This week I spent the day at Multiple Editions in Madrid working with the owner Diego to reproduce an old favourite design of mine that I had previously printed myself years ago at Artichoke Studios in Brixton. I made my first ever tote bag out of that old fabric and I liked it so much I thought it would be worth making more to sell.
I love the quality of screen printing and although it's expensive and digital printing is so good these days I couldn't resist giving it another go. Besides I like the little imperfections and accidents you get during the process and it was just really nice to get out of the house for the day and do something different during this weird semi lockdown we have here. We kept our masks on throughout and maintained a safe distance of course! I used one half of the screen for a new design that I just scribbled off at the last minute for want of a better idea, but I like how it came out, it will be interesting to see it in the form of a bag as it looks like netting. The bag designs were initially meant to be for a large beach bag but as no one is going anywhere - let alone the beach - then it will more likely be used as a big shopping bag to carry heavy bottles of booze. It was all initially hand drawn onto acetate with permanent marker that was then laid onto the silkscreen to burn the image into the emulsion.
The emulsion hardening with my designs stencilled on the silk screen
Turquoise fabric ink ready to be squeegeed.
As there isn't yet a fabric table in the studio (it's mainly used for fine art prints) I prepared panels of fabric big enough to cut the bag template out of. As well as only using one colour Diego didn't have to worry about registering the design to create a continuous pattern. It was just like printing fine art prints but onto fabric.
One of 20 panels being peeled off the table
I'm picking them up next week after they've been heat set with a blow gun and I will purchase some thick canvas for the lining to make extra strong bags. There is a huge textile store 10 minutes away from the studio which always has a long queue of retired women - whatever time of day it is. I hope to produce some duo tone fabrics one day. It's a bit of a luxury but it would be great to have at least one line of screen printed items in my collection. I will also see if a lampshade works with this finished fabric, it's very thin canvas and quite raw looking. I'll add the finished bags to my shop as soon as they are done - hopefully well before Christmas.
Ready for heat setting
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