Make it Monday... printing on fabric

[I am reposting this by request. A few people have asked recently how I get the images for my samplers. I find the actual images on Pinterest, by googling, from vintage greeting cards, and I also have so many that I've saved throughout the years of blogging. Once you find the image you wish to use, refer to #5 below for the technique that I use for printing images onto fabric for use on a sampler. You can also try the other methods listed below.]

I've found a few tutorials to share with you showing various ways to print an image onto fabric.

1.The newest method I've heard is to use muslin, and adhere Sulky tear-away stabilizer to the back, and then you can just run it through your printer to print any image you desire.

2. & 3. Here are techniques that use gel mediums. For me personally, I find this be to a little messy and the images tend to look a bit ghostly. This is usually not the type of image I am aiming for. But it is fun to try if you are not in a hurry for a crisp image. There are some variations that use Mod Podge instead of gel medium.

4. There are several techniques that use freezer paper. I must admit, I have never tried these. Here is a tutorial if you are interested.

There are the 2 methods that I always go back to.

5. I like to use pre-made fabric sheets made specifically for ink jet printers. Here is a link to a page full of them on Amazon. They can be pricey, but unless you intend to make a dozen large projects, a one time purchase of $15 or so should last you for years. And they are so EASY. I try to print a page full of different small images at once. I create a Word Document full of images that I have copied and pasted from my files. I find this to be the easiest way to get a nice clear image on fabric. And then I have a whole page of images to use in the future. Then you simply place one sheet of the special fabric/paper into your printer and print your page of images. The wonderful pillows in the picture were made using the purchased sheets. They are a great example of what you can do with some of the other sheets in the package!

6. Another method that I use quite often is simply rubber stamping onto cotton or muslin using a juicy Staz-On Ink Pad. I have so many stamps that I dearly love and I welcome the opportunity to use them whenever possible!

I hope you find this post at least somewhat helpful! I know that in our group, there are some beginners, some who are probably quite skilled at these techniques, and lots of "in the middles". So hopefully I've provided at least a little tidbit for everyone!