Heart Zeena Screen Printing Workshop Fun Day #Totebag Hand Silk Screen Printing
It’s a cold winters day, how else would you spend it then to take a course learning to screen print and make exciting designs. I find myself at Heart Zeena studio. Zeena who is a textile designer based in Hoxton, Shoreditch. I found out about Heart Zeena through a craft fair where I saw some of her amazing products, Zeena also teaches a small print class, who wish to have fun and print.
Zeena’s studio, who has an amazing creative space where she designs and teaches from. The studio is full of creative equipment such as workstations, books for inspiration and an array of printing materials.
The day is started with a warm greeting from Zeena, and then a walk up to the studio, where I meet the others in the group who are taking the course, it’s a nice mix, as part of the afternoon we have time for tea and mince pies, obviously because of the cold winters day and the mince pies for that added xmas factor.
Zeena starts the course talking to us about the different types of screen printing processes. The printing method that will be taught is to learn how to print straight from a stencil cut design and printing onto fabric, either a tote bag or a tea towel. We were handed waxed wrapping paper, the type, which is used by, butchers. The waxy texture of the paper is ideal for creating stencils with as the waxy paper stops the ink from seeping though the stencil, at the same time allowing the ink to pass through the rest of the un masked silk screen. Zeena explained the screen fabrics come in a varying degree of sizes, the size were using today is A4, which is a good size to print with onto the Tote bags and Tea towels. The nylon mesh of the screen comes in different sizes, Zeena explained, that we would be using a silk screen with a mesh size of 42T, ideal for screen printing on to fabric, their are many other screen sizes for varying uses, to print onto paper and fabric.
The group was given the task of cutting out the stencils, it’s a tricky task, drawing out your illustrations onto the waxy paper, then, to cut out the designs with a scalpel and scissors. Once the stencils are all cut. We lay the stencil designs flat out onto to the tote ready to be screen printed. Once the stencil is laid flat the screen is placed over the stencil and positioned into place.
Its time to screen print the design, I choose to use a dark navy blue colour for the print. Zeena asks me to spoon the ink at the top edge of the screen, With a rubber squeegee, which is held at a very slight angle, with one firm action with both hands, the squeegee is pulled down the screen, and the ink is dispersed through the screen onto the tote bag. Scooping up the excess colour, it is reused at the top of the screen, the process is to be repeated.
A fun and easy printing method with great results. I found it to be a great way to print, and the rest of the remaining time in the class was used to create new stencils and to print them, which was a lot of fun. It was amazing to see the rest of the group come up with their intricate designs and prints, which were all fantastic designs. Zeena has a great teaching style, which was friendly and informative while at the same time fun. Here I am at the end of the class with some fantastic tote bag and tea towels, which are going to make some great Christmas gifts 
Looks like an awesome day!
I Highly Recommend this course 🙂