Long before I ever got my Silk Screening Kit, I bought Plaid’s Simply Screen materials so I could get my feet wet. With last minute sewing, the holidays, and visiting family I never got around to it….. until last night. And I have to say, I’m in love! I chose a pair of lips and used the foil method which requires a few extra steps than traditional paint, but still just as easy. Basically, you place the sticky side of the screen down on your fabric, squeegee your paint (or in my case ‘glue’ followed by ironing on foil) onto the design, and let dry.
I was happy with the results except I developed ‘lines’ on my foil – my own mistake because I was lazy and just ironed my shirt on a cardboard surface which picked up the ripples. It’s an interesting effect, but next time I’ll be sure to work with a smooth work surface. Using the foil also requires hand washing and my guess is that the foil will eventually fade or rub off (I’ve found commercial shirts do the same thing), however using their silk screen paint doesn’t require any special handling. The downfall to this, of course, is that you’re stuck using the pre-made screens that Plaid puts out, but overall, I found it to be a fun crafting experience. Now I really can’t wait to learn to make my own screens!