Art Van Go - Hot Textiles 2 - 27th and 28th April Part 2 of 2

 

layers of Tyvek and polyester organza machine stitched together and zapped back to reveal different layers with a heat gun

When you teach at Art Van Go there is no shortage of supplies, there is a vast range of paints and dyes and products - everything is on hand. Viv and Kevin and their glamorous assistants are always lurking somewhere nearby if there is anything you have forgotten, and I usually have!

The main objective of this workshop was the safe use of heat tools and identifying and using appropriate materials and products. Most the first morning was spent painting up the products, learning how thick to apply the paints. This may sound incredibly basic but it is the most important part of the process. If you paint your products with very thick paint the products won’t react to heat. The paint will create a barrier. It is important to use water based paints as oil based paints and media will give off fumes

The only product where it doesn’t really matter how thick the paint is is pelmet Vilene as we were using that as a background to iron the Vilene Spunbond onto.

Painted Vilene Spunbond CS700 with Bondaweb ironed onto the back then cut with soldering iron and ironed onto painted Pelmet Vilene

Painted Vilene CS 800 as above

 Making faux chenille with newspaper doesn’t really come into the Hot Textiles field but as we were using newspaper to protect the tables when we painted the products we had some rather delicious papers and I couldn’t resist it.

faux chenille with old newspaper

with tissue paper

 

and more newspaper

Using painted Bondaweb is one of the key processes on the Hot Textiles workshop; I think it is still one of the most versatile techniques for creating decorated backgrounds to stitch onto.

painted Bondaweb on black cotton with slashes of silver heat transfer foil

 

 strips of painted Bondaweb on painted pelmet Vilene

with turquoise heat transfer foil

my lovely friend Sandra was on the course, it was great to spend 2 days with her.

She was relatively well behaved . . . .

The group created an amazing range of samples and some were even stitched into, everyone worked well together, sharing materials and their own supplies when necessary. Not only did I have the chance to spend some time with Viv and Kevin, my good friend Sandra travelled down from Derbyshire to attend the course. Sandra always keeps an eye on my diary and reminds me if I need to have a ‘stop over’ in her spare bedroom when I am travelling ‘up country’.

It can be difficult to keep in regular contact with friend and colleagues when you travel as much as I do so it is always good when they keep in contact.

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Brighton Open Houses start this weekend, I will not be opening my house again for a couple of years, life is just a wee bit too hectic, however I will be making cushions to go into another Open House so I will be involved. I am really looking forward to using natural fabrics and doing some image transfer and log cabin – Yes! LOG CABIN! I do other things apart from using a heat gun you know . . .

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 Here you go Jill – The ‘Gentleman of my acquaintance’ broadcasting on local hospital radio this weekend . . . . .

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The saga of damage limitation for nid-noi.com continues - the new passwords should be assigned in the next 2 days. New customers since 11th February will need to be re entered. If any of you reading this have ordered since that date could you email me? It would be a GREAT help.

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