DIY print gocco star skirt

here are a few pics of my latest print gocco project - a nice but kinda boring thrifted grayish-purple mini skirt transformed into a custom piece featuring a random pattern of six pointed stars in three different colors & sizes.

i snapped a few pics during the process this time to share with you. the first step was choosing which stars i wanted to use, cutting them out and burning them onto the screens. burning an image has never been quicker or easier than with the print gocco - the screens come pre-emulsified so there's no messy coating to do and images are burnt in an instant w/ gocco's high intensity bulbs - just push down and flash!...your image is now burnt and you're ready to print.

i've been wanting to play with the idea of white on white, black on black, etc for some time now so i mixed up a color as close as i could to that of the skirt and started with a base layer of almost transparent medium sized stars. they're subtle and don't photograph very well but give the skirt an interesting texture and added dimension it wouldn't have otherwise. i'm really excited to explore this idea of color on color further. next, i added some large dark gray stars followed by a scattering of a few small citron stars in a asymmetrical pattern meant to draw the eye upward and add the illusion of height.

i'm super pleased with how this skirt came out and even more so by how smoothly the entire process went. it was by far the most calm, enjoyable and mistake-free print session i've ever had and i can feel that i'm finally starting to feel comfortable with the process, which frees me up to concentrate on harnessing creative energy in the moment instead of having to constantly read the instructions to see what i'm supposed to do next or cleaning up ink that i've somehow smeared all over the place. my next diy project will be sewing a pleated skirt - i'm hoping to get started on one this weekend or next week. after i've got a few under my belt, i'll start experimenting with the print gocco again and making myself an entirely custom-made skirt from scratch. in the meantime, i'll be dusting off the old sketchbook (it's been way too long since i've drawn) and trying to come up with some cute designs for my next print project.

xoxo

☆ c. emilia ☆

DIY print gocco shirt - part deux

here are pics of another thrift store shirt i embellished with triangles using my print gocco. 

i used the same method as discussed in part one but chose larger triangles this time and brighter, bolder colors straight from the tube. as with the other shirt, i had no plan for a design when i started printing but knew i wanted it to be a bit more lined up and symmetrical than the first shirt. this fabric was much easier to work with, however, i still had to put some wax paper down underneath to prevent the ink from going through to the other side. 

i made a few mistakes during the process - like, uneven ink application and a couple of unintended smears/splotches i had to cover up with black triangles - but overall, i'm really happy with the bold new look of this shirt. i'm also really digging the obvious hand-printed technique - it sort of gives it the feeling that it's always been there.

i'm super excited to start a new print project - it's been weeks since i've played with the gocco. i'll be hitting thrift stores this weekend in search of more pieces to transform - i hope i find something good - wish me luck! 

xoxo

☆ c. emilia ☆

hygienic dress league

here are some pics of two new pieces i just added to the shop - a fantastic bold & bright vintage geometric print shift dress and hip ivory rain coat.

i took these pics in front of the new hygienic dress league mural that popped up on the "pythian castle" building in downtown toledo recently. the hygienic dress league is a husband & wife street art team / corporation from detroit who use gorgeous advertising-style pieces to spotlight abandoned buildings and self-promote their faux brand. if you have a minute, watch the video below to learn more about their art and process.

during the shoot, i was approached by a homeless man who said he had lived in toledo for forty-two years and had never once seen this building used for anything. word on the street is that it belongs to a very wealthy out-of-towner who comes to visit the site every decade or so but has yet to turn it into something. no one knows why he holds on to it or if he ever plans on doing anything with it - either way i'm really grateful that the hygienic dress league blessed our fair city with one of their amazing street art pieces. this mural really pops - it brings a smile to my face and a boldness & hipness to toledo that we can really use.

xoxo

☆ c. emilia ☆

*outfit details: vintage geometric print dress // vintage ivory rain coat // black sheer diamond pattern tights - dkny // black suede slouchy boots - guess // black leather bag w/ bow - jessica simpson // black fabric belt - vintage // rings - forever 21

video: donna terek - the detroit news

DIY print gocco shirt

here are a few pics of a thrifted shirt i embellished with a random triangle pattern using my print gocco (the same process as used for the detachable collar post last week.)

i used the method illustrated in this tutorial since i don't have the gocco hand stamp for fabric printing. it's pretty much like miniature silkscreen printing using a credit card instead of a squeegee and a tiny paper screen instead of a sturdy wooden or aluminum one. i didn't take any pics of the actual process this time, but i'll be doing more printing soon and will make the effort to document it all next time.

i found it pretty challenging to print on this ultra-thin polyester material - the ink went right through to the other side so i had to make sure to have some blotting paper underneath to avoid any smearing or accidents. the fabric was so difficult to control versus paper, which you can easily tape down entirely for a smooth surface, and at one point things started to get really messy. so, after each pass, i ended up using a blow dryer to dry that triangle before moving on to print the next one so i didn't have to worry about getting any of the ink on me or having the shirt fabric fold over on itself causing an unintended smear.  

the design wasn't planned, i just mixed up the colors and spontaneously started printing and adding/overlapping shapes until it felt done. i used to be so controlled about the printing process (you really have to be when you're doing editions) but lately i've been taking a  more improvised approach and using the screen in unplanned ways just to see what happens. the experiments aren't always a successes - i completely ruined a perfectly good thrifted dress trying to print cat heads all over it only to find out my design was way too detailed and looked like big black blobs all over. still, it's fun to try and challenge myself and push my conception of the gocco even farther as an art medium. 

for now, i'm still experimenting with adding embellishments to garments here and there (i will share a  different geometric shirt next week) but i'm already thinking seriously about designing and printing some original fabric for when my sewing skills catch up to my printing skills. this might just have to be a resolution for next year - i've wanted to design wallpaper and fabric with this thing forever. now, that i'm finally starting to learn to sew garments (more on this later) i think it's about time i start experimenting with my own prints.  

so many possibilities... so exciting! 

xoxo

☆ c. emilia ☆