How to make a cyanotype purse with trompe l’oeil lace print
Thanks to Kim Tillyer for sharing this tutorial: How to make a cyanotype purse with pretty trompe l’oeil lace printed pattern. It’s an easy first cyanotype project to try your hand at, and is an extract from her beautiful new book A Beginner’s Guide to Cyanotype which you can find out more about here: https://www.frombritainwithlove.com/win-a-signed-copy-of-beginners-guide-to-cyanotype-by-kim-tillyer/. We also have four signed copies to be won so why not enter now (it’s really easy!).
If you’re looking to try your hand at this magical blue art form, Kim’s How to Make a Cyanotype Purse tutorial is the perfect starting point.
How to make a cyanotype purse with lace trompe l’oeil print
Materials
Two chemicals – Ferric Ammonium Citrate (a fine greenish-yellow powder with the consistency of icing sugar) and Potassium Ferricyanide (a gritty red powder with the consistency of caster sugar).
Measuring spoons (a teaspoon, a half teaspoon and a third of a teaspoon), measuring jugs and tools to stir with (I use craft sticks).
Light-proof jars for mixing and storing. They should be opaque or made from amber glass, if possible, to protect the solution from UV light.
Water.
Brushes, for painting the solution onto the surface.
Reusable protective cover,
Nitrile gloves, goggles and a face mask
Ready-made purse blank made from 100% organic cotton. I’ve used this ready-made purse blank made from 100% organic cotton
Vintage lace or paper doily
Newspaper or card, to put inside the purse while you coat it
Optional: embellishments for your purse, from zip pulls and embroidery designs to labels. I’ve added a silk zip pull to my purse, as well as a personal label.
Make the solutions
1 To make 50ml (¼ cup) of processing solution (this should be enough to coat plenty of paper or fabric, and is roughly the volume used for each of the projects in the book), add 6.25g (1⅓ tsps) of Ferric Ammonium Citrate to a jar and mix with 25ml (5 tsps) of water with a spoon until it’s completely dissolved.
2 In a separate jar, add 2.5g (½ tsp) of Potassium Ferricyanide and mix with 25ml (5 tsps) of water until the powder has dissolved.
3 You now have two jars of solution that will become light-sensitive when you combine them. Carefully pour the two into an opaque, light-proof bottle and then mix them together, making sure all the crystals have dissolved. The liquid is now sensitive to light and ready to use for coating your paper and fabric.
Health & Safety
The two chemicals described above (despite the ‘cyanide’ bit) are not dangerous when used properly. In fact, ferric ammonium citrate is sometimes called E381 and used (in tiny quanitities) to make Irn Bru (Scottish fizzy drink). That said, please do not drink, inhale or allow prolonged skin contact with either the powder or solution. The chemicals are classed as hazardous/mild irritant so it’s advisable to wear a face mask and goggles whilst measuring and mixing. Wear nitrile gloves during the rinsing part, particularly if you have sensitive skin.
It is also worth noting that potassium ferricyanide can, if mixed with strong acids, release the highly toxic gas hydrogen cyanide. Please don’t worry about this as it’s not going to occur during any of your printmaking because you will be following the recipe. But it’s worth pointing out that care should always be taken to follow instructions when using, mixing, storing and disposing of chemicals.
Storage and environment
Store the chemicals in a cool, dry place away from light and in air-tight containers and keep them away from food preparation areas, pets and small children. Do not use the same utensils for cooking! Very dilute chemicals are safe to pour down the sink or onto ornamental garden borders, but do not dispose of undiluted chemicals in domestic refuse or drains. For more details on best practices to minimise environmental impact, Section 7.8 of an essay by Mike Ware (a scientist and leading expert on the cyanotype process): Cyanomicon – History, Science and Art of Cyanotype is really useful. Download the essay for free here.
How to make a cyanotype purse
I find the results of cyanotype printing on fabric are often even more beautiful and striking than on paper, and it’s great for embellishing with embroidery or, in this case, mimicking hand-made lace.
1 Wash, dry then iron the purse. Washing removes any finishes on the fabric, added during the manufacturing stage.
2 Fold a piece of newsprint or card then pop it inside the purse blank to stop the solution staining the back and inside. Make sure to remove this before the rinsing stage! Prepare your work surface then, carefully use a foam or hake brush to coat one side of your purse.
Note that coating fabric is not always as smooth and easy as coating paper, and uses more solution. You might find you need to load your brush more but, at the same time, you need to avoid splashing and over-soaking the fabric because you want it to dry fast and evenly. Remember the solution will continue to spread as it works through the fibres so, depending on your fabric choice, it’s not always easy to get a straight outline or perfect shape.
3 Lay the coated purse flat on a protected surface then leave it in a dark place to dry. You could peg up the corners and hang the purse for drying, but make sure it hangs somewhere dark and the surface below is protected from any drips. You need your coated purse to be completely dry, before proceeding to the next stage. * see below for further tips on drying your fabric.
4 Once the purse is dry, arrange the lace on top of the coated fabric. Cover the lace and purse with a sheet of transparent acrylic or glass for good contact, and for a crisper print. Expose for at least 25 minutes if you are using a UV lamp. If you rinse too soon, you risk getting a pale and washed-out result, like faded 1970s denim (which isn’t always a bad thing).
5 Rinse the purse by swishing in a tray of cold water, making sure there are no air bubbles. The water will turn yellow as the solution washes out. Keep changing the water and rinsing under the tap until it looks as though all the yellow has gone. Washing the solution out is easier with fabric than with paper because you can squeeze the fabric and make sure you’ve completely rinsed away the chemicals; you can also use warm water after the initial wash in cold water.
6 Hang to dry. Remember that the blue will continue to darken as it dries. Iron the purse before adding any other embellishments like zip pulls, labels, and so on.
Once dry, you can repeat the process on the other side of the purse, if you wish.
Drying your fabric
It’s important to allow your fabric to dry after coating it with your solution. This is so you can achieve a crisp print that doesn’t wash out at the rinsing stage, but also to avoid getting the solution on your piece of beautiful lace.
The drying process for fabric can take a while, and this is the part that I find the hardest because my studio isn’t very warm. The longer it takes, the more you risk light and oxygen starting to oxidize the solution. Working at night under normal light bulbs, then leaving the fabric to dry overnight in a dark drawer (lined with paper) should be fine. If you are willing to invest in one, the ideal would be a proper print-drying rack in a warm, dark room.
If you discover that your coated fabric has started to darken as it dries, don’t panic – try printing with it anyway. I’ve had some nice results from unpromising-looking beginnings!
INFORMATION
Thanks again to Kim for sharing this How to make a cyanotype purse tutorial with us. If you’d like to discover more about Kim, her work and her new book Beginner’s Guide to Cyanotype, click here: https://www.frombritainwithlove.com/win-a-signed-copy-of-beginners-guide-to-cyanotype-by-kim-tillyer/
Beginner’s Guide to Cyanotype is published by Search Press and available from all good bookshops as well as Amazon
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