SolarFast Sunprints

Initially, I had bought some SolarFast dyes for a specific fiber project that I wanted to use old negatives to mark the fabric. The negatives didn't have enough contrast for the SolarFast dyes to work properly. Instead of storing away the dyes, I decided to use it for sunprinting. The hand of SolarFast is softer than using Setacolor Transparent Fabric Paint but the colors are not as intense. You have to use a lot of SolarFast to get deep, rich color.

The black fabric on the left is SolarFast black. The black fabric on the right is watered down Setacolor Transparent Fabric Paint Black. Both fabrics are yield good prints but you can see the difference.

If you're printing small leaves like these olive tree leaves then use plexiglass to secure the objects.

I had picked up a large (15" x 14") leaf on my morning walk.  I thought it would be fun to see how it would print. I brushed on a combination of brown and burnt orange dye for this print. 

This large leaf held up pretty good so I able to make multiple prints using different color SolarFast. I realized that the wonderful veining of the leaf didn't show. I'm thinking of adding the veining using thread...maybe hand stitching with embroidery floss.

When I noticed how fast it was to print the fabric, I started grabbing different foliage and fabric. I sewed strips of undyed fabric together then brushed on the Avocado SolarFast and laid the leaves on top. I like the raw look of this print.

A friend gave me a yard of sheer polyester fabric. This print using the Avocado SolarFast has a nice soft look to it.

This print was made using pine needles with Avocado and Brown SolarFast.

 On future posts, I will show the artwork made from these fabrics.