Slow progress

I had planned to be able to print using the repeat screen today, and to print on 6m of fabric.  It turned out not so simple.

On Tuesday I emulsed my screen. Left it overnight to dry and exposed it on Wednesday.  I was already running a day late because Monday was spent sorting out a dentist.  When I came to wash out the exposed screen, as soon as I put the water jet on it, all the emulsion started shedding.  Disaster. 

I took advice and it turns out I had left the emulsion coating too thick.  We are meant to do 2 wet pulls (coats) each side, followed by 1 dry pull to remove excess emulsion.   I had been distracted, and omitted the dry pull on one side.  This means that when the screen is exposed, the coating is too thick to react and set properly, thereby reabsorbing water when washed.  This disaster meant I had to clean, dry, and re-emulse the screen on Wednesday, and expose it again on Thursday during class.

I had planned to work on black linen, using white hi-cover paste in order for it to show on the fabric.  This was not my preferred option, but feedback indicated this was the most effective design.  It was also comparatively simple as it only used one colour, and only needed one screen.  I still wanted to work in colour, so also had some white linen in reserve.

Also on Wednesday I was told that if I wanted to use the hi-cover print paste, I needed to provide my own, as the class supply was too expensive to do a full 6m run. It was agreed I could use class supply and then replace it afterwards as it was too late to order before class. 

Then in class today, I was told that hi-cover was too advanced to use for a first session creating a 6m run, as hi-cover dries a lot faster and there is more chance of the screen clogging.  So I was advised to use translucent binder and work on white fabric in multi-colours, as had been my original idea.  So I changed the plan, and prepared a batch of coloured binder.  I gummed down my white linen fabric on the print table, and the tutor suggested I should try out my ideas on calico first.  Which I don't have.  And there is no shop at uni where I can buy it.  Which means I needed to go to Perth on the bus to source it.  So I achieved precisely nothing in today's class.

This afternoon I went to the specialist fabric suppliers in Perth, Potters.  They did not have any calico.  So instead I bought some rather nice cotton/linen fine canvas at $5.95 per metre.  So tomorrow, I take my 3rd roll of fabric to class, and a group of us will be working together to see if each of us can achieve something.  We only have about 2 weeks left to the end of semester.  I hope I start achieving something, because for the last 2 weeks, everything I have touched has fallen apart.

I have an essay for Historical Issues that is due in 10 days, and tonight I started writing.  I had been waiting about 10 days for a book on Grayson Perry to arrive, and fortunately it is an excellent book.  Let's hope the words flow over the weekend.