Maybe you’ve been intrigued by the idea of painting on fabric. Maybe you’ve even tried your hand at painting a quilt, a t-shirt, a pair of shoes, or a silk scarf. But you may not have heard of the incredibly handy helpers for fabric painting called acrylic mediums. Here’s an introduction to acrylic mediums and how you can use them to enhance your fabric painting.
We recommend two different types of acrylic mediums for anyone getting started with fabric painting: fabric medium and gel medium. Both are made of the same kind of acrylic polymers that go into acrylic paints, but without the pigments. Continue Reading…
When I first learned to quilt, I never imagined that quilting would involve putting on my apron and picking up a paint brush. But that’s all changed since I’ve joined the ever-growing group of quilters who are painting on fabric. It’s a whole new way to play with the colors we quilters love so much (and a whole new kind of mess in the sewing room!)
One thing I’ve discovered is that acrylic fabric paints aren’t the only way to make a splash on fabric. You can create wonderful, flowing watercolor effects with acrylic fabric inks—and unlike fabric paints, inks don’t stiffen the fabric when they dry. Read on to learn more about acrylic fabric inks and how to use them for painting on fabric. Click here to learn more about fabric paints.
Fabric ink painting of a stormy sunset, based on techniques from Mickey Lawler's book Sky Dyes.
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You’re a quilter, not a painter or textile artist. What can someone like you do with fabric paints? Actually, you might be surprised by all the ways a touch of paint can enhance a quilt.
Have you ever made a quilt top that includes one fabric that just doesn’t look right? Instead of hating the top forever or spending hours ripping out seams, you can alter the color of the problem fabric with a little paint and turn a disaster into a quilt you can be proud of.
Butterfly fabric altered with an all-over wash and "coloring inside the lines"
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Anyone who has been to a quilt show or picked up a quilting magazine recently has seen some of the gorgeous effects fabric artists are creating these days with fabric paint. Who wouldn’t be proud to make something like this?
"Autumn Field" by Lesley Riley, author of Fabulous Fabric Art with Lutradur
Or this?
"Sunset Safari" by Gloria Loughman, author of Luminous Landscapes
Even if you’re more of a plain Jane quilter (like me), you can still use fabric paints to add color, texture, and excitement to your quilts. It doesn’t take years of art training or a lot of expensive equipment.
Here are the answers to some common questions quilters ask about painting on fabric.
Which kind of paint is best for fabric painting?
Acrylic fabric paints are our favorite choice. They aren’t terribly expensive, they clean up with soap and water (no toxic solvents or chemicals to deal with!), and they are available in a whole rainbow of beautiful colors.
Acrylic fabric paint consists of pigment suspended in an acrylic medium specially formulated to be easy to work with and wear well on fabric. Look for a paint that doesn’t need to be heat set, steamed, or chemically fixed to be permanent.
Some paints are stiff enough to show your brush strokes on the finished piece, while others come as a thin liquid that can be brushed on like watercolor paint. Acrylic fabric paints can be thinned and made softer on the finished fabric with a fluid called fabric medium. Another fluid called gel medium can give the paint glossy or matte finishes. Continue Reading…
My daughter used acrylic fabric paints and fabric markers to paint this t-shirt commemorating those who died on 9/11/2001. I find that creating art, even in a small way, is one of the most meaningful ways to come to grips with life’s sorrowful moments. Have you ever created something that helped you deal with a tragic event? 
