On 8/10/08 4:07 PM, "LindaA" wrote:

This is my first post to this newsgroup and I'm hoping someone can give
me some advice.

Welcome to the group!
*snip*
Has anyone had any experience with painting on fabric? Any ideas,
suggestions, recommendations that you can pass on to me. I'm thinking
of ordering these Aunt Martha paints, but would like some feedback from
anyone who has tried this before I do place an order, as the paints are
on the expensive side. Thank you in advance for your help.

Linda
Montreal, Quebec, CANADA

I've done a fair amount of painting on fabric - for custom jobs - t-shirts,
pillowcases, etc. There are several brands of acrylic paint made for
painting on fabric. Most are in squeeze 1 oz bottles, the paint flows
through a hole in the tip. There are also the ball-point types. And
squeeze tubes. These paints aren't very expensive, IME, you can find them
on sale for well under $1 US a bottle - usually around .70 at any Michaels
or AC Moore. If you're really interested in doing this - you can also buy
regular tube or gel weight artist acrylic paint that can be mixed with a
fabric medium, and then painted on with a brush. That is definitely more
expensive per paint, but if you know how to mix colors, works out.

Any of these paints that are meant for fabric, or with the medium added,
will be flexible and should handle being laundered. With your eyesight
bothering you, it might be easiest to use the squeeze bottles, and perhaps
some of the tube types for finer lines. Regardless, they all have some
instructions. The craft shops sell a kind of waxed cardboard insert to put
under the layer you're painting. That's key - you definitely will want to
put a piece of cardboard, with some absorbent white paper towel, or spare
teas towel behind the surface being painted. IME, this has to stay while
the paint dries at least most of the way, and then can be removed.

I think you've got a good idea. Just when you buy some paints, do practice
on some scrap before doing your real project. You have to work a little to
feel the control for flow and thickness of the paint.

Enjoy,
Ellice