Journal

Talavera Flourish Experiment

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Talavera-Flourish-Experiment-FB

Over the past few weeks, I started digging into the treasure trove of Talavera designs on the dishes in my kitchen. The sheer volume of possibilities was a bit daunting, so I picked a single design motif for a Talavera Flourish experiment.

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Inspiration and initial design

I started with an interesting flourish from the water decanter, and used Adobe Illustrator to create a reasonably accurate copy of the design.

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Final design as a Renegade Stencil

The design was a bit fussy for a Paint+Stitch project, so I simplified, stretched and manipulated the design until I was happy.

Rather than making the trip upstairs to retrieve my roll of boring gray vinyl, I grabbed a sheet of green vinyl from the cubby in the desk and cut a Renegade Stencil from the design. Of course, my laziness would come back to bite me a couple of days later!

Click here to download your free Essential Tools and Supplies for Renegade Stenciling Guide

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Transferring the stencil to fabric with Transfer Tape

Renegade Stencils are great for painting on fabric, and the transfer procedure makes it easy to move the paper-thin vinyl from the backing paper to the fabric – even if some of the pieces are not connected.

 

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Starting with a base of Titanium White Paintstik color

I wanted bold iridescent colors for my painted flourish, so I started with a base layer of Titanium White Paintstik color. The white acts like a primer, and makes it easier to get nice results with Iridescent Paintstik colors.

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Green is NOT a good color for a stencil!

When I started painting, I realized that green is a lousy color for a stencil – especially when you want to work with green paint! There is a Very Good Reason that boring gray vinyl is on my list of favorite Silhouette supplies!

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Paint experiment completed

When I pulled up the stencil to see how my Talavera Flourish experiment turned out, it was clear how much the green vinyl distorted my perception of the colors while I was painting. It’s lovely – but it’s much “greener” than I had in mind. Ah well, that’s why we do the experiments. Right?

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Next up, the “real” experiment – with gray stencils

With the test painting completed, I’m ready to start on a Talavera Flourish Paint+Stitch project. It’s high time that I pull out my embroidery thread and get to stitching! I’ll give you an update on my experiment here and there as the project moves along.

Downloadable guide for Renegade StencilingGet A Free Renegade Stenciling Guide

Want to know more about Renegade Stenciling? Download my Essential Tools and Supplies guide now!

This free guide is a great studio reference and shopping list with links to my favorite, time-tested products that make stenciling on fabric easier than ever.

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6 Comments

  1. Deb Ayers on April 20, 2017 at 10:49 am

    Shelly,
    I love your paint and stitch projects!
    How big is your overall motif? Are you sharing your design?

    As always, Thanks for your inspiration and help.
    Deb



    • ShellyStokes on April 21, 2017 at 1:16 pm

      I’m so glad you enjoy the projects, Deb. This painted motif is about 9″ tall. This project will be a color and stitch test as I prepare to work on a larger project.

      I will be sharing my design shortly as a part of a new program. Stay tuned!



  2. Marlene Clausen on April 20, 2017 at 10:53 am

    Maybe it is the view, maybe a new and fresh perspective created from your adventure, maybe you are just entering your “green phase; or, it just might be the stencil! Happy stitching!
    Must add I am working on my own embroidered fabric to become something else project thanks to your influence. I always used floss but seeing your results, decided to branch out. Am trying Sew Sassy by Superior. Started with 17 colors and love working with it sew much, am joining their thread club so I get ALL the colors!! Who knows what comes next?



    • ShellyStokes on April 21, 2017 at 1:17 pm

      Thanks for your note, Marlene. Sew Sassy??? Sounds like something I need to check out!



  3. Elizabeth A. Franck on April 20, 2017 at 12:17 pm

    Shelly,

    I love the design and your color selections. The green doesn’t look too dark for me. However, green is my favorite color….. So exciting to have you share your new home and environment with all of us…. I bet you are anxious to pack up and return so you can continue exploring, and creating.
    Your shading is outstanding….. I have so much to learn….. back to painting….. Elizabeth



    • ShellyStokes on April 21, 2017 at 1:21 pm

      Thanks, Elizabeth. Green is lovely — it was just more than I had in mind when I started. Practice makes all the difference when it comes to color choices and shading. I started playing with the Paintstiks 18 years ago, so it’s much easier for me now than in the early years. 😉

      As for returning to Minnesota, I have to admit that I’m torn. I truly enjoy the slower lifestyle here in Chapala. It’s almost like stepping into a different world.