those as well.  If I'm using this as a personal "sew a complete look" challenge, I really should go all the way.  Anyway, the next piece is cut and ready to sew and I've made a few tweaks to the design. I am loving it.  

Does anyone write?  Fancy Bat needs a story.  Maybe someday I'll write one, but that's not really my thing.

xoxo,

b

Halloween Hold-over

Okay kittens, I've been a time management mess lately. So please excuse my absence, but in my chaos I've decided to keep Halloween around for awhile.  This means I'm still making costumes and crafts. Eventually I'll move on to Christmas, but does anyone else ever feel like Christmas is a big holiday bully?  It's always crowding the others and overshadowing their presence; it always creeps in just a little too early.  Well, that needs to stop.  I also tend to feel like the general public doesn't accept an extensive Halloween celebration, but they'll overlook the overzealous celebration of Christmas.  Also, be honest, those light up lawn decorations have nothing to do with being good Christians so it isn't about being religious either.  The flashy holiday celebration is pure commercialization.  Just admit you like the pretty lights and presents.  This concludes my unscheduled rant.

Anyway, let's look at what's been happening during the great Halloween hold-over of 2012...

Life Aquatic Costume Pieces

I don't believe I ever showed you how the Team Zissou shoe DIY turned out.  I'm content with it and it was much cheaper than buying the actual shoes.

Spider web poncho

Next up is this poncho.  I have two versions of it going.  This is the one that I prefer.  The other is my first effort.  I'll finish them both and model it up later.  The poncho is inspired by this one I found while aimlessly browsing (aka collecting visual research).  It's out of stock, but it's also out of my price range.  I'll show you my version of this too when everything is finished.

Fancy Bat

Then came Fancy bat and the kitty cat attack on sewing...

Napping with the fabric.

Complicatting the fabric cutting.

Lining my fancy wings.

Making progress...

Occasionally, they got up and I was able to work.  At other times, they attacked my marking pens and my sewing thread.  The wings feel like a blanket and I suppose they'll end up being sort of quilted.  I cut the fleece wrong in the beginning so it became a liner fabric as opposed to a finish fabric.  Now my wings have some weight and will probably keep me warm (because you know when I'm dressed as a bat in December, I don't want to be cold.).  Tonight it will be on to pressing, top stitching and the addition of piping.  Oh, and I should also add some sort of closure.

Here's hoping for more organization and better photos soon (my camera is repaired and shipping back to me today!).

xoxo,

B

Paper Party at My House

So many paper decorations...  I'm on a kick or just obsessed lately.  Paper party decorations just make everything seem so happy and they activate space so well.  Since moving in, I have knocked out 3 paper garlands, 2 fabric garlands, and 6 tissue paper pom-poms.  I have stacks of fabric for the next rounds of bunting and plans to purchase a couple more punches this weekend (reapeatedly cutting the same shape from paper is tedious, punching it is not so much so).  Most of my recent efforts have gone into Athena's room.  What do you do with an empty corner?  Go through all that stored tissue paper of course and fold it into fluff balls worthy of hanging.  I think if I can do 2 more garlands (paper or felt?)  I'll be done with them for her room.

Paper sphere garland (16 pieces each) as seen here.

My fabric version of Loopy-loo garland.  Tutorial (for the paper version) at ISLY.

I also decided that I simply must have a pajaki.  The pajaki creates a need to invest in a floral paper punch.  I guess I would put it on my tea party (the good kind with cakes, not the kind with political radicals) worthy front porch?

Bean's room will be finished soon.  Pictures to follow.
xoxo