A New Starting Point - Christchurch Quilters

A splendid sample.

It is amazing to think that last weekend I was teaching this workshop in Christchurch, New Zealand. I am now snuggled in at home, in front of the fire, with my dogs. Isn't life amazing?

A New Starting Point is my favourite workshop. By layering up old newspapers, maps and book pages with painted and unpainted Bondaweb, you can create some fabulous effects. If you add a little gilding flake and transfer foil, you can create something rather special.

Christchurch Quilters are a great grouo to work with, such fun. They are very experienced which made things very easy for me. We had 2 days of play with all manner of papers and sparkle. First we painted the Bondaweb, or Vliesofix as it is known in NZ and Australia.
 
Nicky and Catherine painting Bondaweb.

Then we began the 'backgrounds and prettys'. This technique involves layering paper with Bondaweb and building, tearing and building new layers. It's great fun and you never quite know what you will end up with.


Starting to layer.


Tearing the previous layers to create a new 'pretty'.

Adding slashes of transfer foil for extra flash.


Using different types of language papers can create more interest.


Using subtle colours shows of the texture.


Do you leave the edges uneven, or do you neaten them up?


I love this colour combination.


Japanese papers mixed with and pages from an old atlas.

In the past 7 years that I have taught this workshop, this is the first time any one has added spots. Don't they look fabulous?


Don't the colours in this sample work well together?

A great use of light and dark.


During the repeated layering process it is possible to 'manage' the colour background you use. You decide if you want your colours to merge or contrast.

Don't be afraid of using black.

A New Starting Point includes making newspaper faux chenille. It seems to make sense as we are using up our papers.


If you layer polyester organza in between your newspaper, when you distress the chenille you get a fabulous frayed effect.


 Doesn't this look like peeling paint? I love it.

When you distress your chenille you get all the confetti bits, which can in turn be ironed onto to painted Bondaweb to great effect.


 
In this workshop we used Bpndaweb/Vliesofix and Decovil 1 iron-on interfacing.

Decovil 1 is a leather like iron-on interfacing that is popular for interfacing bags. You just iron your fabric on it and make up your bag. It is also fabulous to use to make decorated book covers and small vessels. There is a lighter weight version - Decovil light!

We painted the Decovil 1 with watered down acrylic paint and when it was dry some of the torn paper samples were ironed on to create slip covers for books.

A few of the slip covers.

I thoroughly enjoyed teaching this workshop. After all the hustle and bustle of Quilt Symposium 2019 it was very relaxing. Christchurch Quilters were such fun to work with and I was looked after very well.


 
                  
Many thanks to Jean, Sue Ellen, Nicky, Catherine, Lorriane, Denise, Dallas, Alice and Lesley.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          
***

If you would lile to learn more abut my 'backgrounds and pretties' technique I teach it online - 

Or the online Faux Chenille workshop is here -

***

I'm going to sort my studio today and rehang it with my work that was in my recent local exhibition. It will be good to see it all together again.

More soon, x



Comments

  1. What awesome results. Wish I could have been there. Lovely to meet you at symposium. Bobby.

    ReplyDelete

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