Our first project out of the gate this semester was a denim manipulation project.
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Denim is tricky for many reasons. First: you can’t really use screen printing ink on denim. It doesn’t come out well because denim is usually dark. We used burn-out alot– a nasty chemical(smelling of dried apricots) that will essentially disintegrate fabric if it’s used heavily enough, and will create a worn look when used properly. We also used adherent foil, a process where you apply glue through a screen, let it dry, then put it in a big heat press with the foil film on top of it. After it cools, you pull away the film and the foil will have stuck wherever there was glue.
I wound up using my sewing machine for a majority of my collection. I created 3-d forms for a few swatches and stylized applique for other swatches. Many of them I used darker or opaque screen printing and even glued on fibers instead of foil. My instructor liked them so much she suggested I enter a re-constructed denim competition, which I’ll post photos of later.
