This project will be done in several parts. I will start with the simplest fabric painting to use for embroidery and the future parts will be more complex as you get accustomed to the method. If you haven't done so already, download the Supply List below and assemble all the tools and materials.

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Project One

Our first project will be to produce a two-tone fabric to be used for the background of an embroidery.

Step 1: Choose colors: I usually create my fabric and then find an embroidery to fit, but if you have a special design you would like to plan for, use this for the colors.

I get a lot of questions about color. The right colors can make all the difference in any of the projects we do, but color is also very subjective. Here are some things to think about when choosing your colors:

What colors are used in the projects I'm attracted to? For example - are they predominantly blue, red, yellow, etc. Are they bright or subdued? Are they dark or light? Do the projects have a lot of contrasting colors or are they more monotone?

If you are making a project for another person, what colors do they wear, have in their home, use for their projects, etc. You might adore violet and want to make a violet wall hanging for your best friend, but she thinks it's *old fashioned* and would much rather have red and black.

Where am I going to use the project? You want to make sure your project blends well with the existing decor. Blending doesn't necessarily mean matching!!! A sunny wallhanging of mostly golds and yellow might look great in a mostly soft blue room. Find different bits of colored things - paper, fabric, and tack them up where you are going to put your project and STAND BACK and look. The gorgeous pale lavender picture you are planning might look great up close but could get lost in a large room of soft colors.

What size is my project going to be? Size can be very important in choosing colors. Your room might be able to handle a huge wall hanging done in soft blues, but that same wall hanging done in vibrant colors could send you running from the room. I'm not saying that small can be bright, and large has to be soft! I am just saying that it's good to get an idea of the effect of your color choices when translated to the size you plan and where you will put the finished product.

Experiment! A box of 100 Crayola crayons is a great investment. Grab some paper and your box of crayons and scribble different colors together. You don't have to be an artist - you don't even have to draw anything, just draw shapes or blotches of different colors next to each other to see how they look

For this Project, start with two paints of similar color (Red and pink, dark green and lime green, etc.) and white

Step Two:

Choose your fabric

I have used fabric that is very sheer to fabric that is quite heavy. Heavy fabric allows you to slather on lots of paint and get a very solid, even three dimensional look. Sheer fabric, like muslin, allows the paint to soak through and gives you a much softer look, but it is also more difficult to work with. You can put some paint on it, turn around, and then look back to see your nice shape all spread out. For this project I would choose two or three pieces of fabric of different weight so you can see the effects on both.

Wash your fabric before painting!!!

Many fabrics contain sizing that will prevent the paint from setting well. Also, because the finished project can be washed, if the fabric hasn't been preshrunk, it's first wash can have a very detrimental effect on your painting.

Step 3:

Prepare your fabric and paints

Cover your work area with something that will prevent the paint from soaking through to the surface underneath. Plastic tablecloths are good or a piece of vinyl. Make sure your surface is big enough to hold you piece of fabric, your paints, two or three cups of water and your paint *palette* (my favorite palette is a clear plastic plate) I used the same brush for all the examples below - a wide flat one about 1/2" wide.

Those of you who are very neat might have a hard time with this next step: Prepare you Palette

I first squeeze a blob of each of my colors around the edge of my plate.

I've chosen orange, yellow and of course the white

I then mix each of the colors with some of the medium and also add a little water by dipping my brush in the water and then mixing. The only time I have washed my brush out in the following steps is in between paintings. Otherwise just use the water to thin the paint a little.

Example One

The first method is the *half circle* Load your brush with some of the color - don't try to get just one color, the beauty of this kind of painting comes from having a mix of colors on your brush. Then put your brush to the fabric using a circular motion. Move the brush quickly - you don't want the paint to be *ground* into the fabric - more laid on top. It will soak in by itself.

I've then added more swirls in the middle with a row of darker dabs

VERY IMPORTANT: Resist the urge to *over paint* In this kind of painting less is usually better than more. It is OK if the fabric shows through in some places - in fact it should

Once you are finished, you need to hang the painting to dry. I like to pin it to a wire coat hanger and hang it in my shower. You need to let it dry for a full 24 hours.

I think I might use this one as a background to the cape daisies in the Oriental flowers collection

Heat Setting

After the painting has dried for 24 hours, it needs heat to permanently set the paint. There are two methods: ironing the fabric for a good 10 minutes or throw it in a hot dryer for 20 minutes. I prefer the dryer method :) Once you have done this, the paint will NOT come off and you can even wash the fabric in the washing machine.

Example Two

I add more half circles and some long strokes, then create a tree using the dabs. For the tree, I started at the bottom with more of the darker green on my brush and made a row of dabs. I then made a shorter row above that one. As I went up the tree, I added more light green to my brush and continued until I reached the top row with only one dab.

To add some highlight, I added yellow to my brush and put a row of short quick dabs along the left hand side of my *tree* I made another tree in the background. Those half circles and strokes are starting to look more like rolling hills :)

To add the look of some foliage at the lower right corner, I loaded my brush mostly with the dark green and dabbed across the bottom

To finish off the top, I mixed a lot of white, light green and yellow and made long strokes across the top left side. I left the middle section without paint. This was done on a piece of pale green taffeta

This would look great with some animals or a couple of fairies embroidered on it

Example Three

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