Take time to play with the inks and markers to get comfortable with how they're applied and how they blend on fabrics. In most cases marker colors will stay where you put them, and inks tend to bleed--depending on the fabric.
To stop inks from spreading, use a white or light-colored crayon to fill in the areas you intend to paint. Place the fabric between two paper towels and press. Applying the inks after this process will provide much more control and less bleeding.
Try dampening your fabric--a spray bottle works well. Then apply the ink and watch how the colors bleed, creating a watercolor effect.
For a slightly different look, dampen the fabric with water after applying the color but before the ink has dried completely. You can further control color bleeding by pressing the fabric with a hot iron before the inks are dry.
Blend inks together to expand your color options. To lighten, add a little water; for stronger colors, use ink directly from the bottle.
Adjust tones or mix colors on small pieces of wax paper or aluminum foil. Should the paints dry, try adding a small amount of water to revive them.
Helpful Hints
Purchase clothing items at thrift stores to practice coloring.
Protect your work surface with plastic.
When using inks, tightly woven fabrics slow bleeding.
Use a dry-brush method for soft shading and fine blending.
For a soft color effect, start with a dry brush. Dip the brush in the color, and then tamp out extra paint on a paper plate before using on the fabric.
When pressing, sandwich the fabric between paper towels to protect the ironing surfaces.
Use a dryer sheet to remove paint from your iron's soleplate.
In most cases, colors will dry to a lighter shade.
When using an embroidery machine, use a water-soluble or iron-away stabilizer.
First embroider the design using lightweight thread. Without unhooping the fabric, color in the design, and let it dry. Thread the machine with 12-wt. thread in an accent color, and re-embroider the piece. Remove the fabric from the hoop, heat set the design and remove the stabilizer.
Take time to play with the inks and markers to get comfortable with how they're applied and how they blend on fabrics. In most cases marker colors will stay where you put them, and inks tend to bleed--depending on the fabric.
