Pounded Fabric - The Magic

Now for the results! After the fabric is completely dry, iron it and it is ready to use. (Several days in "real life") Here is the black Kona with the metallic paints I did for this demonstration.

Pounded Fabric right out of the plastic bag when totally dry.

Whole piece of Pounded Fabric after ironing

Close-up of Pounded Fabric

I also did a purple hand-dyed piece I wanted to show as another example. But this is an example of what happens if the fabric is too dry.  It IS a painted piece of fabric and definitely usable...but the fabric was too dry to assist in the capillary action between enough water and the paints. Those beautiful little feathery veins are very few. Oh it WILL get used for sure.  So as with so many surfacing techniques, all is not lost.  There are always alternatives!! And some accidents are quite wonderful. Even if you don't get the pounded fabric right the first time, you have not wasted anything!

Here is a piece I recently completed entitled "Deep Space."  The background fabric for this is a piece of black Kona pounded with different metallic paints. This is why I don't have any black pounded fabric left. It was just too perfect for this theme!!

Deep Space

I also used some pounded fabric on two pieces in my recent "Pecans" series. I love using pounded fabrics in a collection of surface designed pieces because the look is so different.

In "Emergence" I used some blue/green pounded fabric in the textile portion of this piece.

Emergence

Emergence (detail)

And in "Winter Harvest" in this series, I used another piece of the blue/green pounded fabric and a couple of bits of the black Kona/metallic pounded fabric.

Winter Harvest

Winter Harvest (detail)

I hope you have enjoyed this technique and will give it a try next time you have some leftover paint (or just feel like making some of this beautiful fabric). The combinations of fabric and paint are so many!! You can also vary the amount of paint used for a more subtle look. Most of all....Have fun!!