Patches made on my Gocco

Yesterday, I was excited to make my first attempt at printing on fabric using my gocco with the special fabric inks. I made two designs to use as freebie patches that will be included in orders from Argyle Whale. I made a llama proudly wearing handmade accessories and a bunny enjoying her handmade scarf. The bunny was inspired by a picture of the famous and always stylish, Coco.

As with most things, there were pluses and minuses to working with fabric on the gocco. I had fun making the patches but ran into enough difficulty that I wasn't inspired to make prints on fabric regularly.

the bad parts:
~ The ink was runnier and more prone to spreading so details were lost.
~ The fabric absorbs the ink pretty quickly and I needed to re-apply ink after about six prints.
~ The process is more expensive since it goes through the ink much more rapidly.
~ The prints need to be ironed to set the ink after they dry. That isn't such a big deal but it takes extra time.
~ I think that the steam from heat setting the inks is probably poisoning me.

the good parts:
~ Printing on fabric opens up lots of new possibilities with the gocco.
~ I think the fabric ink smells a little like butterscotch pudding.
~ It is still simpler and tidier than making a large silkscreen.
~ It looks pretty sharp!

I think the patch-making was a pretty worthwhile endeavor even though they took all night and are going to be given away for free. I made use of a lot of fabric that I had stashed for my LazerBeanz appliques which I don't think I'll be using anymore and I got to experiment in a low pressure way. Also, I figure that the extra layer of fabric in my mailers will protect my prints a little more.

I'm more in love with my little orange printing machine than ever with the addition of this new technique.

My favorite toy is my print Gocco.

I recently purchased a Riso print Gocco machine from Japan to make some thank-you cards and I completely fell in love with this simple printing process. There is nothing quite like a new tool or method to get me working again and the Gocco sent me into a flurry of productivity and had my head brimming with new ideas.

Before I started using my Gocco, the main imagery I was working with was for Lazer Beanz. Due to the nature of my materials and the technique I used in the LazerBeanz appliques, my aesthetic became bolder, simpler and mostly color based. When my Gocco arrived in the mail I was surprised by how much of a challenge it was for me to make a simple line drawing to print. Using multiple colors in one print on the Gocco was too advanced at first so I couldn't rely on using color to define my shapes as I had been doing with the fabric. I had to shift my brain into contour mode and that was a big obstacle that I hadn't been expecting.

My creative side was a little lopsided so I'm glad that the Gocco forced me to design differently. It also helped to expand the types of images I use. I would have taken forever to make something as detailed as the "Barnacle Whale" or "Treasure patterns" with sewn fabric and, honestly, I'm more of the instant gratification type.

Here is my first try:


"Treasure Patterns"



"Barnacle Whale"



I'm pretty delighted with my Gocco and plan to make lots and lots of things with it forever! In fact, I plan to have a whole Etsy shop (argylewhale.etsy.com) packed with my limited edition prints and other treats by mid January.

I bet you are wondering...
What is this Gocco?
Where did I purchase such a fine thing?
How do I use it?
What's the news on the Gocco?
Where can I see more prints?