Happy New Year! Welcome to 2015 - ExTex 3 Session 7 January 3rd and 4th

 Strips of transfer printed fabric bonded onto a background and free machine stitched.

Happy New Year everyone!!! 
I hope you are all well and feeling suitably rested?? Ha Ha !! Maybe not - but hopefully you all enjoyed the break - those of you that had one. 

 I taught the 7th session of Experimental Textiles at The Old Needle Works over the weekend. We looked at using metal on Saturday and painted Bondaweb and Tyvek on the Sunday. It was just the weekend group this time - The Thursday/Friday group will have 2 sessions in February, we thought it was a bit much for them to have a session on the 1st and 2nd of January!!!
The weekend was a 'students choice'. There are 2 sessions within the 9 when the students can negotiate what they would like to do/learn.

 
 Lots of excitement and laughter as the group arrive - they haven't seen each other since November.


 
 Mary kindly brought in fruit - rather cake . . .

 Once the girls had settled down and we had a cup of tea or coffee in front of us - we all gathered around one table and I asked the girls to show me any homework they had had time to do over the holiday. To say I was amazed at the amount of work and the quality of it would be an understatement. I hadn't thought that many of the group would have time to produce anything. I can't tell you how excited am about what they are creating - and this only one of the groups. They are both very strong.

 The homework was to create a roughly 12" square with the procion dyed naturals from the last session and do 'something' creative with the transfer printed synthetics.
 
 These are just a few shots . . . .

 Transfer printed, manipulated, hand stitched and beaded synthetic fabric.
 
 Layers of transfer printed fabrics cut back with a soldering iron and hand stitched.
 
 
 Transfer prints with soldering iron applique decorated with hand stitch.

A transfer print with shapes cut and off set, bonded onto a background and machine stitched.
  
 
 Layers of transfer printed cut with a soldering iron and applied.
 
                              Manipulated, procion dyed fabrics.
 More manipulated and stitched natural fabrics.

 
 with detail.


 A random sample with the beginnings of stitch.

    
A detail of one of the samples - can I point out that I don't teach stitch - I just encourage it!!! The groups all teach themselves - I am always amazed by what they bring in.
  
 
 Melissa had fun playing with 3d. FAB!!

 Once we had seen and discussed all the homework - we got on with the day - experimenting with metal, copper, brass and steel and some weird and wonderful things that the girls had brought in.
  
 
 We played with alcohol inks - they works very on well on metal as they are for non porous materials.
 
 A sample of metal collage . . . 
 Making holes and stitching.

 
 Embossing and transfer printing - using the heat press.

 Heat gunning around metal shapes that have been used as a resist on copper mesh.
 
 Transfer printing onto copper shim using leaves as a resist and then using the remaining print on synthetic satin.
 
 Embossing and using a ribbler for texture.


 
 Playing with 3D shapes.
 
 seeing what will happen if . . . .

 On Sunday we experimented with painted Bondaweb. The group had great fun with the transfer foils, glitter and gilding flake.
  
Painted Bondaweb and transfer foils.
Sometimes you don't need sparkle . . .  tissue and painted Bondaweb.
Layers of painted Bondaweb, printed papers and Transfer foil.
We did experiment with Tyvek - but I forgot to take photos.

So - it was a great weekend as you can see.

*

We are now enrolling for Experimental Textiles 4 
9 weekends 
from June 2015 - March 2016. 
If you are interested go to experimentaltextiles.com
or
http://www.inkberrowdesigncentre.co.uk/experimental-textiles

 *

I am now rushing around in a demented fashion tying to get sorted ready to leave for NZ on Wednesday . . .  aarrGGHHHHHH!!!!!!

I will think calm thoughts and make lists . . . . . My next post will be from Auckland - Whhooo hooo. 
Have a good week.

x x x

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