Design Inspiration. Planet Stencil Library.

Mum's festive stencilled tablecloth

The Stencil Library team all went to my Mum's the other night for an early Christmas dinner.  The silver and crystal were dusted off and polished and on the table was a cloth that I stencilled for her at least 20 years ago.

It was one of my first stencilled fabric projects. The tablecloth is a damask one with a strong woven pattern.

I measured the table top and made a paper template of it. The template helped make the design fit exactly with the shape of the table.  I used a combination of my stencils with one bought from Dee-signs in the USA.

The paint was a screen printing ink that I used to bottle and sell in the early days of The Stencil Library. The paint was heat set with a hot iron and has survived extremely well over the past two decades.  This style of stencilling where the colours were blended and mixed was very much the look at the time but I still think it looks fresh.

I did it by stencilling random patches of yellow then applying the other colours over it. I began with the lightest colours and applied the darkest colours last.  I used a different stencil brush with each paint colour and made sure that there was very little paint on the brushes.

This cloth is often used at family occasions throughout the year but has become a Christmas favourite. Do you have any festive table traditions? 

Helen.

PS.The dinner was fab!

How to make a stencilled draught excluder.

A creative way to keep chills at bay this winter is to make a draught excluder.

Start by measuring the width of your door. Your draught excluder needs to be longer then your door width. This is important as to ensure the draught excluder is a snug fit and keeps the draught out.

We chose a sausage style shape with drawstrings either side for a decorative style. We also made a removable cover, but that's just because we're posh. We used wadding as a filler, but you can just stuff it with old rags pushed into stockings or tights.

For our outer cover we used a black velvet to create a luxurious look.

Factory Fabrics of Prudhoe is an excellent source for lengths of velvet.

How to stencil the fabric:

Launder and iron your fabric. After ensuring the material is crease free apply a light coat of Spraymount onto a smooth work surface and smooth the fabric onto it. The slight tack on the surface ensures that the material stays in place while stenciling. Apply another light mist of Spraymount to the back of the stencil and position it onto the fabric.  Lining the stencil against the selvedge is handy if a straight line is needed. 

Work off any access paint onto paper towel, then stencil in light circular motions, building up the colour as you go. Repeat the stencil by using the registration marks. We used SIB19-S Elizabethan stencil. A slightly smaller version of the same stencil is included in 'Stencil It' by Helen Morris.  A matt off-white acrylic paint was chosen to contrast against the black velvet. 

Now you have stenciled the fabric , here is how to make the draught excluder...

We started by making our inner 'sausage' for the excluder.

Take a material such as cotton (an old pillow case or sheet could be ideal) cut out a rectangular shape, depending on how fat you want the draught excluder to be. Mark 1.5cm  inwards from both sides of the rectangle. This is the seam allowance. With right sides together pin and stitch the seams to make one long strip. Leave a gap for turning through. Cut out two circles, these will be the ends of the draught excluder. pin and stitch the circles to both ends. Turn though. Stuff it and stitch up the gap. You now have a smart,  lump free, sausage shape.

Make the cover: Take your stenciled material and wrap around the sausage shape. Not too tight, leave a lose fit. Mark where the ends meet, draw a line. Now fold over the top and bottom of the material. Pin and sew. This is where the drawstrings will thread through. Fold the fabric so stencilled sides are together. Pin and sew along the marked line leaving a 7cm gap half way. Iron seams and turn through. Stuff the basic sausage shape into the stenciled cover. Sew the gap using a blind stitch and matching thread. Cut out two neat circles from velvet, slightly bigger than the ends of the sausage shape. Choose a cord or a strong ribbon for your drawstrings. Turn through so the stencilled side is now showing. Thread drawstrings and tuck the circles into place over both ends. Pull tightly and finish with a decorative bow.

You can even get fancy and add a loop or a hanging tab for storage purposes.

The ends are ruched together to give a decorative effect.

Top Tips:

1. When ironing velvet, place fuzzy sides together so as not to crush the pile of the velvet. Alternatively press the fabric with the fuzzy side onto a soft towel. 

