Own Your Encore

Those are three words you will know more about in three minutes as you read through this post.
As a bit of context, in January I set my artistic learning goal for the year as ‘surface design’ and in February discovered Susan Lazear at a SewExpo near Seattle. While in a class I learned she was offering a workshop where participants create a garment pattern (like a skirt or dress designed on her very intutive Garment Designer software), design a surface print to fit the pattern, have the fabric printed (with the print uniquely placed in the pattern pieces), and then have it sewn on site by a professional seamstress… all in the context of Lyon France for inspiration and historical perspective. Hmm… ok, so I started planning.

In the workshop I chose to use my sketches and create a pattern for a skirt with a drawstring top…maximizing the print space and fabric. Here you can see my design, the printing and final sewn skirt. [I am thinking it can also be used as a tablecloth!]

The location where we were working is in Valsonne, France, at a Family Textile House complete with meeting space, printing rooms and a sewing salon! The fabric is printed to the highest quality, steamed after printing and beautiful overall … I chose a cotton 57% /linen 43%, 263g.

We learned to design an item in Garment Designer, saved the pattern actual size, brought it into Photoshop, created unique prints and put them into the actual size pattern pieces to send to the fabric printing process. A big learning curve but we now have the basics to make it our own for future applications.

We also had the opportunity to learn & design a repeat pattern to be printed by a process called Sublimation. [Briefly, a design file is transferred to a paper, the paper print mingles with a gas that transfers the print from the paper to the fabric. ] It’s hot while rolling out.

To learn repeat design Susan challenged us to use a dessert swirl from the prior evenings dinner to make a quick repeat design… on the right is my result ‘Apricot Tart Tulip w/Chartreuse ‘

We could print up to 5 meters using the Sublimation printing for a repeat design. For this fabric my inspiration was from a flower I saw in the local church garden while on a morning walk. I melded that with inspiration from the Chanel gardenia. I even added my initials! This repeat design was printed using the Sublimation process.

Clockwise above: Upper left – single repeat in photoshop, Upper right -printed fabric 50g Polyester ( for a packable rain coat), Lower right – garden flower inspiration, Lower left- printed paper for the Sublimation, …. and below a coordinating print.

My second repeat for Sublimation printing. On poly canvas.

Many thanks to our organized guide, teacher and creative nudge. Always professional, always fun. Susan Lazear Cochenille Design Studio

Creativity all around bons amis!

The printing house brand https://www.unrendezvousfrancais.com/