Screen Printing at Home

Adventures of Bee Girl

I tried Screenprinting at home on Sunday for the first time using a screen and squeegee purchase at my Screen Printing workshop. I used some discarded sticker vinyl (that would have just gone in the bin!) to cut out my design i doodled at work. I based the layout on the pieces i am going to cut out to make a purse from Nicole M Design.

One screen with design stuck on

My home made version of a screen printing table

Fabric Ready to go and my trusty helper, Husband was too busy watching Star Trek Voyager DVD's

One jar of screenprinting ink, one spatula, one squeegee and one screen ready to go

The fabric i used is by Ryan McKenna, the Blues and Greens is called "Into the Woods" i thought it was perfect because it looks like a landscape. Check out some of his other Batik fabrics, there are some beautiful ones here.

Prints Drying

I stuck down the fabric with tape. Which worked well, but next time i will create a padded base so the screen can sit as close as possible to the fabric. I used a glass table so i think the surface was a bit hard.
Also the screen printing ink i used, Hydrotec, doesn't seem as flexible when dry as the Permaset ink i used at the workshop. I just bought it coz the shop down the road had some, when i get time i will drive to Gabba Screenprinting Supplies in the city and buy some Permaset.

Overall i am pretty happy with my first try. I think "Bee Girl" maybe going on some more adventures to different locations :-)