quiltingshorttimer

My sis and I are working on a project for a friend. The friend put the outline for embroidered blocks on the background fabric using transfer sheet (the one's you print off the design by computer and then peel the paper backing off the transfer, stick onto the front of the background fabric and once embroidered, the transfer is water soluable). the problem is that the pattern calls for the use of crayons to color the design and set with iron--but it should have been done BEFORE the transfer sheet was used. The crayon color will not go through the transfer sheet and we've been told that coloring after the transfer sheet has been dissolved will result in some kind of hot mess with wax in the embroidery thread.

Sooo, the question is does anyone have experience with this? I'm thinking that the use of Dewar's InkTense pencils (can be used dry and then set with heat)may work instead after embroidery done? suggestions very welcome!

Tartan

The transfer may be water solvable but heat may make it permanent. Do you have a bit of the transfer that you can experiment on? I don't know how you can heat set the derwert or the crayons without setting the transfer too.

Bree123

If you wash out the transfer stuff, then yes, you can use InkTense to color your fabric after it's been quilted. It works best if you work with PFD fabric. I'll try to post some pics when I get home from work today.

Using InkTense with water produces a translucent color. Also, too much water will make the ink run so instead of getting the fabric wet & then coloring, I use regular paintbrushes (for acrylic paints -- set from HL with flat, filbert, round, detail) and either (1) dip the brush in water, then run it along the block & paint, or (2) gently, carefully color in my design, then I use a small spritz bottle with water in it to spray all over so the ink can penetrate the fabric. For a more opaque color, use a fabric medium. I did just see that on the Derwent website it says you can heat set InkTense. I'd never heard of that before. I'll have to give it a try and see what happens (I'd definitely use a sheet of parchment paper to protect my iron). I'll try to snap a quick pic of that experiment, too -- for comparison.

suern3

Is there any way that you can start over and trace the pattern on to background fabric using a light box and a Micron pen? I have done the coloring before the embroidery and that is the method that the instructions list. I've read on a an embroidery website that it does not work to try to use the colors ( as in crayon type colors) after the embroidery is done. It sounds like you are going to go to a lot more trouble and expense to avoid the first step. Unless that background fabric is very special, I would start over. Good luck

quiltingshorttimer

I realize I didn't make it clear where we are in this project. The embroidery has been done. The transfer has been dissolved--so now we either leave it without the color or we figure a way to add some without getting wax in the embroidery work(which is why I was thinking maybe Derwent's InkTense pencils) or forget the color completely--which might have to be but it definitely makes the design pretty drab/plain.

Bree-all the web sites I find about InkTense talks about using with a fabric medium, like Liquidtex or even Aloe gel But when I've seen this demo'd the color is very intense and the pattern calls for very subtle coloring. Would just using the pencils and then heat setting achieve that?

Tartan

I think there is a YouTube video from The Quilt Show on fabric colouring. She uses the medium and no medium to show the difference between them.

Gay

These are some I experimented on with crayons, after the machine embroidery was done. Had no problems, you just have to be careful not to colour the embroidery, but really, I don't think anyone will notice. Make points on the crayons to get into corners, and make up a sample to try it out.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]547871[/ATTACH]

Darn, wish I knew how to get rid of that date.