Couture Cushions

These flower photos may look familiar, as I used two of them in the quilt that I talked about on my first post.

Another way I used these photos is to make decorative throw pillows, as you can see here. You can click on the cushion photos to see larger versions.

First I printed out the images on my Epson 4880 printer onto JetCol transfer paper. The prints are mirrored as they will be reversed when they are printed onto the fabric.

The 4880 printer is a professional-grade workhorse that can print on paper sizes up to 17" x 22". Instead of using regular inkjet inks, it is loaded with 8 Airtanium dye sublimation inks: the standard CMYK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black), and also Light Cyan, Light Magenta, Light Black and Light Light Black. This 8-color assortment allows for finer details and subtler gradations in the finished print.

The JetCol transfer paper is a special high-release paper that is used when making dye sublimation transfers to soft substrates.

These images were printed at a size of 15" square. I trimm the transfers and leave 1 to 2" or so around the image. Next, I warm up the heat press. For printing onto fabric, I use a temperature of 400 degrees F and a high pressure setting. I also place thick heat-conductive rubber pad on the bottom surface.

When the heat press is warmed up, I place a 17" square piece of satin shiny side up onto the rubber pad, then lay the transfer face down onto it, squaring the transfer to line up with the grain of the fabric. I then lower the heat press and press for 50 seconds, release and peel the transfer off the fabric.

The result of this process never fails to astonish me. The fabric retains its luster and its silky smooth feel, but now it has an image that has become part of the fabric. The dye sublimation inks have bonded into the polyester fibers to make a permanent image on the fabric.

The imaged square is then sewn into a cushion. In the cushions shown, I chose to add decorative piping. The backs are black satin with invisible zippers so the inserts can be removed. These cushions can be washed and ironed with a cool iron, just like any polyester satin item.