This is a fun quilt to make to preserve the record of a family at a moment in time. Grandparents love this one!
Some tips to read before trying this one:
Pre wash fabric to remove sizing and allow paint to be absorbed better. Muslin works well for this project.
Press fabric onto freezer paper. This stiffens the fabric to get a better print. The freezer paper can be removed and reused.
Use fabric paint or mix acrylic paint with a textile medium to set paint into fabric. Be sure to follow manufacture’s instructions.
The smaller the kids, the messier this is. Have lots of paper towels on hand and consider doing it outside.
Disposable foam plates work well to put the paint in. Then spread it around so it is not too thick and then put hand or foot into paint and onto fabric.
Use a pigment pen like a Micron Pen to sign fabric and/or record names and ages. Be sure paint is completely dry first. This is much easier to do with the freezer paper ironed on. You can iron it back on after you have printed your fabric as long as you cover the painted area with a piece of scrap muslin to protect the paint from the iron.
Alternate method:
Use colorful fabric instead of muslin. Batiks or fabrics with a lot of color and not a lot of design are great for this project.
Use an automatic dishwasher liquid detergent that has bleach in it.
Put the detergent onto a foam plate or a pie tin.
Dip hand or foot into detergent and then press onto fabric. Wash hands and feet immediately.
The detergent needs to be washed off the fabric. The longer it is left on, the more it bleaches. It can be washed off quickly or it can be left to dry and then washed out.
