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India Ink Drawing on Fabricby Jean Impey

Sponsored by Bernina of America, eQuilter.com, Treenway Silks, Sew Steady, Dharma Trading Co.

Host Susan Brubaker Knapp and quilt artist Jean Impey

India ink was first invented in

China as early as 3000 BC. It is

used for many things both artistic

and otherwise. Water colorists like to

use India ink for outlining because the

ink does not bleed once it is dry. Tattoo

artists also use India ink in their work

as do microbiologists, who use it to

stain slides containing micro-organisms.

I became acquainted with it as a

medium for working on fabric when

I met Australian artist Pam Holland. I

instantly fell in love with her whimsical

alphabet drawings and had to make

them all. With Pam’s encouragement,

I began making small quilts because

they were so fun and easy. Quilters need

more fast, fun, and inexpensive projects

to learn techniques and boost their

confidence!

Practice Makes Perfect

Holding the brush end of a dual tip

marker parallel to the fabric, practice

your brush strokes.

Place the brush sideways directly on

the outline (for just a second), apply

pressure, and pull up and away. This

technique will give you a darker area

where you start and a lighter ink where

you lift up. Practice this technique

making short “take offs” and longer

“take offs” to learn which one—short

or long—will suit your needs when

coloring a particular area.

Color the outlined shapes using the

“take off” technique working from the

perimeters of each individual shape,

such as the hat, the skulls, the leg bone,

and so on.

Materials• Background fabric

• Black pen for outlining (I used Faber-

Castell Pitt Artist Pen. These pens

come in a variety of thicknesses.)

• Dual-tip fabric markers or pens,

variety of colors (I used both

Tsukineko® Fabrico® Dual-Tip Fabric

Markers and Tombow Dual-Tip Fabric

Pens.)

• All-purpose ink, white (I used

Tsukineko #80 white.)

• Disposable applicators/coloring tools

(I used Tsukineko Fantastix®.)

• Pattern provided or your own design

• 50wt cotton thread, black

• Sewing machine with free-motion

capability

• Free-motion or darning foot for the

machine

• Batting

Optional• Monofilament thread, smoke

• Light box

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Directions

1. Test the India ink pen on the fabric

for bleeding; some fabrics do not

work well with ink.

2. Trace the outline of the pattern

or your own design onto the

background using a light box or

window.

3. Press to set the India ink with a hot

dry iron.

Tip: Press regularly as you work with the

India ink.

4. Paint the design using the dual-tip

markers/pens in desired colors.

5. Dab or paint using the applicator

and white all-purpose ink on the

skeleton bones to add highlights.

Shadow/shade the rest of the artwork

using a selection of darker or duller

colors.

Note: Gray is a good shadowing color

but if you are shadowing a warm color

like yellow, gray can look muddy, so try

a warmer color like tan (Sand). When

I want to shadow red I can use many

choices like tan, brown, dusty rose, etc.

Tip: Think about shadows—anything

that is in front of another design would

get a shadow on the exterior of the shape.

For example, the dancer’s hand and arms

are in front of her dress so there would

naturally be shading or a shadow there;

that makes the drawing more dimensional.

Also, her hair is on top of her face, so

there would be shading in-between the

hair and her skull.

6. Once the piece is colored and

shaded, use the India ink pen again

to go over the outlines to darken

them.

7. Layer the quilt top, backing, and

batting; baste.

8. Using a darning or free-motion foot,

begin free-motion quilting, following

all of the inked lines with the thread.

I use black thread in the top and

bobbin when quilting.

Tip: If an area is too small or dense, you

may choose to quilt that portion with

a smoke colored mono-filament thread,

be sure to use a polyester thread in your

bobbin with it so the monofilament does

not abrade the bobbin thread.

9. Quilt the background as desired.

Do not sew into the actual design

where you have sewn with the black

thread. Sometimes I draw horizontal

lines with a ruler and quilt over the

lines.

Tip: No one is perfect and you may have

areas where you missed the India ink

outlines but: Good news! Use the India

ink pen to “color in” any areas where you

went outside the line.

10. Square up the quilt and bind as

desired.

sewjean.com

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Print pattern pieces at 100%F+W Media, Inc. grants permission to photocopy these pattern pieces for personal use only.

INDIA INKING PATTERN BY JEAN IMPEY