HAND PRINTED DESIGNS ON FABRIC

Adire textile material adorned with hand printed African designs is considered to be a priceless piece of art. The hand printed design with Adire background is a viable work of art that preserve and promote our cultural heritage and art. Textile making is a branch of the applied art that has to do with utility, but this particular art piece could adorn the wall of our home just like the paintings, serving just aesthetics purpose. The process entails dyeing the fabric first to add a colourful background then it is embellished with the hand printed designs. MATERIALS Mesh and the chemicals, sensitizers and bicomate, Fabric (Adire fabric or white fabric to be dyed), Colour (Opaque ink or textile ink), Squeegee, Black permanent marker and pencil and Engine oil THE PROCESS STEP 1: Prepare your background in a dye solution, by dipping the fabric. You allow it to dry before proceeding to printing. STEP 2: Make your design on a typing paper, like the A4 sheet using pencil. Then trace it out with a black permanent marker or black ink. STEP 3: Apply engine oil on the paper and rob it with foam until you can see through (a transparent effect) STEP 4: Prepare your mesh with the sensitizers and bicomate in a dark room. You wait until it is dried and transfer the design on it through the heat transfer from the Sun, and then wash it in a bowl of water after 2 minutes. STEP 5: You do the printing by placing the mesh on the fabric, pour the colour inside the mesh and spread with squeegee. STEP 6: You repeated this process until you cover your intended covering spaces. MODEL:The students of Badagry Junior Grammar School, Badagry, Lagos, Nigeria.