Fabric Manipulation

Yesterday's post was a glimpse of what we did last night for the Machine Embroidery course. We are developing surfaces to stitch into.

I didn't get many photos of what I call shrink texturing. The idea is from the Threads Magazine. Here is the start of one from a student who had been away last week.

But quite a few were working into a 'broomsticked' piece of fabric. Last week we twisted a piece of damp cloth very tightly till it turned right back on itself and then left it to dry for the week.

We unfurled it and set the pleats by fusing it to interfacing.

Then they worked into the surface.

We also had a go with a bubble texture technique.
I had tried it before, mainly on shiny fabrics (a pain to do and really should be left to dry before fusing) and on cotton. I had found a mention where someone used velvet, so a few tried that. Very effective.

Take a cooling rack, damp fabric and poke it into the holes of the grid.
Hold onto it and check the bubbles are as you like on the other side.

Then set them in place with fusible interfacing. (you could use fusible web.)

Voila!

Yesterday's post was done with an awesome velvet print that was in the scrap bag. I almost wish I had discovered it first to take home! However, it made the most gorgeous bubble texture. and really, if it hadn't had the awesome print, it wouldn't have looked as stunning at the end.

Here is a photo of the bubble texture with cotton. Above it is Maria's work from last week with fine fabrics and water soluble film.

Some of the more advanced students are using the techniques to develop their own piece of work. Delia is making a "tile" for each technique. The fabric here didn't shrink as much as she wanted, but she has worked into it and is still turning it into something interesting.

Kate is trying different things to reproduce the look of wind carved bricks on Lindesfarne.

What a fun class. I love it that they are all willing to 'have a go'.