Good Morning Quilters! This week has been a week where several projects were worked on, nothing was finished completely, and some cleaning of the quilt room happened. Actually, a very little bit of cleaning, but some happened. Some weeks are like that.
The only quilting to show you is that the broken dishes doll quilt will now have a border of hsts. It looked too plain, and I got out my shoebox of little triangles so the border is selected, but not sewn yet. So went this week. lol
I do have a report on the durability of the computer printer labels. Remember this post (Here) where I talked about how I make quilt labels using my computer printer. Several people questioned whether these labels would remain readable after several washings. I wondered too.
After researching ways to make them more lasting through several washes, I found this product: "Textile Medium" which is used to mix with acrylic paint to turn it into washable fabric paint. I reasoned that if I used it by itself, it would be a "clear" product that would make the label washable. So I painted it on a label with a paint brush and let it dry 24 hours.
This worked, and here is a picture of a label that I have washed at least 10 times in the washing machine with whites loads, on regular cycle. I basted it onto a white piece of muslin so it would be bigger and I wouldn't lose it in the laundry. It holds up very well, but it has one drawback: it is very stiff. It was just too stiff for me.
After thinking about it for a while, I reasoned that the product was to be mixed with acrylic paints (water soluble paints). Why couldn't I just mix it with plain water in the same ratio, and use that mixture to make the computer label permanent and washable. So that is what I did.
These labels have been painted with a solution of one part Textile Medium to two parts water, and painted on the fabric. I let it dry for 24 hours, and it is a little stiffer than before painting it, but not so stiff that it bothers me. I am using these labels for current quilts in progress, and feel confident that they will hold up through time.
This Tulip Textile Medium product was purchased at Hobby Lobby and is 8 ounces for $6.99, which will last me quite a while. I mixed a capful of it with two capfuls of water in a little plastic bin I had and used an old paint brush. Water cleaned the brush and the little bin after I used them, and all is ready to use again. I put the labels on a big plastic bin lid to paint them, so drips would be on the lid.
What is up with you? I hope you have more to show for your work this week that I did. I so enjoy seeing all of your pictures and your beautiful projects. Please link up with Design Wall Monday, and remember to mention this blog and put this post's link into your post somewhere. Thanks!
