These sights really made my day, the first one for the aesthetics and the second one for cuteness. Maybe you need to be me ( or any nerdy life scientist) to deem such a critter cute, but there you go. Both were captued at train stations on my way home.
As promised, I’m starting to post details of my stitch along sampler. This is the top section. The two algerian eye stitch filling patterns in pink should be self-explanatory.
The green fillings are surrounded by mini-algerian eyes done with one strand embroidery floss over 4 aida squares in total. The variegated green filling is regular algerian eye stitch, starting at the top with 4 strands of floss and then one less until the last row, which is one strand of floss. For the solid green filling the same strengths of thread were used, but a weel spike was stitched into every hole of the aida.
Well, I was at it again. This time I wove polyester organza stripes into a piece of jute scrim. Then I heatgunned it with low heat, the label says that is 350 °C but I doubt the cheap thingy really gets that hot. As you can see, it didn’t really distort but the stripes partially turned into little pieces of plastic that nearly fell off. So I decided to trap the thing between two layers of nylon chiffon scarf and spunfab (similar to bondaweb).
The nylon scarf is nicely translucent, but also too loose and thin to keep the spunfab from showing and even spilling through. Maybe it would have been good to use some carrier fabric on the underside instead of another layer of chiffon.
It will need some stitching to turn it into something else than a curious sample. Well, maybe it’s time that I do something with some of the experimental samples I did lately instead of producing new ones ll the time. But this melting stuff is so much fun and not very time-consuming, so just what I need.
The piece before heatgunning:
After treatment with the heat gun:
After putting it between nylon scarf pieces; the whole thing is a bit bigger than a postcard now, but could be trimmed to that size.
A detail of the picture above, it shows the remnants of spunfab.
Im ealier Experimetnts I found this hot pink lutradur hard to melt with a flat iron. I had got it from a craft shop where it was sold for use as floristic ribbon.
In the first trial, I simply heatgunned a piece of it. It shrunk to about half the size and crumpled up nicely without becoming unreasonably stiff or brittle. It was not hard to make it lay flat or or maintain a regular form, This is roughly postcard sized now and will make a good background for something one day, For my taste it is still too thin to use without some kind of backing. This experiment definitely was a success.
The next one was two sheets of the same lutadur, a layer of blue polyester organza trapped between them and the whole thing stitched together with polyester and cotton thread. The whole thing is much less beautiful than the first one, because it became too flat and opaque.
This one is perfectly flat and not brittle either. It is kinda stiff, just enough that it can be worked on further without a backing. Still, two sheets of heavier lutradur like this are probably too much.
This is a detail from the latter one. The section was stitched together with polyester thread (Gütermann buttonhole machine sewing thread). The tread shrunk together with the rest of the material without completely melting away.
The last picture shows a section that was stitched together with cotton (standard stranded embroidery thread). As you can see it wasn’t harmed by the temperatures needed to melt this, but of course it did not shrink so it sticks out weirdly now. This is a good effect if it is wanted, if not I’d rather use manmade thread.
I’m showing some details from last week’s project that showcase both the stitching and what the hot air did to it. Especially the before pics are not that good, I was in a hurry when I took them because I wanted to start melting. Unfortunately I’ll have to work sunday to get all the stuff done that heaped up while I had vacation, so I probably won’t get much done. I’ll take the chance to post some details of older stuff.
Two circles with different pattern. Started in the middle, worked in kantha running stitches.
Another running stitch circle. The second one shows the real colours.
This is what happens when you try to sew a large sircle on starting on the outside.
This weekend, I did my next melting experiment. This time I used the same panne velvet as last weekend and lilac fine lutradur. I applied forms cut out of the lutradur using polyester sewing thread. As you can see, I spent quite some time on the kantha stitching.
The next picture is the same piece after heatgunning. I heatgunned it rather gently, the panne velvet and the polyester thread are only a little bit affected. The lutadur melted surprisingly well.
