Fabric Painting

What to do with the mauve in your home?

We have been shopping for a stair lift for my mother. She has arthritis in her knees and it is hard for her to make too many trips up or down stairs. We found a chair with an attachment that will allow her to stand and hold onto a metal rod since sitting and standing is the problem. However the seat only came in one color--mauve. I could have removed the seats easily and recovered them but wanted to try painting fabric.

It is relatively easy. Just purchase some textile medium. I got mine at Hobby Lobby but I noticed you can buy it at Walmart for a cheaper price if you want a bunch. I just wanted to try it so I bought a small bottle for $2. It calls for 1 part water base paint to 2 parts medium.

 I just used some paint I had around. The first color changed mauve to dusty rose which wasn't much better so I picked a goldish brown. It did the trick. I noticed when I changed colors that I could paint straight over the medium for a less transparent look. In other words, I used the paint/medium for the first coat which opened up the fabric to accept the color. Then I used straight paint while the first coat was still wet. That way I only needed a little textile medium.

The mauve is gone and I am happy.

 Mom loved the stair lift. She used it trillions of times each day. (Well, maybe not trillions but the word has new meaning with our new national debt and I wanted to try using the word.)