We are into all kinds of printing—from
hand-block printing in the studio all the
way to rotary printing hundreds of yards
for our organic Quilter’s Cotton collections.
However, screen printing attracts us
because our methods are so immediate. It’s
a great medium for playing with ideas and
where we get our hands dirty.
We print with big screens and little
screens on tiny scraps and large expanses.
Our style is contradictory—at once soft,
yet strong; earthy, yet other-worldly;
beautiful, thoughtful, and interesting.
We use color combinations that are both
unusual and sophisticated. While we
dabble in product design for fun, we
primarily love creating pattern.The hemp/cotton we use is similar to
linen—it gets softer and more beautiful
with time. The structure of the fabric
makes it easy to sew. The fabric itself
is strong and can withstand a washing
machine; however, the prints need a little
TLC, so we recommend a gentle, cold,
hand wash before sewing.
We are inspired by people working with
integrity, passion, and interesting processes
across the arts, which is why we are
involved in every step of the process. We
are grateful to the people that purchase
our fabric, and it’s an honor to be a part of
their lives.Umbrella Prints
Artist & textile designer Amy Prior and graphic designer Carly Schwerdt
UMBRELLAPRINTS.COM.AU ∙ Instagram @umbrellaprintsScreen printing is a relatively quick way
of printing and I love that I have complete
control over the outcome. I can choose my
own base cloth, mix my own ink colors, and
ensure high quality by printing by hand.
I’ve always loved cloth, probably from
following my mom around fabric stores in
Canada when I was young. And I’m drawn
to natural fi bers like cotton, wool, and linen
and, more recently, hemp and bamboo. I
use sustainable base cloth in my work—
GOTS certifi ed organic cotton, hemp and
linen/organic linen—they are all pretty
amazing to print on. Organic linen/organic
cotton is my favorite for its rich, natural
fl ax color and the way it looks with velvet
black ink. I love seeing what other peoplemake with my designs. The majority of my
screens are quite small, so I mostly print
panels (roughly 12" × 16"), which work
great for patchwork and smaller projects. In
the last year, I’ve been making an effort to
design larger-scale repeats so that I can offer
designs by the yard (or fat quarter). Any
of my designs, in any of my ink colors, are
available custom printed by the yard.
My fabrics hold up amazingly well. I have
cushion covers I printed in 2011 that still
look as good as the day I printed them. A
friend gave me the ultimate compliment
when she said that a piece of my fabric was
used for the waistband of her young son’s
pants, and it was still looking great two
years (and many washings) later.Maze and Vale
Leslie Keating
MAZEANDVALE.COM ∙ Instagram @mazeandvale/Photos courtesy of Leslie Keating/maze + vale
Photos courtesy of Umbrella PrintsHand-cut stencils are often the
start of the design.Leslie Keating of Maze and
Vale creates a design.