Working with the heavier interfacings.

 
 The new book from D4Daisy www.d4daisy.com

 Most of you will have seen that Maggie Grey has a new book out from D4Daisy and some of you will already have it. It is a fabulous book, full of exciting ideas. Every page had something brilliant on it - using one cutting tool or another on it - from hole punches to laser cutters. It is a very good read.
The book features several of the Vilene interfacings - or 'pelmet Vilene'. I though this might be a good time to explain the differences between the 'pelmet' or 'craft' Vilenes as most of you know them.

There is no such thing as 'pelmet' or 'craft' Vilene. It is a term that has been adopted to describe a firm sew-in interfacing. The correct name, or in fact, number for it is - S80. Not very exciting - but if you don't know the number you will have trouble finding it. I sell all the medium to heavy weight iron-on and sew-in interfacings on www.nid-noi.com.
I have had to name the button that all the interfacings on 'pelmet Vilene' or no one would be able to find it!!!!


'Capstones' 6ft wide - S80 coloured with acrylic paint, cut by hand and machine stitched to black cotton.
  
 S80 cuts with scissors, hole punches, die cutting machines, the Brother Scan and Cut, laser cutters and a soldering iron. It can be painted and printed onto and is fabulous for transfer printing (Disperse Dyes). It is firm enough to make small boxes, small vessels, cuffs, postcards, masks etc.

 

S80 painted with a thin layer of acrylic paint. Bondaweb was then ironed onto the back and shapes were cut with a soldering iron. The shapes were then ironed onto a background of S80.

The S80 can be stitched by hand or machine.

 

 S80 painted with acrylic paint then decorated with painted Bondaweb, a few foils and stranded glitter. Xpanadaprint was then applied, puffed and painted gold. Finally hand stitch was added.

 

The brightly coloured background is transfer printed S80. This was then covered with a layer of distressed Tyvek which was in turn covered with metal/polyester lame that had been zapped - the whole thing was decorated with herringbone stitch using a mohair knitting yarn.


 

One of my 'Signs' range. The black and bronze areas are S80. It gives a fabulous matt surface.

*

 Then we come to the Decovils - there are two - Decovil 1 and Decovil 1 light. I know, there is no rhyme or reason, this time they have names. These are new iron-on interfacings, they are cream in colour and feel like leather. They have been created to reinforce bags, but I think they feel far too nice for that. I use them for book covers and small boxes or pockets. The Decovil 1 light is lighter than the S80 (sew-in) and the Decovil 1 is slightly heavier.
Because they are iron-on, anything you can iron onto Bondaweb, you can iron onto these fabulous products. Just make sure if you are painting your Decovil you use a very watered down paint - or you will clog up the glue!!!

 


Slip cover for a book made from Decovil 1 light - see the video.
youtu.be/Vgcg8yNsGy0

The Decovils can be cut with the same tools as the S80 mentioned above apart from hand hole punches.

 
A die cut bag made from Decovil 1 - see the video


I am having trouble having my 90cm rolls of Decovil cut into 30cm widths at the moment - all should be back to normal next month. In the meantime I am selling the Decovil in individual pieces of 30cm x 90cm at a £1 reduction on each piece so 1 piece of Decovil 1 light is now £4 and the Decovil 1 is £5. The prices will go back up when I have the new rolls delivered from Germany.

 *

Then we come to the 'big boy'!! The S133. This is my favourite iron-on interfacing because it so sooooooo useful for vessels. It can be coloured with watered down paint like the other interfacings. The sticky side can be decorated with anything you can iron onto Bondaweb. It can be cut with scissors, die cutting machines, a scalpel, the Brother Scan and Cut and a laser cutter.
I wouldn't try to hand stitch into it - but it is fine for sewing with a sewing machine. Just take it slowly and don't tug.

 

 S133 makes wonderful vessels - it is very firm
 

 CS800/Lutradur ironed onto painted S133.

 

 A die cut box made from S133 decorated with newspaper and a block print.

 My friend Lee Brown made this box for me from S133 - it is based on Guell Park in Barcelona which was designed by Gaudi.
  

Lee's box - aprox 12" x 24".

I love the sticky side of the S133 - but Lee likes the non sticky side. She draws into it with a soldering iron which gives a brown, scorched line. The drawn shapes are then filled in with procion dye - Lee used a Koh-in-Or palette.

 


All done with just a soldering iron and procion dyes - isn't it fab?
Lee is a quilter - this is her website.

 I love ironing different textures onto the S133 . . . . .



This is S133 decorated with handyed silk tops and painted Bondaweb.

 

Earth Jewel - 4ft tall

This vessel was constructed from CS800/Lutradur and painted Bondaweb that was then ironed onto a background of S133 to make it strong enough to stand by itself.

And finally - I make many layers of gorgouesness and iron it onto a back ground of S133 - which is then laser cut into shapes that I make up into earrings and brooches.


Here is a video showing how to make the jewellery with a die cutting machine.


My jewellery can be found on my Etsy shop - 

I hope you find this post useful - where ever you buy your interfacings from - you will need to know the correct name or number. If you are still not sure - you can go to www.nid-noi.com and look at the 'Pelmet Vilene' page and they are all listed there - you dont have to buy anything - you can just look.

***

I will be off to Northumberland early on Tuesday. It will take me all day to get up there. I am teaching a 3 day Summer School for the North Eastern Embroiderers Guild - 'Design to Stich'. I am very excited to be mixing stitch with design, it is going to be a fabulous 3 days. I am also looking forward to seeing that part of the country, I have not been there before. I will posting lots of images on Facbook and of course on here when I can.

So - have a good week, if you do place an order on www.nid-noi.com, they will be posted out on Tuesday the 26th of August when I am home again.

Take care and have fun. 

x x x

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