fabric painting the modern way (Beyond Cotton)

One of my very favorite techniques in Beyond Cotton is fabric painting.  It's so easy and a perfect way to get into personalizing your fabric.

The three projects in the book that use this technique are the Watercolor Baby Bibs, Whole Cloth Painted Baby Quilt, and Freckles Tote Bag:

photo by Holly DeGroot

photo by Holly DeGroot 

photo by Holly Degroot 

All three of the projects use base fabrics that are neutral and soft, which are then painted with a super cool liquid dye by Jacquard called Dye-Na-Flow. The great thing about Dye-Na-Flow is that it soaks into the fibers of your fabric and doesn't change the feel of it-- which makes it perfect for baby items.

You can easily find the larger bottles of Dye-Na-Flow at your local art store, Dick Blick, and Dharma Trading. Smaller bottles are sometimes found more readily in something called "exciter packs" at JoAnn Fabrics, Amazon, and Michaels stores.

These are really good for smaller projects and for color mixing.

Once you learn the technique, it's so easy to use it on other projects!

I used the Whole Cloth Painted Baby Quilt technique on fabric for a Geranium Easter dress for Charlotte:

I've dyed panels of white linen blend Essex to make different versions of the Leather Bottom Zipper Pouch that's also a project in Beyond Cotton:

And I've played around with painting designs and using a Sharpie Rub-a-Dub laundry marker to do accent marks:

Sandi of the Crafty Planner used this technique to play around too. You can read her review of the book and more about her project here. 

photo by Sandi Sawa Hazlewood

Have you tried this technique yet? If you're a beginner or just nervous about dyeing or printing fabric,  I bet you'll be hooked once you learn how easy, inexpensive, and fun it is. Give it a try! And don't forget to post and tag your photos on Instagram with #beyondcotton and #beyondcottonchallenge this month to get some great prizes!