Printed Fabric Bee: Urban Surfaces

I am thrilled to announce that I am a new member of the Printed Fabric Bee. How fun! 

Basically, we are a group of artists who enjoy creating unique fabric with various methods of surface design. Each month, one of the members picks a theme and we all create fabric inspired by her theme. I've just joined the "bee" and I'll be participating through the end of 2015.

You can read more about the project on the Printed Fabric Bee blog. And the Printed Bee Facebook page always has lots of updates.

So, Leslie Tucker Jenison is this month's "Queen Bee." She requested fabric with the theme Urban Surfaces.

I started by created a stamp with sticky-backed fun foam in the shape of building bricks.

I chose a gray fabric and stamped the entire length with lighter gray mixed with black splotches.

Next I used some number stencils to create a hazy suggestion of faded signs, addresses or utility structures. I sprayed with blue Ranger Color Wash Dye Spray.

Then I added another layer of the same spray, this time in dark pink. The numbers were a bit too undefined, so I outlined some areas with a Pigma Pen.

That still didn't give quite enough punch or definition, so I outlined them several more times in messy, sketchy lines.

For my last layer of design, I wanted to suggest lights strung across outdoor patios. I cut a curve as a pattern to follow and dipped the end of a sponge brush in gold paint.

I repeated this "string of lights" at different angles across the whole fabric. I really love this particular part of the fabric and I can definitely imagine repeating that string of lights on other projects.

Here's a close up where you can get a good look at all the different treatments and how they work together.

Here is the whole collection. Isn't it fabulous?! Each month we give-away a set of 6x6" fabric from the theme. You can enter to win by commenting on the Printed Fabric Bee Blog.

You'll also find a list of all the artist blogs at The Printed Fabric Bee and you can click through to read how they each created their Urban Surfaces fabric.