Tutorial: Using glue as a resist

Making fabric: PVA glue resist

Basic children PVA glue makes a fantastic and very simple resist.  this tutorial will take you through the process step by step.

Equipment

• Textile ink
• PVA glue (children's white glue)
• Objects to print with
• Paint tray
• Bottle with nozzle
• Paint brushes or foam brushes
• Washing liquid
• Bucket
• Iron

Method

1. Cut your cloth to a desired size

2.  Pour PVA glue into a bottle with a nozzle.  The squeeze the design of your choice onto the fabric.  I have written words,  made a flower pattern and circles for this tutorial.

3.  Let the PVA glue dry.

4.  Choose 2 colours of paint.  I wanted a red purple and a blue purple so I blended red and blue together make 4 different shades of purple. Mix the paint with water until it is a runny custard consistency.

5. Paint the watered down paint over the glue resist.  

6.  Using a wet cloth blend the paint together.

7.  Let the paint dry for 24 hours.  This will cure the paint so that the paint will stick to the fibres and not bleed too much when you wash out the PVA glue.

8.  Mix some dish washing liquid in very hot tap water or boiling water.

9.  Place the fabric in the container and leave to soak for 1/2 hour or until the glue has dissolved.

10.  Squeeze and rub cloth until all the glue is dislodged 

11. Rinse thoroughly with cool water and squeeze out all the excess water.

12.  This is what the cloth will look like once all the water is squeezed out.  Leave to dry.

13.  Once dry iron cloth.

14.  Choose 2 stamping materials to use to add more texture to the surface.  I have chosen and plastic doily and some bubble wrap.

15.  Print the doily in white and the bubble wrap in 3 shades of pale purple.  Experiment with colour and textures.  

16.  Finished close ups of the cloth.  The thicker solid white lines are where we put the glue.

PVA glue resist provide endless possibilities in making fabric and is so easy to do.