Lesson 4: Stenciling on Fabric - Supplies

Fabric for Stenciling

Be careful about which fabrics you choose to stencil. The best is 100% cotton or any other natural fiber. The higher the polyester content the more likely the fabric is to repel paint over time.

If you're not sure how high the synthetic content of your fabric is, find an unobtrusive spot on the reverse of your garment (seam excess, hem area) and singe it quickly with a match. If hard black beads form along the edge your synthetic content is too high, and the fabric will not take paint well.

The texture of the fabric is up to you. Obviously the smoother the weave the easier it is to predict the outcome of your stenciling. But you can achieve interesting effects with more textured weaves, or fabrics like velvet that have a nap.

If you have any scraps of fabric to practice on, do. Different fabrics absorb paint at different rates - with some the paint practically sits on top, so that the dry brush technique we use for regular stenciling works perfectly. Other fabrics are paint-sponges, drinking it up thirstily. It's a good idea to know what to expect before plunging into a project. But if you are stenciling something that is ready made, try turning the piece inside out and practicing on a small, unobtrusive spot if you can.

It's a good idea to practice anyway, using whatever fabric scraps you may have around. While the basic technique for stenciling fabric is the same as for hard surfaces, it can still be hard to get used to stenciling a surface that tends to move a bit. And since fabric is more absorbent than a hard surface you may also need to work with a slightly wetter brush than you are accustomed to.

A Special Case - Stenciling on SilkSilk painters use some sort of resist for paints that would otherwise run. Some fabric paint manufacturers, such as Jacquard, make a resist already bottled - your job is to paint it everywhere except the area you are stenciling. Some resists wash out, whereas others are colored and permanent. Other ways to mask include using wax, or clear ConTact paper. As an alternative, you can stencil on silk using a dry medium such as Shiva's Paintstiks - oil based pastels suitable for fabric. Fabric markers may also work better than regular brush-on paints.

Another alternative is to use a disappearing fabric marker to trace the area to be stenciled, and then paint resist around the edges to keep the paint from running. With this technique, you may end up with slightly blurred edges unless you are extremely steady of hand when painting that resist on. On the other hand, sometimes a blurred edge can be the effect you are after.

The most commonly used resist is called gutta, which comes in black, gold, and clear. Clear is probably your choice unless you want to play around with batik effects. This resist can only be removed by dry cleaning,. So any areas where you used it will be stiff, rather than soft like the untreated areas.

There are water-soluble gutta-like resists that will come out in the regular laundering process. Use warm water and your kitchen sink - it doesn't come out without a bit of work on your part. But should you want the resist to stay for some reason, the water-soluble resists are safe for dry-cleaning.

If you are using paints specifically designed for fabric then you can also use an anti-diffusant to paint the areas around your stenciling before applying paint. These will also keep the paint from running.

For more information on materials needed for painting silk see Dharma Trading Company's site. You may also want to check there for paints specifically made for wool and nylon.

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