This boy of mine is a natural born designer. I just love the art he creates, and the designs he comes up with. He has always tended towards straight lines and symmetry, abstract shapes, and graphic designs. It's so fun to see how his very own style is emerging, from something I have seen inklings of, for a long time already. The magic he can create with paper and scissors, never ceases to amaze me.
Most recently he has been a prolific paper cutter. design after design is being made, and filed away. The "good ones" are later transferred to freezer paper and cut out. The freezer paper becomes a stencil that can be ironed onto fabric, and painted, leaving a delightful pattern transferred onto the fabric.
For Valentine's Day, Gavin made custom designed shirts for each of his classmates. Luckily his class is pretty small, phew.... And with summer just around the corner we have been scheming a much larger project together, his designs, my sewing machine! I'll keep you posted. In the mean time, if you feel so inclined, see our rough tutorial below.
1. Cut pattern out of freezer paper. The negative space, will become the painted - design transfer area. To make a symmetrical design, Gavin first folds the paper in half and then in half again, cutting on the folded edges.
2. Open paper design up and take a look at the shape you have created. If you like it, move on to securing the freezer paper stencil onto the fabric..
3. To secure the stencil on the fabric place the freezer paper shiny, plastic side down on the fabric. Iron on low to medium heat to secure it gently to the fabric.
4. Use a fabric paint or ink, I use screen printing ink made by Speedball. With a sponge brush gently apply ink by working from the outside edges in, in other words the paper towards the fabric, so as not to get ink under the stencil.
5. Once there is a good amount of ink on the design area, set it aside to dry.
6. Once dry, remove the stencil and marvel at your creation!!!
7. Follow manufacturers directions to set and wash ink.
8. Enjoy!