Flowers, ferns, feathers, photographs - just about anything can be reproduced on blueprinting fabric. The creative possibilities are endless...
by Valerie Campbell-Harding
Photos by Ian Cole

At last we can buy ready-treated blueprinting fabric in Britain! The blueprint, which was invented in 1842 by Sir John Herschel, is one of the most permanent photographic processes known. The resulting prints are white or pale blue on a dark blue background, but different exposure times will give different colours. A blueprint can be bleached to make a pale yellow/green print, and then dipped in tea to make a brown one. Silk paints can be dabbed or streaked over the top or through stencils to add extra colours and create another layer of pattern.

You can use a variety of things to make your prints. Text, drawings or computer designs printed in black onto acetate (your local photocopy shop can do this), large photographic negatives, delicate objects such as fern leaves, grasses, feathers, stencils, or open-mesh fabrics such as net, lace or doileys, all work well. Whatever you choose to make, your pattern must not be too large or solid, or you will get an uninteresting blob of white on a blue background.

The prepared fabric, either cotton or silk noil, comes in a black, lightproof bag - but don't undo it to have a look until everything else is ready. It can be bought in A4-size pieces, or as yardage, and as it is not unduly sensitive to light, you can cut it up in a room with the curtains drawn, or in electric light. It is easier to work with smaller pieces until you are sure of the process, so cut the fabric into convenient sizes.

The design

I scanned a columbine from a Dover Publications copyright-free book of flowers, and developed it on the computer to make a number of patterns which were then printed in black onto acetate to use as negatives.

Preparation

To keep the fabric flat during the exposure it must be supported on a base, such as a large piece of expanded polystyrene. Place the fabric on this (it looks pale green at this stage), and lay your chosen image, leaves, acetate print, etc. on top. If the object you are printing is not flat, then you will need to pin it, through the fabric, to the polystyrene, but make sure the pins won't show in the finished print. For flat images such as stencils, black prints on acetate and negatives, cover the whole thing with a piece of plain glass.

Exposure

For the best results, choose a clear, sunny day, although it is surprising how good a print you can get in slightly hazy conditions. Prop the top edge of the base on a brick or box (support the glass with large pins so that it does not slip) so that it is facing the sun, and leave it for about 8-10 minutes. Winter sunshine is much weaker, so it will take longer - perhaps 15 minutes. It's a good idea to do a small test piece at the same time, covering the fabric with strips of paper, one of which you remove every 2 minutes, from 6 to 14 minutes. An under-exposed print will be pale blue (which you may want), and an over-exposed print will be dark navy with hardly any design showing on it (which you may also want).

Some of the different colours possible using different exposure times

Fixing

Using rubber gloves to protect your hands, remove the print from the board and fix the print by rinsing it thoroughly in clean water. The colour changes during the rinse and the water will turn green as the chemicals are rinsed out. Dry the print indoors, away from direct sunlight. Iron when dry.

Yellow and brown prints

Different exposure times will give a range of blues, but ordinary household bleach will remove the blue to leave yellow or yellow/green. The amount of bleach is not critical, but start with a cup (any size) of bleach to four cups of water, and swirl the fabric around in it, using rubber gloves. Rinse it well, and neutralise the bleach with a tablespoon of vinegar to one or two cups of water. If you wish to make a brown print, boil some teabags in water until you get a good, rich colour. Remove the teabags and swirl the print around in it until it is the colour you want. Rinse and dry.

Blueprints don't have to be blue. The yellow/green fabrics were bleached, and the brown one bleached and then dyed in tea.

That is it. The whole process is so easy to do, and such fun, that you will soon have a number of pieces, all slightly different, to use for patchwork or embroidery. Have a go!

Suppliers

Blueprint fabric is available from Rainbow Silks. At the time of writing the following were available: sample pack of 6 small pieces of cotton poplin (each 22cm square) and an instruction book; a book, Blueprints on Fabric by Barbara Hewitt; cotton poplin and a silk noil available by the metre; a fuchsia pink or turquoise cotton poplin blueprint fabric by the metre. Contact Rainbow Silks, 27 New Road, Amersham, Bucks HP6 6LD. Tel +44(0) 1494 862111.