project: grounded earth tote bags (series 1)

Believe it or not, I actually made a few other things besides knitted projects these past few months. Again, being inspired from my surface design class, I had to make a silk screen to demo for the class at some point during the quarter. So I came up with an organic design (go figure) that has a little day of the dead feel to it.

After making a sample for the class, I decided to whip up a few tote bags for my friends as holiday gifts.

(up close and slightly photoshopped)

I used the paint-on screen printing method (that involves no dark room). The result isn't as precise as some prints can be, but I do like the look of it. The fabric was some dark denim purchased from Vogue Fabrics, and the paint was your basic Jacquard screen ink. I just squashed the yellow in-between the fuschia before I passed it through the screen. I definitely enjoyed the orange glow that came from the color mixing!



In attempt to create a series of these bags, I tried my hand at another screen of a different original design. This screen, however, did not make the cut when I went to rinse off the drawing fluid. I have a feeling that there was leftover screen cleaner on the screen, and that's why the filler didn't stick after it was dry. Lame. I will give it a second go around sometime soon, considering I already have like 3 other blank tote bags waiting at home...

Picture from my friend, Beth, who received one of the tote bags!