George Weil Blog & FAQs
Welcome to the George Weil Blog FAQs which includes information about the art and craft products sold on this website. There are project ideas, photographs of items created by our customers, product reviews, and step-by-step instructions. See also our USEFUL LINKS page which includes a listing of websites offering information about the products sold on our website, training resources and Guilds.
If there is anything you would like to see included here or if you would like to contribute an item, please email graphics@georgeweil.com
Printing with Dyes and Paints
Thicken paints or dyes using the following methods to create unique hand printed textiles. RESISTAD WATER-BASED GUTTA Resistad is a concentrated, viscous water-based medium which can be used as a gutta resist in silk painting, or as a printing paste...
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DEKA Transparent & DEKA Cristal
George Weil have been selling the range of DEKA paints for many years and they continue to be popular with our customers. The DEKA Transparent and DEKA Cristal paints are fully transparent, bright colours which dry to a glossy finish...
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The Pocket Color Wheel – a guide to mixing colour
The Pocket Color Wheel (yes color – it is made in the U.S.A.) is an essential tool for learning all about colour. The wheel consists of three cardboard discs which are joined in the centre. The middle wheel has the...
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Block Printing with Speedball Speedy Carve
The Speedball Speedy Stamps are made from a high density rubber which can be easily carved to make unique stamps for a multitude of surfaces. The Speedy Carve Blocks are a flexible and durable alternative to lino and do not...
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Block Printed Card using Speedy Stamps and Acrylic Paints
This is an effective method of batch producing handmade cards. We suggest you keep your initial designs simple by choosing shapes such as the flower head we have used. You will need the following block printing equipment: Making the Block...
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Fiber Etch for Cutwork and Devore – Fabric Sampling
Fiber Etch gel is designed to dissolve plant (cellulose) fibres such as cotton, viscose, linen and rayon. It is used for the “burn-out” process of devore and cutwork, while polyester, other synthetic fibres, wool and silk fibres remain intact. The...
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Screen Printing using Screen Filler & Drawing Fluid
Screen Filler The direct block-out or Negative Method of screen printing can be achieved by using Speedball Screen Filler. The screen filler blocks out the areas of the screen that you do not want to print through. It is always...
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The Rain Stops Play with Jacquard Dye-na-flow
Attempt two of the Jacquard Dye-na-flow Sun Printing test was scuppered when, once again, the sun became swallowed up by rain clouds. I first discovered the technique of heliographic sun printing when Pebeo brought out their Setacolor Soleil paints and...
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Halftone Printing on Textiles
Halftone prints can be used to create stencils for screen printing (see our previous post Screen Printing with Diazo Photo Emulsion). Halftone is a reprographic technique which simulates greyscale imagery. It does this by using black dots in different sizes set at...
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Screen Printing with Diazo Photo Emulsion
The Diazo Photo Emulsion method of preparing a stencil for screen printing offers a wide range of possibilities. The technique makes it possible to print fine line drawings, hand and commercial lettering, and photographic half-tone positives. You can choose from...
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Louet Junior Drumcarder
To spin a light and lofty yarn fibres should be carded before spinning them. A drumcarder makes light work of this process and can also be used for creating blends of fibre such as the Merino Wool and Silk blend...
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The story of a dog, a joint effort, and a happy weaver in the sun
We received this email from a George Weil customer in Spain. “Hola! I am an existing customer. Recently I bought a Glimakra Tapestry Loom from you, I was very pleased with it. I went on holiday and asked a neighbour...
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Screen Printing using a Paper Stencil
First prepare the screen by washing it with detergent and rinsing it to making sure it is thoroughly clean and soap free. Allow to dry. Use Masking Tape along the sides of the frame so that half the width of...
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Water Soluble Yarn for Weaving & Shibori
A 90 denier monofilament yarn which shrinks by 40% when placed in water at 40°C, and dissolves completely at 70°C. This yarn offers weavers exciting possibilities for experimentation. The water soluble yarn can be used to support a low strength warp...
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Dyeing to have a go… or worried about safety?
If you’ve never used dyes before, you may be concerned about their safety, especially when using them for large projects or in the classroom. The two most popular synthetic dyes include Acid dyes and Procion MX dyes. When correctly used...
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Discharge Dyeing & Printing with Acid Dyes
Fabric artists today spend as much time taking colour out as putting it in. This gives their fabrics a richness that is only obtained by putting this extra thought into the finished article. White fabric can be dyed with a...
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The Association of Guilds of Weavers, Spinners and Dyers
We are often asked advice about the crafts advertised on our website. Whilst we have a good knowledge of most of the techniques, we cannot always claim to be experts. The traditional crafts of weaving, spinning and dyeing are championed...
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Hand Spinning on a Spindle
Hand spindles are an economical alternative to a spinning wheel and can create a passion for spinning in their own right. With a small amount of practice, the twisting of the fibre can create a beautiful, hand spun yarn. As...
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The Schacht End-Delivery Shuttle
The Schacht End-Delivery Shuttle is designed especially and precisely for handweavers. It is lightweight, comfortable to throw and catch, adjustable to a variety of yarns, and easy to thread. The shuttle has a pirn which remains stationary, instead of a...
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Weaving Looms from GAV Glimarkra AB
We source a huge range of craft materials and equipment from manufacturers across the world. Our selection of weaving looms and tools are chosen from three main suppliers, the Schacht Spindle Company, Inc. in the USA, Lout in The Netherlands...
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