New Zealand 2017 - part the third . . Layered Surfaces for Stitch with Cutting Edge Textiles, Ngaruawahia.

 A rather stunning piece of work.

 ***

 Just a note about the names of products in different parts of the world. Lutradur is one of the names for CS800, it is also known as Spunbond. It is the same product but is known by different names around the world.

 Vliesofix is also known as Bondaweb. It is the same product.

 While we are at it - Vilene is now using their European name Vlieseline. The products are the same - the name has just changed slightly. There is a fabulous new website that helps you identify products and discover new ones - have a look . . www.vlieseline.com
***

The second workshop I was asked to teach for Cutting Edge Textiles was a 3 day version of Layered Surfaces for Stitch. Using Tyvek, Lutradur/CS800 and painted Bondweb/Vliesofix. However, as the a lot of the students booked onto the workshop had seen all the results of New Starting Point gracing my Facebook page over the past 6 months, they also wanted to try that. So we did. Having 3 days was a great luxury so I could work out how to teach both workshops.

We started out by painting Vliesofix/Bondaweb, Tyvek, and Lutradur/CS800. Once the Tyvek was dry we got straight onto playing with that. Learning how to texture it and how to apply foil to the Tyvek. The group learned the joys of 'kiss, stroke and caress'. And 'welly,wiggle and off'!!
 
 
 Painted Tyvek cut into spirals textured with an iron and then transfer foiled.

Once we had tried texturing the Tyvek with an iron (and baking parchment/paper). We went onto layering the Tyvek with polyester organza and stitching the layers together with a sewing machine to zap with a heat gun. This is a great way to learn control with the heat gun, trying to zap back and expose all the different layers.
  
 
 
Having great fun zapping. 

We then experimented with making beads from Tyvek. Tyvek strips are wound around the pointy end of a metal knitting needle and is held in place by wrapping wire around it. You hold the knitting needle at the other end when using the heat gun. The Tyvek should then stay in place and not roll around while you are creating your bead. The wire is then removed when you have melted the Tyvek enough to make the bead.

 
 
 Some great samples of making beads with Tyvek and other synthetic materials.

By the time we had played with the Tyvek the painted Vliesofix/Bondaweb and Lutradur/CS800 were dry.

The group had great fun playing with the painted Vliesofix/Bondaweb, ironing it onto different coloured fabric backgrounds and decorating it with transfer foil, mica flakes and gilding flake.
 
 
 
 
 
These are fabulous backgrounds to stitch onto - very excitng potential.

The next part of the workshop was to work with the Lutradur/Spunbond . . It is great fun to zap with a heat gun. It can also be cut with a soldering iron which was the technique that we concentrated on in the workshop. Applique is the technique of applying a fabric shape onto a fabric background. The applique shape can be pinned into the background fabric and then hand or machined in place - or you can use Vliesofix/Bondaweb.

We ironed Vliesofix/Bondaweb onto the back of one piece of Lutradur/Spunbond to cut the applique shapes out of, and chose another piece as a background to iron the shapes onto.

 
 
 
 
 
 
Some of the Lutradur/CS800 applique samples.

Leaving the backing paper on the Vliesofix/Bondaweb you can cut shapes out with a soldering iron, Lutradur/Spunbond side up. If you cut through the backing paper, you are pressing too hard. . . The cut shapes can then be lifted off the backing paper and ironed into place on your chosen background. As you can see from the images above, we had great fun.

 On the third day of the workshop we changed to using newspaper with the Vliesofix/Bondaweb and went into a one day version of A New Starting Point. We didn't have time to print or stitch, but the group had time to get to grips with the process.

 I do love a newspaper . . 

We experimented with my 'backgrounds and prettys' technique. It is basically tearing and layering newspaper and then . . tearing and layering newspaper. The great joy is that what you are doing doesn't have to look like anything. You are just creating texture with coloured paper. I love this process as you can use any kind of paper - junk mail, old music sheets, old books . .  maps . . It is a fabulous way to reuse and recycle. The samples also make great backgrounds to print and stitch onto .  . there will be samples of that in the next blog post when I deliver my next workshop in New Plymouth.

 
 Torn layers being placed on a background ready to be ironed down.

 
 Just a few of the beautiful samples that were created, so ready for print and stitch. Just paper, paint and Vliesofix/Bondaweb.

Using particular words to enhance your work can bring meaning and identity to it.

Regular readers of this blog will know of my great love for old Bernina sewing machines. They are such workhorses and cope with all manner of layers - paper or fabric.

A wonderful old machine - a bit heavy to carry - but so worth it - always reliable.

I will be traveling down to New Plymouth in a couple of days where I will be teaching a 2 day version of Hot Textiles and then A New Starting Point. 

In the meantime - have a great Easter, don't eat too much chocolate.

 ***

 My online teaching.
Working with Tyvek will be my first online workshop and A New Starting Point will be the second - if you are interested, please email me with 'database' in the subject and I will add you to the database. info@kimthittichai.com

You will be the first to hear what is happening and when. I am hoping the first workshop will start registration at the end of May. This a new venture for me, obviously I know what I am teaching - but all the internet malarkey takes time to put into place - so please bear with me . . . 
***

Hello Diana, love to you both.
Hello Jill also love to you both.
Hello Auntie Tod - huge love to you both and have a great time at Lynda's.

x x x

Comments

  1. jill16 April 2017 at 11:07

    Happy Easter darling, enjoy your bit of down time. Wet and yuk here. Love from us both xxx

    ReplyDelete
  2. Kim Thittichai16 April 2017 at 21:05

    Hope you are enjoying the weekend. It has been lashing with rain and hail her but the sun has come out this morning. x

    ReplyDelete

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