sewing

How to Watercolor Fabric: Color Me Fabric

When I saw the newest fabrics from the Color Me fabric line designed by Hayley Crouse from Welcome to the Mouse House, I fell in love. I was so excited about the black backgrounds (new to this line) and the gorgeous flowers that mimic the adult coloring trend.

So when she sent me some, I was excited to try something fun–to watercolor fabric! It was so fun to learn how the fabric accepted the dye and how to get different effects. And today I’m sharing how you can watercolor fabric too because its really quite fun.

Since it was my first time attempting this and I didn’t know how it would go, I stuck to one color of dye (Teal) for a monochromatic look. And I love it.

Supplies

Fabric dye (I used Rit’s Teal color) in either liquid or powder
Color Me Fabric (this link is to the whole collection so you can check them all out. I used the Floral Fantasy Black)
Watercolor brush or Aqua Painter (these water brushes are amazing–you put water in the handle and you’re ready to paint. I love this for travel too since you don’t have to have a cup of water with you.)
Cardboard to put under your fabric while painting

Tips for Watercoloring Your Fabric:

Wash your Color Me fabric before beginning to watercolor. You want to get all the finishing spray off the fabric so the dye adheres better.
Pour (or mix if you’re using powder) a little dye into a shallow dish you can use as a palette. You can add a little water if you want a softer color too.
Remember that the dye dries a little bit lighter than when its wet. Also remember that you may experience fading during washing.
I dissolved some salt in with my dye to help it set a little better. Then just dip your brush in the dye and paint!
If you want a wash, wet your fabric before you add color. If you want precise detail, add it to dry fabric to prevent spreading. This photo shows some of both–The small details were painted dry and I made sure to wet the center of this sunburst flower to get a watercolored look.
Let your fabric dry completely, then steam iron it to help set the dye.
When you wash your fabric, use a Color Catcher to help catch the extra dye, especially if you use more than one color. It will also help keep any white looking bright.
Dry your painted fabric on high heat before using it in your project.