Wednesday 15th August: Lizzie King studio visit

Since her book on the art of tie-dye, Lizzie King has become the authority on the multicolour fabric craft.  That, coupled with her love of Carnival has the combined credentials to make her the absolute expert on making tie-dye accessories for Notting Hill Carnival! Lizzie takes her workshops from schools to NIKE events for Pride to Music Festivals and beyond.  Now you can brighten up your wardrobe ready to Fete at her session at 3rd Rail Print Space where you'll be printing your own t-shirts in addition to learning the dye process.

Book a space for next Thursday here.

See her archive tie-dye posts here , here and here.  

See her archive Carnival posts here and here.

Tuesday 10th July: 1 Day Fabric Printing Workshop at 3rd Rail Printspace

Despite having studied fashion textile design and specialising in silk-screen-printing, I have forgotten everything in the fifteen year hiatus.  It was so lush to have the opportunity for a one day refresher course at the open-access studio of 3rd Rail in Peckham Levels.  The two tutors spent the day starting teaching us from scratch so that beginners could get an understanding from the very basics.

We had an introduction to the different kind of fibres, materials and compositions of fabrics in relation to techniques in how these can be chemically manipulated with printing techniques.  This ranged from disperse dyes to the difference in translucent to opaque inks.  We handled samples from fashion designers to get a feel for how to alter surface textures from bleaches such as devoree or layers like flocking.  The options are endless as to how you can mix and match these variables to create your own unique fabric.

We experimented with our artwork and were helped how to arrange it into a format to fit the dimensions to get the most out of having one screen.  The next step was to learn how to coat our screen with light-sensitive solution and then expose the images to imprint the design.  Once this was fixed and washed to reveal the print in the gauze, we mixed up our coloured inks from the white "medium" and droplets of pigment.  I knew that I wanted to achieve a gradient so I created a pastel pink that would bleed as a violet into a pastel blue. 

I was using a reinterpretation of one of my archive patterns "Wham Bam Tanagram, Famalam" which meant that I lay down the black outline first as a border for the colour blocks.  I learnt how to use my eye to match up the repeat to print a length of the fabric.  Once this was dry the next stage was to mix the colours in an ombre and pull through the opalescent second coat.  I learnt a valuable lesson by making the mistake of using my screen the wrong way round, which meant it didn't fit and resulted in the pattern being off-set.  Hopefully this means I won't do the same again and made the whole experience even more worthwhile!  

I came away with a piece of original textile design from just one day in the studio in addition to the knowledge and practise learnt.  I'm now planning to return for the intermediate workshop in August to follow onto the next stage and push the art-form even further! 

Find out more about how you can use the open-access studio or enrol on their workshops over on the website here and follow their news on Instagram here 

Thursday 14th June: Peckham Levels Open Studios - 3rd Rail Print Space

As part of the Peckham Levels Open Studios, resident screen-printing practise 3rd Rail were live fly-posting the exterior of the entrance with artist The Fandangoe Kid.  The paste-up prints were the outcome from a workshop previously held at the studio for women to dismantle stereotypes and share messages of emotional honesty.  There's another "Meet the Maker" workshop to screen print your own dating rules coming up on July 12th.  Head over to their website to see the full schedule of classes available from paper printing to fabric printing, t-shirt printing at all levels of ability and fashion illustration with Helen Bullock on June 27th.

(Images include Fandangoe Kid printed tote bags, screen for Galdem Magazine, gallery shop prints of Mr. Penfold & Hattie Stewart, prints by studio artist Tris Rees-Boughton, The Fandangoe Kid)

Wednesday 31st January: 3rd Rail Print Space launch at Peckham Levels

Since my blog posts promoting the Kickstarter campaign for 3rd Rail Print Space, its been fully funded and set up within the creative hub of Peckham Levels.  The official launch invited the public in for an evening to sample London's largest open access screen printing facility.  There was a chance to pull your own print to make a Camille Walala pattern tote bag to test the new equipment and take away a cosmic keepsake.  Technicians were demonstrating printing long lengths of fabric designed by Kangan Arora which was then cut and sewn into cushions by Etemi Otubu.  Paper printing was also on show making posters for the 3rd Rail Presents shop and gallery which you can also see here with my favourite artist's editions by Mr Penfold. Head over to their site to find out more about the studio for access or renting a desk space and see the full range of merchandise in their store including Lynnie Zulu and Hattie Stewart. 

(I also had to include a pic of our dinner from Nandine upstairs because today marks the end of Veganuary and their food is the best thing I've had all month, absolutely delicious with every morsel and so many different flavours in one platter!!!!)