2. If spraying the work surface with the repostioning adhesive ( Spraymount) to stop your fabric moving whilst stencilling is not practical try this.. cover the work surface completely with lining paper. Spray the paper with a light misting of adhesive and smooth the fabric onto that. 

Ashley.

How to stencil.

I am now on YouTube chatting about the Stencil It book and showing how to use a stencil.

They are easy techniques to follow, one segment demonstrates free form stenciling and the other shows stencilling onto fabric.

I think I look like I need a good scrub... and a good nights sleep. However, the stencil demonstrations come across well,  there is lots of variety and parts of the stencilled house are shown.  The film was commissioned by Jacqui Small, the publishers of Stencil It.  

Please visit and if you found the clip helpful or interesting maybe leave them a comment.

Even better, please pass the link to anyone who may be interested.

Thanks, Helen.

Stenciling with varnish

A subtle yet very effective surface decoration can be acheived by stencilling with acrylic gloss varnish onto a matt painted wall.

How to stencil with varnish.

Take a litle of the varnish onto the bristles of a good quality stencil brush.

Work the brush firmly round and round onto paper towel to distribute the varnish and dry the tips of the bristles. The varnish must be only moist, not wet when you stipple or circle the varnish through the holes in the stencil.

It is difficult to see where you have applied the varnish so do not be tempted to overload the brush.  The stencilling should be dry imediately so stencil it lightly again to make sure that all the shapes were filled in.

top picture DE11 Arts and Crafts stencil. Photo by Chris Tubbs from Wall Effects by Katie Ebben

middle picture. JA45 Mokko stencil, acrylic varnish & stencil brush from The Stencil Library

bottom picture. damask stencil from Stencil It by Helen Morris.

Helen.

how to stencil champagne cocktail

 

Firstly, one needs the stencil VN76 Champagne Cocktail and three colours of water based paint. Other ingredients include two stencil brushes, one foam paint roller and stencil tape.  

Tape stencil no 1 into position, make sure it is straight. Lightly apply paint through stencil with a foam paint roller.  Work off excess paint onto scrap so that the paint is damp and not wet when applied. The roller is used for speed of paint application but a stencil brush can be used instead.

Remove stencil one and position stencil two (they are numbered) No2 is the stencil with the circle designs cut into it.

Match up the patterns by marking through two of the diamond shape registration holes. There is one in each corner of the stencil.

Move the stencil along, up, or down by matching the marks with the diamond shaped holes.

Stencil the larger circles in one colour

and the smaller ones in another colour.

Sit back,sip and enjoy.

Helen.

Stencil, brushes and tape from The Stencil Library. Colours from Crown Paint.

Helen

 

 

 

 

 

 

How to stencil a silk skirt

The silk skirt has languised in my wardrobe for years and I am about to attend two occasions which may require evening wear. The skirt was always much too big and I never got around to altering it. This is a relief because I have been getting a little hefty of late and now it fits....and nothing else does. 

I had damaged a lettering stencil whilst cutting it for a client and as it was a custom job I felt I could not put it in the sale bin. The text is in French and describes moonlight, and birds in the trees so I felt it was an apt choice to combine with a Chinoiserie stencil of branches, birds and flowers.

I stenciled the skirt with many colours so that I should always have a top and shoes to match it. I also wanted to use many of the colours from our new Lumiere range of metallic and pearlescent paints.

This is how I stenciled the skirt.

Firstly I sprayed a light mist of Spraymount repositioning adhesive over my work table then smoothed the largest area of skirt onto it.  The Spraymount stops the fabric from moving when stencilled.  The back of the stencil was also sprayed lightly and evenly then it was pressed onto the silk.

The text was stencilled onto the silk using a bright gold paint. The paint was taken from the lid of the pot so that very little gets taken into the bristles of the stencil brush.

 
Work the lightly loaded brush onto paper towel (see photo above) until the tips of the bristles carry moist paint not wet. Do this using a circular motion.  Stencil brushes are flat, round and should have flexible bristles.  Do not risk spoiling the project by not using the right tools.

You need a separate clean,dry brush for each colour used on the project.

The text from the custom stencil was applied over and under the Chinoiserie designs.