I am much more contend with this than with my last efford. I don’t know jet if I’m going to leave it as is or add some more embroidery. I think it is screaming for a dash of orange, but I don’t want to rush this.
Well, That’s a German metal band, and I’ve been to their concert earlier this night. They were great, the gig was one big party. The support, End of Green, were great either. It felt so good to party, I’m not doing this often enough these days. I guess I had one beer too much to post anything about fiber art right now. I brought my camera, but found it really hard to use it in that kind of light, I’m showing some of those I got.
No worries, I won’t neglect my blog again. I’ll write something more artsy tomorrow.
I have been shopping for cheap manmade fabrics, and wanted to play with heat tools again. For this experiment, I had manmade shiny velvet (please help me – what is this stuff called in English?) and a sheer curtain fabric, similar to organza but less stiff and a sniplet of lutradur.
Edit: This kind of velvet is called panne velvet. By the way, in German it’s Pannesamt (samt=velvet). Me bad.
The first picture shows the materials as I assembled them before heating, I didn’t stitch them together this time. Sorry, it was taken in bad artificial light.
Next, I ironed the whole thing. I ironed very hot, but the curtain fabric was completely unwilling to melt, the velvet and the lutradur melted only the slightest bit. The lutradur did not adhere to the rest at all. The part where the curtain fabric melted away happened when I toughed it without baking paper under the flat iron. So I knew it was meltable.
This is the lutradur sniplet after ironing. It was coloured by the curtain fabric.
Next, I heatgunned the whole thing vigorously. Yes it did melt. Surprisingly, under the direct heat the curtain fabric melted easier than the velvet. This is still not what I would call beautiful or well done, but a start. Maybe I will use it for something, but I have no idea yet. Well, it was for the experience.
I had some time for checking out other people’s blogs and general websurfing, and would like to share a few things I really liked.
Carol-Anne Conway at threads across the web has posted a tutorial about using a sinking needle . This is a special technique from japanese embroidery to pull the ends of heavy couched gold threads through to the backside of the fabric. To me, it looks like it could be useful for any couched work involving bulky, wire-like or otherwise defiant threads or materials.
At My Patchwork of Life there’s a tutorial about crocheting flowers using regular skirt buttons as a base . I haven’t tried it but it looks convincing and useful.
At Magpie’s Mumblings there’s a posting about ironing and heat-gunning several materials. It caught my eyes because I’ve been doing much in that direction lately myself. I appreciate it greatly when people share their experiences in that way, it always gives me new ideas.
At Arlee Barr’s blog There’s a tutorial about making fabric paper. It is two years old, but I just found it via a link in a new post of hers and it is the first online tutorial for this I have seen. Thank you for this one Arlee!
Clyde Olliver has a nice new website which showcases his work nicely. I just wanted to tell you in case you have stopped checking his half-dead blog. Yes I’m a fan.
Here I show the artsy piece I’ve been working on during this vacation. I didn’t really want to show it before it is finished, but it ties in so nicely with other things that have been going on lately. I’m going to post something about what it means to me, and how I did the melted fabric background when it is finished.
The background of this was made from jute band, polyester organza and lutradur, all baked together with a flat iron on a background of batiste. All these are materials not exactly known for their durability, and when ironed they are kind of brittle too. (I will finish it off with another layer of sheer fabric because of this). Working on this made me think even more about the conservation issues discussed a few postings earlier. But doing this is so much fun that I think I will do it again anyway.
The other thing about this that made me think is that I only used kantha-like running stitches and seed stiches on it. This makes sense, it has so much colour and texture that intricate stitching on top of this would be either overwhelming or just messy. But it is strange how rarely the complicated stitches I love to practice find their way into my more artsy stuff. I love doing complicated needlework, but I often have problems integrating it into modern work. I so would want my work to express the whole me, so this is annoying me a bit. Something I will have to work on.
the piece I'm actually working on
