Striking while the iron is hot

This was my first visit to an 'upstairs boutique'. It was very refreshing. Entering the shop, I saw different kinds of clothing hung neatly according to colour. When I looked more closely, I realised many of the items featured beautiful prints. Kanchan, the founder of the boutique and a designer, experimented with different styles of printing on her clothes.

Kanchan first showed us how to do silk-screen printing. Then we learned how to create iron-on prints, and decorated a T-shirt each. Kanchan suggested we try it at home, too, so that we can make our plain T-shirts more colourful and stylish. Pictures can be printed anywhere on a T-shirt: the middle of the front, the arms, and even the back.

What I found most impressive was how Kanchan printed her mother's photo in black and white on a scarf. There were exotic patterns around the photo. It made me realise that art is related to daily life, and we can find inspiration at any moment. So, the next time you're going to throw away some faded T-shirts, think about printing some great photos on them. Then you'll have a unique fashion item.

I have always had a strong interest in fashion and art, so going to Kanchan's workshop was a real thrill. I had met Kanchan previously at a fashion show and was very impressed by her pieces. Her designs are not just meant to be high fashion but also represent an amazing mixture of cultures.

This time, as well as showing us around her own sophisticated boutique, Kanchan demonstrated how she makes traditional silk prints. She explained every detail and answered a lot of our queries.

The demonstration definitely gave me new ideas about fashion. The most important thing I learned was never to be afraid to mix tradition and imagination - this is how new trends and ideas are born.

The workshop also boosted our creativity by letting us design our own prints and putting them on a T-shirt. The whole experience was unique as it was the first time I had done such a thing and I felt like I was a real designer. Wearing my own creation makes me feel special and proud. The workshop has enhanced my love for fashion.

When we got to Kanchan's boutique, she told us to introduce ourselves and asked what we liked about printing or fashion.

Kanchan's collection featured a picture of her mother on many of the pieces. She looks a lot like her mum.

Kanchan then demonstrated how to do silk-screen printing, which was really interesting.

Finally, we all got to do some iron-on printing on a T-shirt with some help from Kanchan, her business partner Annie and intern Petra. I think everyone was happy with this workshop. When I got home I did a lot of research on silk-screen printing. It was an awesome adventure.

T-shirts are must-have items in almost everyone's wardrobe, whatever your style. By adding print, you can make even the plainest T-shirt chic. I particularly like the idea of hand-printing on fabric. What makes a T-shirt lively and unique is not just the pattern, but also how the design is made: the pressure exerted onto the fabric, skills, positioning and the kind of fabric used all matter.

I was excited to see how the same pattern works out differently on different kinds of fabrics. And I am grateful to Kanchan and Young Post for giving me the chance to learn more secrets about what makes a printed tee special.

Only after attending the workshop did I realise that fashion design is such an interesting and creative job.

I used to think clothes-making was a dull and complicated task. Actually, it's the opposite. Kanchan, the founder of Kanchan Couture, and Annie, her partner, introduced the enchanting history of screen-printing and iron-printing to us. We were stunned by the amazing designs on their scarves and dresses. To my great pleasure, we tried out both printing techniques. I loved iron-printing especially. We selected our favourite logo, placed it on any part of the T-shirt, and then ironed it under very high temperatures. And so a beautiful item of clothing was created. Seeing my own T-shirt, there was a feeling of excitement and happiness.

Thanks to the workshop, I have discovered my fashion sense and the experience has raised my interest in the industry. I hope everyone would pay more attention to our local designs. The local designers need our support.

We visited Kanchan Couture in Central and learned about printing and fashion. Kanchan brings an 'East-meets-West' style to her beautiful, hand-printed clothing.

The most exciting part of the workshop was when we got to iron a picture from a pile of cool patterns. I chose a picture of a cat because I love animals.

However, things did not start too well. I burnt my picture and I had to do it all over again. Luckily there was another picture of the same cat so I placed it over the previous one. We went through the whole process again, and after some time, the T-shirt was ready.

Going to Kanchan Couture was a fascinating experience for all of us. Who knows, printing may become useful in my daily life when I'm older.

When I entered the boutique, I was amazed. There were colourful clothes everywhere featuring different prints.

The whole workshop was very inspiring. We learned about the history of Kanchan Couture and then Kanchan told us about printing. The process looks easy but actually it's quite hard.

Then we got to design our own Tshirts. I really enjoyed this. We were given an iron-on applique, or a decorative design, and we could choose where to put it on the T-shirt. I'm very proud of my work, and I love wearing it.

The workshop was great fun and I hope I can go for something like this again in the near future.