My love of punk means ever so often I get the desire to design my own T-shirts. Problem is I can't seem to get a method that actually works. So far I have tried-

Commercial inkjet T-short transfers you print your design onto. They fade loads and have a tendancy to peel. The transfers for white/pale colour clothes are quiet good but I don't wear those colours.

Acrylic paint + a binding substance (can't remember what it was). Was really versatile with a nice finish but just doesn't survive a 40 degree wash.

Material pens, same problem as the paint and with a weak scrawley finish, limits successful designs.

Strange gutta type outliners. Pearlescent colours, pretty tough but prone to pealing. Looks better on bags than T-shirts. As with pens anly using an outline limits designs and it doen't look very professional.

Oh and I tried stitching/ applicé but it took waaay too long. I haven't tried spray paint as I don't have the appropriate saftey equiptment (ie an open space!).

So does anyone have any ideas about a new method I can try? I have honestly run out of ideas.

Cheers!

Clough

Great stuff, jrebel7! Would that be you in the image on the bottom?

jrebel7

Glad you liked the images. No, that is my sister-in-law, Sue. She really enjoyed the gift. Like I said, these were done many years ago.

Clough

So, have what you done on them stood the test of time as well as many washings?

jrebel7

Yes. The only ones I noticed a little cracking of the paint was the ducks on black, however, I wanted the colors very defined and added layers of colors. The cracks did not appear however until a few years later. Not noticable to anyone unless I pointed it out. I don't put a lot of clothes in the clothes dryer. I generally hang them on a hanger to give longer life to the piece, whether painted or not, and let them air dry. I don't like to shop so I make my clothes last as long as possible. Towels, washclothes, white things, sure toss 'em but not slacks, shirts, etc.

Clough

Are you saying that the best thing to do with clothes that have some sort of design on them in order to make the design last, is to air dry them?

jrebel7

That has been my experience. I do use heat to set the paint after it dries when I first do the painting.

Clough

Is there a specific kind of paint that a person might use on clothing that wouldn't be so susceptible to the damaging effects of heat used on them like you might find when using a clothes dryer?

jrebel7

You may be familar with Jo Sonya Textile Medium but if not, you mix it with the paint, and the only paint I have ever used is the acrylics but have used the tube paints rather than the small bottle craft paint, paint your fabric, allow it to dry and use a heat set of 250 degrees on your iron, placing a cloth between the iron and the painted fabric. I have not used the Jo Sonya Textile Medium but a friend of mine had good luck with it.

ADDITION: The little tee-shirt I used puffer paint mixed with acrylic paints on, was washed and dryed mulitple times and is still good. It was Crystal's when she was little and has been worn by the grands. Can't find photo of this one though.

firmbeliever

Jan,Beautiful work as usual....
And I do agree,I forgot to mention the ironing part too.

Ironing has to be done before the first wash after painting.I too use acrylic colours from the bottle.
I air dry my clothes too,maybe there is something there that helps the colours not fade too soon.

Good Luck to you Cal and Templelane on your new artistic ventures!