As each area was stencilled I repositioned and re-smoothed the fabric onto the slightly tacky surface of the table.  In the picture above I am masking areas of the design with tape.  This is to prevent me stencilling into these areas.

 

Sometimes just a small detail was needed.

When finished I dressed Matilda the mannequin in it and took pictures...just incase I don't get any of me wearing it. 

Helen.

 

Vintage bird stencil

I have decorated a wall with the bird stencil from our Vintage Collection.

It is the first time that I have used this design and it has potential to decorate many surfaces in many different forms.

 

 

I shall probably furnish and prop it a couple of different ways before painting it over and creating another stencilled roomset.There are so many new designs to show.  I need to learn how to put images on the wall via photo trickery then I can make digital roomsets as well as real ones.  I would be able to show different colourways at the click of a mouse...but we'll have to wait. A wall of bluebirds could be so pretty don't you think?

 

Meanwhile, here is a photo tutorial on how to use repeat pattern stencils like this one.

The stencil is VN117 Sparrows from stencil-library.co.uk.  The paints that I used were acrylics from Liquitex. The colours were bronze yellow, olive green, burnt siena and burnt umber. You will need a brush for every colour used and some paper towel.  Use spray repositioning adhesive such as Spraymount or use a low tack tape to hold the stencil in place.

Create a straight vertical or horizontal line to work from and place the edge of the stencil along it. Secure it with a light mist of Spraymount on the back of the stencil or affix it with pieces of tape.

Take a small amount of paint onto the tips of the stencil brush, I take it from the lid of the pot. Medium and large stencil brushes are good for this project.

Use the yellow paint first, apply it to the beak and add random patches of colour over the rest of the birds.  This paint must be applied so lightly that it is dry within a second of applying. There is instruction on how to stencil with paint here, but basically you work the paint from the stencil brush onto paper towel.  Do this in a vigorous circling motion. Before applying the paint through the stencil do a test patch.  I tap the brush onto scrap paper and run my finger over the mark that it leaves. If the paint smudges then it is still too wet. It should leave an imprint which is dry to touch. Put the paint through the stencil with a light tapping motion or an even lighter circling one.  Build up colour with layers rather than overloading the brush.

The picture shows random application of the four colours, the burnt umber was used to stencil the bird's eyes and little else so if you are on a tight budget omit the fourth colour and use one brush less.

The stencil is realigned for the next pattern repeat by matching the printed shapes on the stencil with the stenciled pattern.

This design repeats in all directions so I could have covered the entire wall with sparrows. I chose to make a diamond pattern.  If single motifs are wanted instead of a repeating pattern it would be acheived by masking the surplus sparrow shapes.  Alternatively, 'Sparrows' could be stencilled in a free flowing formation.  Flocks could be created wherever you wish them.

Fancy a flutter?

Helen

 

 

 

 

 

 

how to stencil with spray paint

I find it beneficial to use spray repositioning adhesive to hold the stencil when using spray can otherwise the film lifts and causes fuzzy edges. If working inside, good ventilation is essential. A respiration mask is a sensible idea if a lot of spray will be used. If outside, try to avoid windy days.

I use a dust mask rather than a full one because my spray stencil projects tend to be small. Also, you will need plenty of masking paper surrounding the stencil.  Apart from all that, spray painting is a quick way of repeating motifs.

You might be surprised how far spray paint can travel so mask around the design and the surrounding area well. Newspaper is good for this purpose.  Ensure that all parts of the stencil are held to the surface underneath or else they lift with the force of the spray.

Apply the spray paint in small bursts of no more than two seconds.  Start the spray action on the paper and let it travel over the stencil. Release finger when clear of the image.  Be sparing with the application. Repeat the action with the next colour.

Recycle greetings cards or scrap paper to act as funnels to channel the colour.

Hold the spray around 8 inches from the card and spray two thirds of the way down it so that the paint is diffused into the correct location. Change the funnels frequently so that no drips fall.

See where the pink paint has been channeled? The paper is now being used to mask the pink area.

If the stencil has registrations marks place a piece of tape under them so that the paint will mark the tape and not the decorated surface.

Lift the stencil and reposition it by aligning the registration marks. When in position mask all the surrounding area again and start to spray the next pattern repeat.

The stencil used is IN10 from the Chinese Style Collection at The Stencil Library.

Helen.

 

 

Learn how to stencil. Stencil classes and tours of the stencilled home 2011

 

Stencil Library Courses and Tours 2011

Tours of The Stencilled Home.

Stocksfield Hall is the home of three artists. Rachel Morris, Helen Morris and Michael Chippendale.  Their decorative styles are diverse but all use stencils to create. Walls, floors, ceilings, furniture and fabrics throughout are transformed with paint and imagination.  Fourteen of their rooms are open for viewing during the tour.  The techniques used in each room are explained and there are various demonstrations of stencil techniques. The event lasts around two and a half hours including a break for refreshments.  The shop is open for browsing, purchasing or gathering more inspiration. There are three rooms scheduled to be redecorated this year so frequent visitors should have something new to see.

Helen and Rachel host the tours and aim to make them entertaining, informative and a great source of inspiration.  Private tours and classes can be arranged to suit.

 The Stencilled Home has featured many times on television. The Book 'The Stencilled Home' is available from ourselves, Amazon.com and .co.uk.  The Stencilled Home DVD is available from The Stencil Library. 

Wednesday evening 7pm  Max 30 visitors.

 20^th April. 11^th May.  29^th. June*.  13^th July. 17^th Aug.  7^th Sept.  12^th Oct.  2^nd Nov.  7th Dec*

Saturday Morning 10am.  Max 15 visitors. 14^th May. 10^th Dec*

*June Art Tour themed. *Dec festive themed.

Tickets £9.00 to be booked in advance.

Stencilling Day 1 Max 10 students.

This class starts with the basics of stencilling and builds to encompass many professional techniques. The emphasis is on practical work with demonstration and discussion.  Stencilling onto various media is practised.  This class includes lunch and a tour of The Stencilled Home.  Equipment is supplied and students take home approx £30.00 worth of goods used during the day.  The aim of this course is to give a taste of various aspects of stencilling. Please bring warm clothing and an overall.

10am to 5pm Sunday 15^th May and 24^th September.  Price £69.00

Full payment is needed with booking. PayPal, cheque, Stencil Library gift vouchers, credit and debit card are accepted.

                                  The Stencil Library.

                Stocksfield Hall, Stocksfield. Northumberland.

                                         NE43 7TN.

Tel 01661 844844 from UK. *44 1661844844 outside UK. info@stencil-library.com.

Customers that cancel their courses or tours within 16 days of the date will not receive a refund. If The Stencil Library should withdraw courses or tours refunds will be given or new dates will be offered.

 

Japanese seascape stencils

The bathroom wall with the Japanese wave stencil on it is finished.  Students Melanie, Laura and the two Ashleighs contributed.  Laura stencilled and cut the mask.  Melanie stencilled the wave background, I did the wave border and the two Ashleighs hoisted the wall in place and held it there for ages whilst I ran around propping and photographing.

It was a fun project and we're pleased with it.  It is temporary though and we will be painting over our work and creating another 'bathroom inspired wall' in it's place.

We stencilled with iridescent turquoise and jade paint. They are part of a new collection that we offer. 

They are created for fabrics but work well on many surfaces. The colours are quite lovely and I have been doing a few projects with them recently.

Both stencils are from the Japanese Collection at The Stencil Library.  This is how the Hokusai Wave border builds up, it has three overlays, one for each colour and there are registration marks for ease of building pattern and repeating the image.

After stencilling this layer with a mid blue metallic paint I marked the registration points.  You might see that I put tape underneath the holes so that the tape was marked instead of the gold surface.

The second overlay matches up with the registration points from the first.  My paint was a blend of pewter and indigo.

This is the layer that I filled in with white.  I used an opaque acrylic and highlighted it with touches of pearlescent . The next photo is dark and more grey than it appears on the wall, I rather like it.

 

Soon I will show you photography steps showing how the swirly wave stencil fits behind the border.

Recently we posted a giant version of the Hokusai Wave border stenciled by Chris from Berkshire visit it here.

The gold paint on the wall is called Millionaire from Crown Paint.

Helen